A former Royal Navy frigate was scuppered just off Whitsand Bay in south-east Cornwall this week to begin a new life as the UK's first artificial diving reef. It is hoped that HMS Scylla will generate pounds 1 million a year for the tourist economies of Plymouth and Cornwall. Portsmouth's National Maritime Aquarium bought the Scylla from the Ministry of Defence in 2003 for pounds 200,000 with money provided by the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWERDA). It successfully outbid other projects, including a similar reef for the Cayman Islands.
The 2,500-tonne Scylla, which is expected to be colonised by a wide range of marine life, will be used as a research tool as well as a facility for divers. SWERDA chief executive Geoff Wilkinson said: 'HMS Scylla is another first for the South West and will play an important part in the economic development of Plymouth and the region.'
Source Citation:"Frigate sunk to create reef for dive centre." Planning (UK) (April 2, 2004): 02. Popular Magazines. Gale. BROWARD COUNTY LIBRARY. 10 June 2009
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