Seven-mile Underwater Sculpture Park to Open in Miami

ReefLine, a recently announced underwater sculpture park, could turn Miami Beach into a scuba hotspot.

Limestone and concrete sculptures — porous materials similar to natural coral — will eventually stretch for seven miles off the South Florida coast, ranging from 10 to 25 feet deep. The first mile will be completed by the park’s opening date in December 2021, and the remaining six miles will be installed later. Once the project is complete, the underwater playground will be the region’s largest artificial reef.

The park idea came to Ximena Caminos, chair of BlueLab Preservation Society and founder and artistic director of ReefLine, after learning about the benefits of artificial reefs.

"I thought, 'What if we created a reef designed by artists?'" Caminos tells CNN. "I've always been interested in how we can combine art and science to address issues of sustainability."

The layout of ReefLine is being designed by Shohei Shigematsu, an architect with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture. Shigematsu will also design one of the first installations: a structure similar to a spiral staircase that will have ample surface area for habitats to grow and a wide inner opening that will act as a swim-through for divers.

"The team has to be cross-disciplinary," Caminos says. "Artists, architects, scientists, preservationists, and city officials are coming together to create this underwater sculpture garden that will form the artificial reef, helping to foster the regrowth of the area's destroyed coral and enhance coastal resilience."

The other initial installation will be created by Leandro Erlich, a conceptual artist from Argentina. For last year’s Miami Art Week, Erlich unveiled a 66-car traffic jam made of sand that ran up and down Miami Beach. He’ll be recreating that scene underwater for ReefLine.

"[It's] a totally different way of experiencing art," says Caminos. "The water will also provide a change in perspective and gravity. Architects and designers are very excited by those opportunities that shift perspectives."

Park expansion will continue after the park opens to visitors late next year. Caminos is currently looking for more artists to contribute but says she’s keen to work with those whose art "relates and responds to the environment and raises awareness about the urgent issues facing our planet."