Work began on the Yukon Marine Life Survey last week as Ocean Sanctuaries science divers descended on the ship for an initial species assessment in preparation for the 2015 baseline study that will be done as a follow-up to the one done by the San Diego Oceans Foundation in 2004.
The 366 foot long former Canadian warship HMCS Yukon was purchased, cleaned according to Canadian environmental standards and sunk in 2000 to act as an artificial reef in 100 ft of water off the coast of San Diego–a task at which it has been spectacularly successful: having attracted divers from all around the world as well as dozens of species of marine life, both vertebrates and invertebrates which have attached themselves to the ship over time.
The 2015 Yukon Marine Life survey was begun by Ocean Sanctuaries to track and document marine life species which have accumulated on the ship over time. It will continue as a long-term study.
For more information, see: http://oceansanctuaries.org/wordpress/citizen-science-projects/2015-yukon-marine-life-survey/