据伍兹霍尔海洋研究所（WHOI）介绍，历史悠久的“美国号”远洋客轮定于周三在佛罗里达州墨西哥湾沿岸外海被有意沉没，以打造官员们所称的世界最大人工礁。
The historic SS United States ocean liner is scheduled to be deliberately sunk off Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday to create what officials say will be the world's largest artificial reef, according to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
这艘长990英尺（302米）的船只将在墨西哥湾德斯坦东水道西南约22海里处沉入水下。
The 990-foot (302-meter) vessel is set to be submerged approximately 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin East Pass in the Gulf of Mexico.
这艘船由佛罗里达州奥卡卢萨县于2024年购得，将为海洋生物提供栖息地，并作为科学研究场所，同时支持该地区的渔业和潜水产业。
Purchased by Florida's Okaloosa County in 2024, the ship will provide a habitat for marine life and serve as a scientific research site while supporting the region's fishing and diving industries.
由伍兹霍尔海洋研究所领导的研究人员将考察海洋生物如何在这艘船上定殖，以及生态系统如何在大型人工结构周围形成。
Researchers led by WHOI will examine how marine organisms colonize the vessel and how ecosystems develop around large artificial structures.
“这是一个研究和监测新生态系统形成过程的激动人心的机会，”伍兹霍尔海洋研究所海洋生物学家柯尔斯廷·迈耶-凯泽说。
"This is an exciting opportunity to study and monitor the development of a new ecosystem," said WHOI marine biologist Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser.
科学家将追踪水体化学、微生物活动和海洋生物多样性的变化，从船只周围132个地点采集水样，以评估船体结构释放的金属如何影响正在形成的生态系统。
Scientists will track changes in water chemistry, microbial activity and marine biodiversity, collecting water samples from 132 locations around the vessel to assess how metals released from its structure affect the emerging ecosystem.
研究团队计划在第一个月内建立基线测量数据，并持续监测该地点数年。
The research team plans to establish baseline measurements within the first month and continue monitoring the site for several years.
在按计划沉没之前，这艘船已进行了广泛的环境修复，以符合美国的环境和海事准则。
The vessel has undergone extensive environmental remediation ahead of its planned sinking to comply with US environmental and maritime guidelines.
“美国号”于1952年投入运营，并在首航中创下跨大西洋速度纪录，成为美国海事历史的象征。
The SS United States entered service in 1952 and set a transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage, becoming a symbol of American maritime history.
这艘船曾搭载名人和国家元首，停运数十年后，才出现了将其改造成人工礁的计划。
The ship, which once carried celebrities and heads of state, spent decades out of service before plans emerged to transform it into an artificial reef.