Miami's ReefLine: Submerged Cars Become Coral Habitats and Underwater Art Park

Underwater Sculpture Park Launch

• 🚀 The first phase of the ReefLine, an underwater sculpture park, has been deployed off South Beach, with 11 of 22 car sculptures submerged.
• 💡 This project fuses art and science to create habitat for marine life and serve as a new symbol for the city.

Concrete Coral Installation

• 🚗 The initial installation, called Concrete Coral, features submerged car sculptures designed to resemble a traffic jam.
• ⚠️ These cars serve as a metaphor for environmental harm, representing the potential consequences of current human behavior on the planet.
• 🎨 The sculptures are made from marine-grade concrete and tested to withstand extreme weather, with three sizes of cars deployed.

Coral Restoration Efforts

• 🪸 The submerged cars are equipped with coral locks to facilitate the attachment of living corals.
• 🔬 Over 2,200 soft coral gorgonians are being grown in a lab, fragmented, and attached to these locks for outplanting.
• 🌱 After a 4-6 month growth period in the lab, these corals will be attached to the car structures to accelerate habitat creation.

Marine Life and Ecotourism

• 🐠 The artificial reef structures are expected to attract fish and other marine life within hours of submersion.
• 🤿 The ReefLine is designed to be accessible for snorkeling and paddleboarding, with plans for it to become a 7-mile sculpture trail.
• 🌍 This initiative positions Miami as a leader in coral science and ecotourism, offering potential solutions for reef restoration globally.

Project Timeline and Safety

• ⏳ The next 11 cars will be deployed soon, with the installation opening to swimmers and divers after a settling period of about a week.
• 🚩 Visitors are advised to bring a dive flag as the ReefLine is outside the safe swim zone, with efforts underway to adjust buoy placement.