New Yorkers have probably never thought about it before, but here's a very good question: what happens to all of those non-working subway cars?

That is, where exactly do they all go to "die?"

The answer may surprise you: the very bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

That's right, defunct subway carts are dropped (using a mechanical crane) to the bottom of the ocean and therefore become artificial reefs (read: home) for millions of fish, crabs, shrimp, and mussels.

Photographer Stephen Mallon captured the transformation of ordinary subway cars into exotic artificial reefs in a series of stunning images below.

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Did You Know There’s an Abandoned Subway Platform in the 42nd Street Station?

[via Daily Mail]