Evolving Shipwrecks

Student Activities

In certain locations, shipwrecks settled on the ocean floor have, in certain cases, been transformed into coral reefs. Coral grows over time and evolves into an ecosystem that flourishes with marine life. In some situations, structures have been purposefully placed underwater or ships have been sunk in specific locations to support the development of reefs. However, there is not complete support for this behaviour, and some groups have grown concerned at the sudden influx of man-made reef development.

Students will split the class into two groups, and run a debate on the following question: Are man-made reef developments good for the ocean? Debate teams need to bring research on the topic from a variety of sources and convince the judges whether shipwrecks should continue to be used in this way or whether there should be a moratorium. Reach out to local experts for volunteer judges for this activity.

To bring Computer Science into the discussion, students can simulate the transition from a man-made structure to a coral reef. Using “Fill” and “Replace” commands, structures built in Minecraft from stained glass can be replaced with different types of coral blocks to complete the conversion. For an additional challenge, students can also create their own underwater sculptures and use similar code to create their own reef seeds.