Welcome to the Florida Keys Newsroom

VandenbergArt1
A diver examines art photos created by Austrian photographer Andreas Franke as he swims along the deck of Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg artificial reef 90 feet deep in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, off Key West, Fla. Franke created and installed a dozen digitally composited images for the underwater art exhibition. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andreas Franke/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandenbergArt2
Divers examine art photos created by Austrian photographer Andreas Franke along the deck of Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg artificial reef 90 feet deep in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, off Key West, Fla. Franke created and installed a dozen digitally composited images for the underwater art exhibition. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andreas Franke/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandyDive1
Divers swim above the former missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg Friday, May 21, 2010, off Key West, Fla., in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Algae and sponges are already growing on exterior surfaces of of the 523-foot-long vessel and more than 113 different species of fish are now calling it home. The artificial reef was intentionally sunk May 27, 2009. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Don Kincaid/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandyDive2
Divers swim over the former missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg amid thousands of fish Friday, May 21, 2010, off Key West, Fla., in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. A year after the ship was intentionally sunk May 27, 2009, the artificial reef has attracted more than 20,000 divers and 113 different species of fish. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Don Kincaid/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandyDive01
Divers explore the superstructure of the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key West, Fla., Friday, May 29, 2009. After a dramatic May 27 scuttling, the Vandenberg opened to the public Saturday, May 30. The Vandenberg's hull rests on the sandy bottom in about 145 feet of water, but the 523-foot-long former U.S. Air Force missile tracking ship is so massive that its superstructure begins just 45 feet below the sea surface. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Haig Jacobs/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandyDive02
Divers explore the superstructure of the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key West, Fla., Friday, May 29, 2009. After a dramatic May 27 scuttling, the Vandenberg opened to the public Saturday, May 30. The Vandenberg's hull rests on the sandy bottom in about 145 feet of water, but the 523-foot-long former U.S. Air Force missile tracking ship is so massive that its superstructure begins just 45 feet below the sea surface. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Haig Jacobs/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandyDive03
Diver Jaclyn Skafas swims above a parabolic tracking antenna on the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key West, Fla., during Friday, May 29, 2009. After a dramatic scuttling on May 27, the former Air Force missile-tracking ship opened to the public Saturday, May 30. It is the second largest ship in the world to be intentionally sunk to create an artificial reef for sport divers and anglers. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR USE BY NORTH AMERICAN DIVE PUBLICATIONS OR NORTH AMERICAN DIVE WEB SITES PRIOR TO OCT. 1, 2009. (Stephen Frink/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandyDive04
Diver Jaclyn Skafas explores the superstructure of the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key West, Fla. Friday, May 29, 2009. After a dramatic May 27 scuttling, the Vandenberg opened to the public Saturday, May 30. The hull of the vessel rests on the sandy bottom in about 145 feet of water, but the 523-foot-long former U.S. Air Force missile tracking ship is so massive that its superstructure begins just 45 feet below the sea surface. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR USE BY NORTH AMERICAN DIVE PUBLICATIONS OR NORTH AMERICAN DIVE WEB SITES PRIOR TO OCT. 1, 2009. (Stephen Frink/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandyDive05
Joe Weatherby, left, who 13 years ago identified the former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg as a candidate for sinking as an artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, is congratulated by Monroe County Commissioner Mario Di Gennaro, right, after tying a Conch Republic flag to a stanchion on the Vandenberg May 29, 2009, sunk about seven miles off Key West, Fla., in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Following a dramatic May 27, 2009, scuttling, the Vandenberg officially opened to sport divers and anglers May 30. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR USE BY NORTH AMERICAN DIVE PUBLICATIONS OR NORTH AMERICAN DIVE WEB SITES PRIOR TO OCT. 1, 2009. (Stephen Frink/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandySinksFile
The former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg disappears beneath the surface of the ocean after cutting charges were detonated seven miles off Key West, Fla. Now, a year later, the ship is serving its purpose as an artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It has become a habitat for 113 different species of fish and has attracted more than 20,000 divers during its first year.  FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

VandySink01
The former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg begins to sink after cutting charges were detonated Wednesday. May 27, 2009, seven miles off Key West, Fla. The 523-foot-long Vandenberg was sunk to create an artificial reef to attract recreational divers and anglers. Some 70 percent of the $8.6 million budget was expended to rid the vessel of contaminants before it was scuttled. The Vandenberg sunk in less then two minutes after the cutting charges were fired. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandySink02
A tug maneuvers around the former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg as it begins to sink after cutting charges were detonated Wednesday. May 27, 2009, seven miles off Key West, Fla. The 523-foot-long Vandenberg, that played a key role in the Cold War and tracked NASA spacecraft launches in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, was scuttled to create an artificial reef to attract recreational divers and anglers. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandySink03
The former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg begins to sink after cutting charges were detonated Wednesday, May 27, 2009, seven miles off Key West, Fla. The 523-foot-long Vandenberg, that played a key role in the Cold War and tracked NASA spacecraft launches in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, was scuttled to create an artificial reef to attract recreational divers and anglers. It sank in less then two minutes. (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandySink04
The former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg begins to sink after cutting charges were detonated Wednesday, May 27, 2009, seven miles off Key West, Fla. The 523-foot-long Vandenberg, that played a key role in the Cold War and tracked NASA spacecraft launches in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, was scuttled to create an artificial reef to attract recreational divers and anglers. It sank in less then two minutes. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandySink05
The former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg disappears beneath the surface of the ocean after cutting charges were detonated Wednesday, May 27, 2009, seven miles off Key West, Fla. The 523-foot-long Vandenberg, that played a key role in the Cold War and tracked NASA spacecraft launches in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, was scuttled to create an artificial reef to attract recreational divers and anglers. It sank in less then two minutes. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandySink06
Only air bubbles and smoke remains after the former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg was sunk Wednesday. May 27, 2009, seven miles off Key West, Fla. The 523-foot-long Vandenberg, that played a key role in the Cold War and tracked NASA spacecraft launches in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, was scuttled to create an artificial reef to attract recreational divers and anglers. The ship is resting in 140 feet of water in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandySink07
In this photo released by the Florida Keys News Bureau, the former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg begins to sink after cutting charges were detonated Wednesday. May 27, 2009, seven miles off Key West, Fla. The 523-foot-long Vandenberg, that played a key role in the Cold War and tracked NASA spacecraft launches in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, was scuttled to create an artificial reef to attract recreational divers and anglers. It sank in less then two minutes. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Stephen Frink/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

VandySink08
A remote onboard camera records the former U.S. Air Force missile-tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg sinking after cutting charges were detonated Wednesday, May 27, 2009, seven miles off Key West, Fla. The 523-foot-long Vandenberg, that played a key role in the Cold War and tracked NASA spacecraft launches in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, was scuttled to create an artificial reef to attract recreational divers and anglers. It sank in one minute and 54 seconds. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY.  (Steve Panariello and Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

Locator Map of Vandenberg Artificial Reef Site
Locator map of proposed Vandenberg Artificial Reef site off Key West, Fla., in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

VandyArrive01
The retired U.S. missile tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg arrives in Key West, Fla., Wednesday, April 22, 2009, after it was towed here from Norfolk, Va. The 523-foot-long ship, that once tracked space launches off Cape Canaveral, Fla., and also monitored Soviet missile launches during the Cold War, is  to be intentionally sunk off Key West in late May to become an artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Estimated project costs to create a new attraction for sport divers and anglers is $8.6 million. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)