Next stop, coral reef.

• Position: THE BIG PICTURE - Brief article

No, this New York City subway car hasn't taken a wrong turn. It's being intentionally dumped off the coast of Virginia. That may seem like irresponsible waste disposal, but environmentalists applaud the effort because old subway cars are being used to create artificial reefs to encourage the growth of marine life. Most of the natural seabed off the Atlantic coast from New Jersey to Florida is flat sand. Subway cars offer hundreds of square feet of hard surfaces for plankton, mollusks, and other sea creatures to latch onto. After about five years, the reef is formed, attracting small fish that feed on it-- and larger fish like marlin and tuna that feed on the small fish. About...