About the Program
Tire Reef Cleanup: Determining viable disposal options for 1+ million tires recovered from Florida Reefs
Atlantic Region; 2006
Over 2 million tires were deposited on top of coral reefs near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida several years ago in hopes of providing artificial reefs. Since then there has been concern that the tires are actually crushing corals and damaging the natural reef as they are moved around during storms etc. The 2 million tires are now spread over 35 acres of reef habitat.
This project has launched efforts to:
- Remove (for storage or transplant) coral from two pilot areas that might be damaged in tire removal process
- Remove tires from these 2 pilot areas, aided with the help of hundreds of volunteer divers
The project also organized disposal (recycling) of the removed tires with local businesses. All activities were conducted using methods (and all required permits) approved by experts in reefs and reef restoration from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the State of Florida.
This program is funded through NOAA's Ocean Service, Office of Response & Restoration, Marine Debris Program.
