Costly Mistake of the Florida Tire Reef

Tossing 2 million used auto tires into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Fort Lauderdale in the 1970s was a well-intentioned effort to create an artificial reef and promote sea life. However, the plan backfired and became an underwater blight. Over time, the tire bundles broke apart and were pushed onto the middle reef, destroying all the corals. There is no significant coral growth in the area where the tires have accumulated. The mass of tires is now a threat to the marine environment, and the removal of the tires has been a challenge for environmentalists. The project, which is expected to take three to five years, is only the beginning of a long process of restoration and recovery.

The final cost of removing the tires and saving the coral reefs is estimated at $2 million, with the military's divers providing their time and expertise as part of a training exercise. The story of Florida's tire reef serves as a cautionary tale of the unintended consequences of human actions in the ocean.