If you build it, they will come.
That's the lesson coming out of Hollywood Beach, Florida, where a project called **Guardians of the Reef** has achieved something remarkable — and done it faster than anyone expected.
Just eight months after Ocean Rescue Alliance International deployed 50 artificial reef structures into the warm, clear waters off Hollywood Beach, the underwater landscape is teeming with life. More than **20 different species of marine animals** have already moved in or been recorded visiting the site — stingrays, angelfish, triggerfish, sponges, sea squirts, soft corals, and more.
Founder and Executive Director **Shelby Thomas** was there when the structures first went into the water last May. She recently returned — and barely recognised the place.
> *'We saw recruitment within 15 minutes. The fish, they moved in instantly.'* > — Shelby Thomas, Ocean Rescue Alliance International
**What's Down There**
The Guardians of the Reef project spans four underwater sites along the Hollywood coastline, installed at a depth of just 8–10 feet — close enough to shore that you don't need scuba certification to visit. Grab a mask and a snorkel, and you're in.
In total, the project placed **14 artistic sculptures** and **36 habitat modules** specifically designed to encourage marine colonisation. Concrete and marine-safe materials provide the hard substrate that juvenile corals, sponges, and invertebrates need to attach and grow.
The results have exceeded all expectations.
> *'You'll see that reef evolve. Kind of think of it like a garden. That garden becomes diverse and begins to grow and climax with different species.'* > — Shelby Thomas
Coral monitoring fellow **Michelle Baptist** has been diving the sites since day one, systematically documenting what's arrived.
> *'We've seen stingrays, which is exciting. We've seen angelfish, triggerfish, who love the artificial reef. They love to guard it. Just a lot more life than in the beginning. That tells me that the fish are coming back.'*
**Why Artificial Reefs Work**
Natural coral reefs provide habitat for an estimated **25% of all marine species** despite covering less than 1% of the ocean floor. They're also disappearing. Rising ocean temperatures, bleaching events, ocean acidification, and physical damage are destroying coral ecosystems worldwide.
Artificial reefs can't replace natural ones — but they can create new habitat, give displaced species a home, and in some cases, serve as a scaffold for coral restoration. With higher light availability in shallow water and nutrients flowing in from offshore, Sites 1–4 of Guardians of the Reef are already showing the kind of biodiversity boom that marine biologists dream about.
**Snorkel-Accessible Hope**
What makes this project particularly special is its accessibility. The sites are located just 300 feet from shore, in water shallow enough for recreational swimmers and children. The structures are snorkel-friendly, designed not just as habitat but as an underwater experience that anyone can have.
When people can see the reef, they tend to want to protect it. That's not an accident.
Eight months. Twenty species. Soft corals beginning to bloom on structures that were blank concrete in May.
The fish are coming back. 🪸
*Sources: Local10 News · Ocean Rescue Alliance International (January 2026)*