Tire Reef of Florida

In the 1970's, millions of tires were dumped in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida's Broward County to create an artificial reef. Many believed this was a great idea that would help the fish population. It seemed very promising in the beginning but would later turn for the worst. The history of the tire reef is a friendly reminder that the many creatures are affected by our actions even if they are not visible to the human population.

The tires were not only unsuccessful at creating a new habitat for fish, they destroyed neighboring coral reefs. Many of the tires were transported by storm to neighboring reefs, some traveling great distances. The biggest problem the local and federal government faced was the complete removal of the tires. At the time, it seemed like a cost effective way of discarding something that we did not use anymore. In the end, the joke is on us. Removal of the tires would cost more that discarding them the us. The damage is done to an environment that did not need any help. Efforts from Broward County Environmental Protection Department, Navy Salvage Divers from Norfolk, VA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program to conduct a pilot project to remove waste tires from a site. The effort to remove the tires have been successful in some areas. Some tires have also been successful for the corals but is only a small positive portion of the issue.

I find it very upsetting to think that politicians look at the ocean as a giant landfill. Who in their right mind would have come up with the idea of using old tires for a reef is incomprehensible to my eye. There were no testings done to see the longevity of the artificial reef whatsoever. From a person coming from an island, it disgusts me. Fortunately, there are efforts being done to remove the tires. It is a much longer process that demands a great amount of man power. I don't believe that the reef would ever be restored to its natural setting. Many reefs across the world are dying because of pollution from the human end. I believe that once the reef is gone actions would kick in but it would be too late for the millions of sea creatures who would have lost their homes because of human stupidity.