Underwater Photo Exhibition on Artificial ?Sunken Ship? Reef in Florida Woos Divers (PHOTOS)

Photographs by Austrian photographer Andreas Franke taken on August 4 were put along the deck of a former U.S. Air Force missile tracking ship, sunk in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and opened to divers cum visitors on August 7.

Franke created and installed a dozen digitally composed images for the 90 feet deep underwater exhibition on board the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg vessel, Reuters reported.

The 523-foot-long Vandenberg was sunk on May 27, 2009 in the marine sanctuary off Key West in Florida, and is the second largest ship in the world to be intentionally sunk to create an artificial reef to attract recreational divers and anglers.

About 70 percent of the $8.6 million budget was expended to rid the vessel of contaminants before it was scuttled, officials told media.

Soon after being plunged into the sea, Vandenberg was opened to the public on May 30, 2009.

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An artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, it became a habitat for 113 different species of fish and attracted more than 20,000 divers during its first year.

With this unique underwater photo exhibition, Franke wanted to create some life on a dead ship, by adding photographs of people. Officials estimate a boost in the number of divers.

Here are a few photos from the exhibition and the vessel after it was sunk.