A new Miami Beach underwater art installation aims to help coral thrive

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — South Beach has long been known for its Art Deco pastels and neon nightlife.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — South Beach has long been known for its Art Deco pastels and neon nightlife. But it’s also home to something else: a bustling coral reef just hundreds of feet offshore.

Soon, that natural reef is expected to be along the path of a roughly 7-mile public art installation, called The Reefline, which will be part sculpture park and part snorkeling trail celebrating and supporting marine life.

“Mother Nature is the ultimate artist,” said Reefline founder and artistic director Ximena Caminos. “What we’re doing is giving nature and amplifying that marine habitat, because it’s needed.”

A fish swims in a coral reef area off Miami.NBC NewsCorals are struggling worldwide; The Reefline seeks to help them flourish in South Florida, starting with its Phase 1 rollout this year when a series of concrete cars will be submerged, creating a traffic jam.

“How do we turn doomsday into optimism?” Caminos said.