GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) -- Tourism officials in southern Alabama are considering establishing a year-round scuba diving attraction on the Gulf Coast.

Al.com (http://bit.ly/VdCxru ) reports the Alabama Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce is leading a plan to craft a year-round tourism economy focused on scuba diving.

Chamber President Ed Rodriguez told the website creating the attraction on the Gulf Coast would likely be a step toward raising the area's profile among the scuba diving community and others.

The chamber, and other local groups, are nearly done raising $500,000 to sink a retired cargo ship, and say creating an artificial reef could mean big bucks in terms of tourism.

Rodriguez says a study of Gulf-front areas in Florida's panhandle found that every dollar invested in creating artificial reefs returned about $130 dollars through tourism-related businesses.

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Information from: Press-Register, http://www.al.com/press-register/
AP-WF-12-01-12 1533GMT