In 2025, Miami Beach launched one of the most ambitious underwater art and conservation projects in the world. According to a report by the Miami Herald, the city sank 22 concrete cars 20 feet beneath the ocean surface, creating a surreal traffic jam designed to support 2,200 corals and marine life. The installation, part of the REEFLINE project, was conceived as a unique blend of art, tourism and climate resilience. The sculptures by individual artists were intended to draw snorkelers, provide habitat for fish, host coral restoration efforts and help protect the city’s beachfront from storm surge. Now, roughly a year later, the project stands as a testament to the power of creative thinking in the face of environmental challenges.A symbol of transformationThe cars, which sit in 20 feet of water in a line to represent traffic jams that are all too routine in South Florida, allude to both our car-centric culture and the risks of climate change, said Ximena Caminos, founder and artistic director of REEFLINE. “To me it’s a symbol from transportation to transformation…Transportation has created such harm to the environment, and this is transforming that, or using it, if you want, as a vehicle for transformation and regeneration, and transforming that symbol to something that is actually a platform for corals, for marine life, to thrive on,” Caminos said, as per the report.The underwater traffic jam, designed by artist Leandro Erlich, also has a modern-day “Atlantis” feel to it, she said. That would be the mythical city lost to the sea eons ago. The concrete cars were designed to become homes for thousands of soft corals. Their hoods are covered with special plugs where 2,200 corals grown at the Miami Native Coral Lab in Allapattah were screwed in. The corals come in shades of purple, green and yellow, with some featuring branching arms and others that look like delicate feathers.A playground for scienceScientists from the Rescue a Reef program also planned to test their coral species on the cars. “We want this to be a playground for scientists to come and test their coral,” said Caminos, according to the report. The installation site, between 4th and 5th streets off Miami Beach, is a sandy stretch that once held a thriving reef. It was buried by sand years ago due to dredging, and the project aims to restore what was lost.Miami Beach is a barrier island, and healthy coral reefs act as natural defenses by breaking up waves, helping to reduce shoreline erosion. The concrete cars were tested in the University of Miami’s wind-wave-storm tank and are built to withstand extreme weather and ocean conditions, Caminos said. “The REEFLINE installation is more than a stunning fusion of art and science; it’s a critical long-term economic safeguard for Miami Beach,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner in a press release.A complex deploymentGetting the cars into place underwater was no small task. They’re incredibly heavy, so the process took time and precision. First, in the days leading up, divers laid out and marked the exact GPS points on the ocean floor, creating a perfect grid for the underwater traffic jam. The sculptures were loaded onto a 160-foot construction barge named Charli’s Angel, which was equipped with a massive crane. The crane carefully lowered each car into the water, where commercial divers guided and adjusted the placement once it was near the seafloor.Only one car was deployed on the first day because of rough seas, it took about an hour to get it placed. After that, the team had to call it a day. According to construction manager John Kearns in the report, the ocean swells became too challenging, moving the barge too much for the crane to operate safely. “A six-inch shift on the surface means about three feet of movement underwater,” Kearns said. The crew tried for more the next day. After a car was placed, it could take up to 24 hours for all the substrate to settle, so it was a week or more before the entire installation was ready for visitors.A unique experienceIt’s also not a swim for beginners, with the sculptures nearly 800 feet off the beach and beyond the buoy line keeping boats away. So taking a floating dive flag is essential. The project was supported by $5 million in funding from Miami Beach. REEFLINE was trying to raise $40 million more to construct the rest of the sculptures. Future designs include sculptures inspired by sea stars and the heart of a blue whale.
