Florida's Underwater Snorkel Trail Is Also Saving The Ocean's Coral

With about a billion people depending on coral reefs for jobs, food, medicine, and more, it's an understatement to say that they are valuable coastal ecosystems. Coral reefs come in many colors and types, each offering a habitat for a diverse range of marine life. However, these ecosystems are dwindling worldwide because of human and natural stressors. While some scientists are using sound to save dying coral reefs by encouraging larval settlement to recolonize and rebuild, others are creating snorkel trails — like the Guardians of the Reef installation in Hollywood, Florida — to do the same.

Believe it or not, Florida is home to the world's fifth largest coral reef ecosystem. The Florida Reef, which is almost 360 miles long, is also the continental United States' largest coral reef ecosystem. Helping to protect and rebuild what already exists, the Guardians of the Reef project — part of the 1000 Mermaids Artificial Reef Project — is a collaboration between Ocean Rescue Alliance International (ORAI) and the City of Hollywood to introduce artificial coral reef installations — some with sculpture-like art — to create a snorkel-friendly trail for the public.

The modules used for the Guardians of the Reef project each have 100 Coral Lok anchors. These anchors allow for lab-grown coral to be planted by just screwing it in like a light bulb, creating a foundation for scaling up the habitat in an efficient way. On top of that, ORAI hopes that the living installations will inspire awareness and further action to protect the state's coral and surrounding ocean waters.

ORAI certainly isn't the first organization or group of people with a passion to restore marine ecosystems with artificial reefs. While English naturalist and biologist Charles Darwin discovered in the 1800s that dislodged corals could survive while attached to bamboo stakes, it's more likely that divers were the first to notice how artificial surfaces could become bases on which coral reefs can thrive.

It wasn't until the 1970s and '80s that the first artificial reefs — which were mainly structures like decommissioned military ships and old boats, train cars, and vehicles — were sunk. Since that practice was seen as a way to inappropriately dispose of waste, conservationists found a way to improve on it. Now, artificial reefs are more intentionally designed with materials that are long-lasting, nontoxic, solid, and stable — such as concrete, limestone, and steel. While some are intended as artwork that stands out (like the Guardians of the Reef), others are made to blend with existing reefs.

This form of coral gardening is saving reefs by providing a safe and stable environment for the coral to flourish — whether it naturally develops on its own or is attached after being grown in a lab. As such, they are only deployed in areas where the water quality will facilitate coral growth. After about nine months, the coral growth is visually noticeable, attracting marine life that depend on the corals for survival. The artificial reefs are teeming with life by one and half years after deployment. As a result, they provide commercial and recreational benefits for the local communities.

In May 2025, an ORAI team installed about 50 modules across four sites near the shore of Hollywood, Florida, making a snorkel-friendly trail at 8 to 15 feet underwater. ORAI founder and CEO Shelby Thomas told Travel + Leisure, "We're building cities in the sea for marine life while creating a unique underwater museum that heals marine ecosystems — and inviting the public to become ocean stewards."

Marked with orange buoys, the artificial coral reef modules are more than just an artistic marine habitat. Some have symbolic meanings as well, such as the mythological gods Amphitrite and Poseidon who rule over the ocean. There's also a selfie sculpture and mermaid tail that encourage divers to become one with the coral. Representing the traits necessary to protect marine life, sea animals are depicted on the modules, too — including an octopus for adaptability and wisdom, and a turtle for longevity and peace.

Since human interaction with coral reefs can be damaging, it's important to avoid touching, standing on, or removing any parts of the reef modules — and you don't want to disturb the marine life populating the sites either. Only access the snorkel trail sites via the corresponding public parks, and stay alert while in the water because boats move through these areas. To be extra safe, it's recommended that you take a "diver down" flag so that boaters can see someone is snorkeling nearby.