A new project seeking to boost ocean health has landed on a pretty creative way to do so. The 1000 Mermaids Artificial Reef Project has been "planting" sculptures made of sustainable cement and limestone—all recreations of real-life people—off the shores of Palm Beach in Florida. The ocean-friendly "mermaids" are a way to replenish local reefs.
The project's mission is to populate the underwater sculpture garden—an actual art destination—with at least 1,000 sculptures. As of now, 50 structures are down there.
"[The project's] mission is to enhance marine habitats and expand fishery populations while providing enhanced creative, economic and educational opportunities for the benefit, education and enjoyment of residents, students and visitors alike," reads the project's official website. "Mermaids have long been a symbol of humans' connection to the ocean, and this artificial reef is being created by body casting real people in the form of mermaids on ocean friendly artistically crafted reef modules that will allow their likeness to live forever on the sea floor off of Fort Lauderdale beach."
Interested in having your very own mermaid created and thrown down the ocean? You can sponsor a personal module through Miami Body Cast, a company that quite literally creates body sculptures for homes and other abodes. Worry not: you won't have to sit in plaster molds as the business uses VR scans to create the various sculptures.
And if you're looking for your mermaid double to live somewhere farther than your real-life body is at now, you might want to consider the various destinations that the eco-friendly venture is hoping to expand to, including Mexico, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.
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