The Neptune Memorial Reef is an underwater

columbarium A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased. The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "'' colu ...

in what was conceived by the creator as the world's largest man-made

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

(covering over of ocean floor) at a depth of ). It was originally conceived by

Gary Levine Gary Levine is the co-president of entertainment at Showtime Networks. Previously he served as the president of programming at Showtime, joining in 2001. During his tenure in programming, Showtime developed shows including Billions, Californicatio ...

and designed by artist

Kim Brandell Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

and known as the Atlantis Reef Project or the Atlantis Reef As of 2012, the Reef occupies a half-acre space, but a planned expansion is underway. The city design involves underwater roads leading to a central feature with benches and statuary. The place was chosen at 3.25 miles (5.2 km) off the coast of

Key Biscayne Key Biscayne ( es, Cayo Vizcaíno, link=no) is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, located between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies sout ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It is a type of

burial at sea Burial at sea is the disposal of human remains in the ocean, normally from a ship or boat. It is regularly performed by navies, and is done by private citizens in many countries. Burial-at-sea services are conducted at many different location ...

and the first phase is estimated to be able to accommodate 850 remains, with an eventual goal of more than 125,000 remains. Though often referred to in news articles as an underwater mausoleum or underwater cemetery, the Neptune Society Memorial Reef meets the criterion for neither. Cremated remains are mixed with cement to form features of the Reef, and memorial plaques are added. The Reef is more correctly identified as a cremation memorial site. The man-made reef, located three miles (5 km) off the coast of Florida's Key Biscayne, opened in 2007 after a number of difficulties, including permits. After an extensive evaluation and permitting process, the Atlantis Reef Project has been permitted by the

EPA The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

, DERM,

NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and the Army Corps of Engineers. One of the construction requirements was that the Memorial Reef be built to withstand the strongest storm in the last 100 years. During the permitting process,

Hurricane Andrew Hurricane Andrew was a very powerful and destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that struck the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana in August 1992. It is the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in terms of structures damaged ...

, a category 5 hurricane swept through, requiring a re-engineering of the Reef. The reef stretches across of ocean floor designed as both a home for sea life and "a destination for divers". The Neptune Memorial Reef lies in a special management zone. Boaters and divers are welcome, but no fishing or lobster-taking is allowed. Now that reef-building coral have developed at the site, the Reef can be properly identified as a coral reef. The Neptune Memorial Reef is actively working the site and expanded from less than an acre to its original permitted 16 acres. Famed chef personality

Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child (née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American cooking teacher, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, '' ...

was interred in the reef upon her death in 2004.Neptune Memorial Reef is an underwater mausoleum for cremated remains
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References

External links

* {{coord, 25, 41.412, N, 80, 5.445, W, display=title, region:US-FL_type:landmark Cemeteries in Florida Burials at sea Underwater monuments and memorials