Mallows Bay: The 'ghost fleet' graveyard where nature has risen from the dead

Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
The ship graveyard in Mallows Bay, Maryland, is home to historic shipwrecks dating back to the American Civil War.
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Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
The 185 documented vessels at Mallows Bay have become a nature haven for species including the great blue heron. Locals have nominated the area for national marine sanctuary status -- the U.S. has only 14 such protected areas.
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Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
Nature has wrapped itself around the rotting hulls of many of the wooden steamships in Mallows Bay.
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Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
Rare bird species like the osprey and bald eagle have flourished, making nests on board many of the ships.
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Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
Populations of many bird species were severely depleted during the mid-20th century in the U.S. due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT. Only after it was banned in the early 1970s did