A group of New Yorkers have authored a petition in a last-ditch effort to prevent the famed Cold War carrier vessel the S.S. United States from becoming the world’s largest artificial reef.

“On occasion we find ourselves in the perilous position where history faces destruction, and are forced to petition those who hold power to see past the fog of nebulous dealings and intervene on the behalf of the few who can afford to keep a watchful eye over that which may otherwise be ignored,” reads the petition, published by the New York Coalition To Save the SS United States.

“Such currently is the case with the SS United States, which now finds itself teetering on the brink of needless destruction.”

The petition has received nearly 9,000 signatures as of Mar. 27.

After months of delays and a two-week journey from its longtime dock in Philadelphia, the ship arrived earlier this month at Mobile’s Modern American Recycling & Repair Services facility.

It will be there for approximately six months as it is cleaned and prepared for its eventual sinking off the Florida Gulf Coast from Destin-Fort Walton Beach, according to representatives for Okaloosa County, Fla.

The county purchased the ship and paid $10.1 million to have it moved and prepared for sinking.

Florida officials are hopeful that the ship is turned into a tourism destination after its transformation into the world’s largest artificial reef.

The county is also planning to build a land-based museum and immersive exhibit detailing the ship’s rich history.

But the coalition claims that the ship could do more harm than good to the area.

“It has been decided without debate – and in the face of additional evidence that we have discovered – that the destruction of the ship via reefing is the most ideal future, despite the high potential for breaking federal law and creating a significant environmental catastrophe off the coast of Florida, as well as becoming a hazard to divers within as little as a decade,” the petition reads.

“We have attempted a private solution to this disagreement but are now forced to take action ourselves.”

Efforts to reach the coalition for more details were not immediately successful.

John Quadrozzi Jr., concrete magnate and owner of the Gowanus Bay Terminal in Brooklyn, has also publicly opposed the ship’s move, and previously told Gothamist that he would like to turn the vessel into a sustainable “floating ecosystem.”

Originally designed as a top-secret, convertible troop carrier during the Cold War in 1951, the S.S. United States has transported presidents, famous actors, heads of state, tourists, members of the armed forces, and immigrants before it was retired in 1969.

Notable passengers included four U.S. Presidents (Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, and a young Bill Clinton), Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and John Wayne.