Deerfield Beach Readies For New Easter Island Themed Artificial Reef
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DEERFIELD BEACH (CBSMiami) -- South Florida is a diving mecca with beautiful reefs both natural and man-made.
Tuesday, a new reef will be sunk in Deerfield Beach which will be a combination of man-made reef and public art project.
It's called Rapa Nui which is the Polynesian translation of Easter Island. The Rapa Nui Reef will serve as a tribute to the iconic stone figures found on the island. There are 14 "Moai" figures ranging from 6 to 22 feet tall. They'll be placed on concrete structures designed to facilitate the growth of marine life.
An above sea level viewing and "Break the Mold' celebration will take place Tuesday in Stuart where the sculptures were built.
The actual stone structures will be sunk in early June into 70 feet of water between the second and third reef directly off of the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier.
The new reef will be an underwater sculptural environment for divers to explore and marine life to inhabit.
The entire sculpture will be affixed to a 150' by 45' by 9' steel barge to allow for stability, transportation and sinking. Over the past 20 years, Broward County's artificial reef programs have placed more than 75 artificial reefs on the ocean floor, where they act as magnets for fish and sea life.
