Six leagues under

Finally, a burial fit for treehugging scuba divers! A recent episode of Big Ideas for a Small Planet on the Sundance Channel (don’t ask) profiled a company that incorporates loved one’s remains into a manmade reef. The founders of Eternal Reefs, avid divers in the Florida Keys, began making concrete “Reef Balls” long ago to restore vital ecosystems and now provide a way for the dead to perpetuate the piscine circle of life. Once cremated, ashes of the deceased are mixed with an eco-friendly concrete to create a giant block that is lowered to the ocean floor. Like fake corral in fish tanks, the porous concrete provides habitat for fish, algae and other sea life, not to mention a wonderful opportunity for friends and family to organize a reunion scuba trip to honor the fallen. Family members can join the Eternal Reefs crew on a boat for the final dedication and placement ceremony. Reef placement sites are only offered on the East Coast and must be permitted by the Army Corps of Engineers.