YouTubers attach GoPro to giant barge and intentionally sink it to bottom of the ocean

If you've for some reason got an old barge going spare, don't let it sit around gathering dust - give it to these guys, who are capable of turning a run-down boat into something quite extraordinary.

Joe Kistel and Co know more than a thing or two about turning someone's trash into treasure, as while we might see a decrepit watercraft, these lot see an opportunity to recycle it while revitalising the aquatic environment.

The bloke, from southwest Florida, US, reckons he was always 'destined to become a marine enthusiast' and has spent most of his life in the water, whether fishing or diving off the coast.

These hobbies throughout his teen years are what allowed him to gain an appreciation for the 'underwater world, its inhabitants, and the recreational opportunities underwater ecosystems can provide'.

Joe Kistel documented the extraordinary project (YouTube/UWPICVID)

Hence why he became an underwater photographer and cinematographer who also runs a non-profit organisation, TISIRI Corp, which champions environmental conservation, marine awareness and reef creation.

As you can gather, Kistel cares a lot about what's going on below the surface - and for that reason, he decided to purposely sink a 175-foot barge to the bottom of the ocean.

But don't worry, he took us all along for the ride too as he attached several 'sink cameras' to it, which he intentionally positioned to get all the 'cool angles' possible, before it descended into the depths in northeast Florida.

Take a look at the incredible footage here:

Kistel, who was previously dubbed an 'Ocean Hero' by Origin Magazine, worked alongside a hefty team as well as closely with the Coastal Conservation Association Florida (CCAF) to produce and deploy the artificial reef, named 'Ripper Reef'.

They installed it in a spot known as Harm’s Ledge, an artificial reef permit zone, which is known to attract aquatic creatures such as flounder, snapper, gag grouper, black sea bass and other species.

For those who don't know, an artificial reef is a man-made structure - often created from objects which are no longer in use such as sinking oil rigs or battered barges - which is used to promote marine life, protect coastal areas and improve aquaculture.

Basically, instead of waiting for coral larvae to attach themselves to submerged rocks and do their thing, humans can give sea creatures a helping hand along the way by giving them a base to work with.

The 175-foot barge, dubbed Ripper Reef, was sunk at Harm’s Ledge off the coast of Florida (YouTube/UWPICVID)

Director of habitat and environmental restoration at CCFA, Frank Gius, told News4Jaxx: "There’s nothing out there, just pure sand. Once this barge hits the bottom, it’s gonna be like an oasis in the desert.

"Immediately fish will come through it within a year or two. It will be a completely thriving reef."

In this case, Kistel explained they had taken a barge out to sea before dropping anchor to keep it in the prime 'sinking location'.

Then, holes along the sides of the vessel were opened to allow water to gush inside and start to weigh it down.

The YouTuber said: "Several high flow pumps were used to pump in enough water to lower the barge to the point where water entered the holes.

"The idea here is that we pump enough water in the barge sinks a little bit and then water will start naturally coming in the boat itself, and then we can get off and the barge should sink."

Cameras captured every stage of it's dramatic descent (YouTube/UWPICVID)

After scrambling to the safety of a waiting boat, the crew then watched the magic happen as the barge began to disappear beneath the waves.

Kistel then continued: "So the question maybe...why did you do this? Why did you sink this barge intentionally?

"Well, the simple answer is, to create marine habitat. And we know this works because we've done it many times before.

"In fact, just about 1000ft from where this barge sits now, was a vessel that we sank a few years ago...another sunken ship becomes a reef. This was a very involved project that took strategic planning and regulatory oversight.

"We had to select and survey a site within an artificial reef permit area, and we had to prepare and clean the barge to a state of environmental soundness to make sure it would work well to create an artificial reef."

He shared footage of the first reef that was installed by him and his team, which has since become a hub of marine life and activity - so yes, it works.

Kistel and Co hope that the barge will become a hub of marine life, as their previous one has done (YouTube/UWPICVID)

Kistel said the project was 'amazing to be a part of', especially due to his cameras catching some 'interesting activity' on the way down.

"Within months the vessel will start to colonise with organisms such as corals and sponges," he added while discussing his expectations of Ripper Reef.

"Multiple fish species will use the wreck for shelter and resources. Over time, the underwater world this sunken barge will give life to, will mimic the biological activity of nearby natural reef systems.

"It's pretty cool to think that this unique recycling effort can create new marine habitat, a new offshore ecosystem that's going to benefit the Northeast Florida environment, as well as the regional community."

Anyone got some more barges going spare then?