Everything about Osborne Reef totally explained
Osborne Reef is an
artificial reef off the coast of
Fort Lauderdale, Florida constructed of a 50-foot diameter circle of
concrete jacks. In the
1970s, the reef was the subject of an ambitious expansion project utilizing old and discarded
tires. The project ultimately failed, and the "reef" has come to be considered an
environmental disaster the Broward County government approved the project: that spring more than 100 privately-owned boats enthusiastically volunteered to assist with the project; accompanied by the
USS Thrush thousands of tire bundles were simultaneously dropped onto the reef. The
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company provided equipment for the auspicious undertaking; even supporting the project so far as to drop a gold-painted tire from a
Goodyear Blimp to christen the site. The culmination of the project was the deposit of over two million tires bound with steel clips over 36
acres of the ocean floor, approximately 7000
feet offshore and at a depth of 65 feet. or
steel clips (or bands). As there were no exceptional efforts made to ensure the non-
corrosivity of the steel restraints, they summarily failed—resulting in the loosing of over two million individual, lightweight tires. This newfound mobility destroyed any marine life that had thus far grown on the tires, and effectively prevented the growth of any new organisms. Furthermore, the tires were now easily subject to the tropical winds and storms that frequent the east coast of Florida and continue to collide (at times with tremendous force) with other
natural coral reefs only 70
feet away: compounding their uselessness with environmentally damaging side-effects.
In
2002, Florida and Broward County environmental officials began the long and arduous process of setting into motion a plan to remove the tires. An original estimate of between $40 and $100 million led the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to plan to arrange a deal with those companies whose construction damages the seabed and reefs. Beginning in
June 2007, the
United States military and
Coast Guard began “DiveExEast 07" to ascertain the best and most efficient processes for the cleanup effort. Barring unforeseen operational commitments and engagements, military divers hope to use this project as a training platform for several years and "recover the maximum number of tires possible from day one."
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