Life-Sized Concrete Cars Are Submerged To Create Artificial Coral Reefs in Miami

Life-Sized Concrete Cars Are Submerged To Create Artificial Coral Reefs in Miami

Miami is known for its sunny beaches, palm trees, and outdoor malls, but did you know it’s also home to the only coral reef in North America? As the second most visited city in the U.S., welcoming over 4 million tourists a year, Miami is poised to turn its coastline into both a cultural landmark and a living, breathing sanctuary for marine life. Known as ReefLine, the underwater sculpture park is meant to become one of Miami’s biggest tourist attractions and a new symbol of the city.

Marine biologist and coral expert Colin Foord is currently growing thousands of living coral specimens for the project. “Using urban corals that have demonstrated resistance to bleaching and disease, the Miami Native Coral Lab will amplify thousands of corals each year to rebuild reef habitat that has been lost over the decades off the coast of Miami Beach,” he says. The corals are to be transplanted onto concrete sculptures and become a habitat for creatures, bringing biodiversity back to the area, which has been in decline since the 1970s.

As artistic director and founder, Ximena Caminos sees ReefLine as a fusion of creativity and conservation. “We are using art as a tool to actively shape a better future,” she says. The project’s first installation is Concrete Coral by Argentine artist Leandro Erlich. It features 22 full-scale cars cast in marine-grade concrete, arranged in a traffic jam on the seafloor, representing human effect and nature’s resilience.

“The choice of cars is metaphorical: once carriers of pollution and speed, they now become vessels of regeneration,” Caminos explains. They deployed the cars to the site in late October of this year.

ReefLine will be visible from above and accessible to snorkelers swimming from the beach. Future installations are already in development, including The Miami Reef Star by Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre, and Heart of Okeanos by Petroc Sesti, scheduled for 2026.

Caminos expects ReefLine to take a decade or more to complete its full 7-mile stretch. Alongside the underwater installations, plans include a marine learning center onshore, where visitors can learn about coral conservation and the fragile ecosystems the project aims to protect. Over time, the sculptures will become living reefs, their surfaces covered in coral and even visible from the sky to travelers flying into Miami. Caminos has hope that The Miami Reef Star could even become a symbol of the city.

ReefLine is an upcoming installation meant to help marine life bounce back, be easily accessible to tourists, and bring attention to the causes of reef decline.

Miami is home to the only coral reef in North America, but it has been in decline since the 1970s due to climate change.

This ambitious project will take over a decade and span 7 miles along the coast. Three installations are currently in the works: Concrete Coral, Heart of Okeanos, and The Miami Reef Star.

Concrete Coral is a metaphor on human impact and nature’s might, with the cars arranged in a traffic jam, and was the first to begin production in October 2025.

The project’s artistic director, Ximena Caminos, predicts Miami Reef Star could become a symbol of the city.

The installations will be visible to people flying over it and they’ll also feature an on-land learning center to educate people on the importance of coral reefs.

ReefLine: Website | Instagram

Source: Miami Beach puts the art in offshore artificial reef

All images via ReefLine.

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READ: Life-Sized Concrete Cars Are Submerged To Create Artificial Coral Reefs in Miami