The MV Thermopylae Sierra, a 155-meter (508-foot) bulk carrier flying the Cypress flag, was anchored off Sri Lanka’s west coast by court order following a legal dispute. Neglected for three years without proper maintenance, the vessel eventually succumbed to the forces of nature and sank in 2012.

Though abandoned, the sunken ship has since transformed into an underwater oasis, providing shelter to a diverse array of marine life. A recent study off Sri Lanka’s west coast, which included surveys of coral reefs and shipwrecks like the Thermopylae Sierra, found that shipwrecks support more abundant fish assemblages compared with natural coral reefs near Colombo, the country’s commercial capita

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Picture credit: Ales Reich