A new underwater art installation is transforming the waters off Miami Beach into a living coral reef. Over several days, crews placed 22 life-sized concrete car sculptures on the ocean floor, several hundred feet from South Beach. The project, called «Concrete Coral,» is led by the nonprofit REEFLINE, which combines art and marine science to create artificial reefs, the Associated Press reported.
The installation will soon be seeded with 2,200 native corals grown in a Miami lab. Supported in part by a $5 million city bond, REEFLINE plans to expand the initiative through up to 11 phases along Miami Beach’s seven-mile coastline. Founder Ximena Caminos and architect Shohei Shigematsu developed the concept, while artist Leandro Erlich designed the car sculptures.
Marine biologist Colin Foord, who oversees the coral lab, said the corals — grown from survivors of the 2023 bleaching event — will form a thriving habitat over the sculptures, attracting marine life and boosting biodiversity. Future installations will include Petroc Sesti’s «Heart of Okeanos,» inspired by a blue whale’s heart, and Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre’s Miami Reef Star, which is shaped like an interconnected starfish.
According to Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, the project will also support local ecotourism through snorkeling, diving and other activities.
