For a time, placing old vehicle tyres on the seabed was seen as a practical way to create habitat where marine life might gather. Similar projects appeared in different parts of the world during the second half of the twentieth century, reflecting ideas about artificial reefs that were widely accepted at the time. Off the coast of Broward County in Florida, that approach grew to an exceptional scale. What began as an ambitious attempt to improve fish habitat eventually produced a very different legacy. Decades later, shifting currents, tropical storms and hurricanes exposed the weaknesses of the project, leaving government agencies with a vast and technically demanding cleanup effort that is still unfolding years after it first began. Many of the displaced tyres damaged nearby coral reefs, scattered across the seabed and created long-term environmental challenges for marine conservation efforts.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
