Largest underwater art structure
Who
The Coral Greenhouse
What
12 x 9 x 9.3 m dimension(s)
Where
Australia ()
When

Designed by marine artist and conservationist Jason deCaires Taylor (UK) and constructed over four months from December 2019 to April 2020, The Coral Greenhouse is an open, A-framed structure that occupies an area of 12 x 9 m (39 ft 4 in x 29 ft 6 in) and stands up to 9.3 m (30 ft 6 in) tall . It is located 16 m (52 ft) below the surface on an area of sandy seafloor in the John Brewer Reef (part of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest marine animal structure), off the coast of Townsville in Queensland, Australia, and is part of the Australian Museum of Underwater Art (MoUA). The artwork has been built with the environment front of mind, and is made from rust-resistant stainless steel, pH-neutral cement and zinc. As well as the greenhouse itself, which alone weighs 165 tonnes (182 US tons), the installation includes 17 human sculptures (modelled on real children), eight workbenches, 14 trees (inspired by Australian species such as eucalyptus and umbrella palm) and four flower pots. The long-term aim of the project is to encourage new coral to colonize the installation (it has been seeded with more than 2,000 live coral fragments with this purpose in mind) and for it to become a sanctuary for sealife, seamlessly becoming part of the existing reef.


According to an environmental assessment published on 26 June 2020, early indications show that The Coral Greenhouse is already proving a hit with the local fish, with observed species on the site up from 14 (baseline survey conducted in 2018) to 37 as of April 2020. Invertebrate sightings in the same period were slightly down, from six to four species.

After being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, The Coral Greenhouse officially opened to the public on 2 August 2020. It is the second MoUA exhibit created by deCaires Taylor. The first was the above-water Ocean Siren unveiled in December 2019, positioned just off the shore in Townsville. This 5-m-tall (16-ft 5-in) statue is modelled on local student Takoda Johnson (a descendant of the indigenous Wulgurukaba people), and it changes colour in response to live water temperature data from the nearby Davies Reef weather station, serving as a stark reminder of the ever-present threat of ocean warming. MoUA has two more submarine sculptures by deCaires Taylor planned for Palm Island and Magnetic Island.

deCaires Taylor has produced many other innovative marine artworks around the world, all focused on drawing attention to reef decline and environmental concerns. All of his aquatic works serve as a substrate for coral regrowth and/or shelter to help boost biodiversity in areas where both have been depleted. This includes a project known as The Silent Evolution completed in 2012, located in a national marine park off Cancún, Mexico, which comprises 480 life-size human statues.