A Spanish Galleon that sank in 1733 became “a treasure ship of another kind” as the ruin transformed into the heart of a new ecosystem in the ensuing years. “Algae and sea lettuce were the first to move in. They washed into the ship’s wooden hull.” The engaging, accessible narrative and humorous panel illustrations skillfully mark huge swaths of time as they show the developing reef over the first year, at the first decade, and the first century. Today, the reef community continues to provide a safe habitat for sea life, while also protecting against erosion and lessening ocean surges during storms. An end note discusses this specific sunken ship, which is located off the Florida Keys, and the current science surrounding sunken ships.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Discover the tiny, fascinating world of sunken-ship reefs in this latest book in an illuminating nonfiction picture book series that explores how even the smallest habitats play big roles in nature.

Long ago, a grand treasure ship journeyed across the Caribbean sea. One day a storm swirled in. The ship was swished, and swayed, and swamped! Then it sank down to the seafloor, where it would become a treasure ship of a different kind…

When ships sink to the bottom of the sea, time can change them into rich reef ecosystems, home to a wealth of sea life big and small. Sunken ships and other human-made underwater objects are called artificial reefs. These ocean oases provide food and shelter for a vast array of plants and animals, from little sea lettuces to big bottlenose dolphins and many more sea species in between. With snappy, funny text and lush illustrations, this book invites curious readers to step into a tiny ecosystem that’s truly full of treasures.