REEFLINE’s First Monumental Installation Deploys off the Shore of Miami Beach

Miami Beach, FL — Join the City of Miami Beach for a beachside celebration on Tuesday, October 21 between 4 and 5 streets at 1 p.m. to mark the REEFLINE’s historic first deployment of a first-of-its-kind underwater sculpture park and hybrid reef. In attendance will be the Mayor and City Commissioners, artists, scientists, cultural leaders, environmental pioneers, policymakers and supporters.

“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. “Healthy reefs are our natural infrastructure, shielding our treasured beachfront and vital tourism revenue by powerfully reducing storm surge and erosion. This monumental, science-based project offers an innovative solution for protecting our marine ecosystems and cultural landscape.”

The installation marks the launch of REEFLINE, a new public sculpture park and hybrid reef a short distance off the shores of Miami Beach, made possible through the 2022 voter-approved Arts & Culture General Obligation Bond.

On Oct. 20-21 and Oct. 27-28, Miami Beach residents and visitors can witness a 159-foot construction barge lowering 22 life-sized, marine-grade concrete cars into the ocean, 780 feet off 4 to 5 streets. Once deployed, these sculptural forms make up Concrete Coral, a new underwater artwork by internationally recognized artist Leandro Erlich, arranged as a surreal underwater traffic jam 20 feet below the ocean’s surface.

Soon to be seeded with 2,200 corals cultivated in REEFLINE’s Miami Native Coral Lab in Allapattah, Concrete Coral will use Coral Lok™, an innovative technology that enables fast, secure and sustainable coral transplantation. The artwork transforms a symbol of urban congestion into a living reef that enhances marine ecosystems — a poetic reversal of humanity’s environmental footprint.

Conceived by cultural placemaker Ximena Caminos as a blueprint for coastal cities worldwide, with a master plan by Shohei Shigematsu/OMA, REEFLINE is powered by a multidisciplinary collective of marine biologists, coastal engineers, designers, artists and environmental experts. The 11-phase project aims to raise $40 million to extend its underwater corridor across 7 miles — the full length of Miami Beach — with the goal of outplanting thousands of corals.

“REEFLINE shows how creativity can drive real solutions for a changing planet,” shared Founder and Artistic Director of REEFLINE Ximena Caminos. “We’re transforming art into an engine for marine ecosystem enhancement and education. What begins in Miami Beach — once seen as ground zero for sea level rise — can become a model for cities around the world. This is the power of collaboration: when artists, scientists, and communities work together, regeneration becomes possible. I’m deeply grateful for the visionary support of the City of Miami Beach, its Mayor, Commissioners and residents — whose belief in this project allows us to turn imagination into impact.”

No vessels or swimmers will be allowed near the deployment area while work is being conducted. Deployment can best be viewed from the beach near 5 Street.

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About REEFLINE

REEFLINE is a pioneering underwater public sculpture park and hybrid reef off the coast of Miami Beach. Conceived by cultural placemaker Ximena Caminos, with a Master Plan by Shohei Shigematsu/OMA, REEFLINE brings together art, science, education and community to enhance marine ecosystems, foster ocean literacy and inspire global ocean stewardship. REEFLINE aims to plant thousands of corals on large-scale, site-specific underwater artworks, over the next decade while creating a blueprint for coastal cities worldwide — a living classroom where art, science and education meet to empower future generations and collective action.

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