Living Shipwreck

The Living Shipwreck is a 306,000-gallon tank recreating the marine community that has colonized a German U-352 submarine sunk off the North Carolina coast during World War II. Sharks, groupers, sea turtles, and stingrays navigate the wreck structure, demonstrating how artificial reefs create thriving marine habitats.

North Carolina's coast has thousands of shipwrecks that now function as artificial reefs, supporting diverse marine communities in otherwise featureless sandy ocean floor. The exhibit teaches visitors about both maritime history and marine ecology, showing how human artifacts can become integral parts of ocean ecosystems.