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Reef burials are a new burial practice gaining a degree of popularity. Rather than being buried in the earth, a person's remains are cremated and the resulting ash is mixed with pH-balanced concrete to create structures which are placed on the seabed to help restore marine habitats similar to a coral
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coordinates of the resting place so that they dive to visit the site of the remains. A memorial plaque is installed with the person's name, date of birth and death. Thousands of reef balls are put into oceans each year. Large reef memorials can accommodate multiple sets of remains, so that families
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reef. The concrete is mixed using fibreglass rather than metal, so that it does not rust and has the same pH balance as the sea. In areas where the seafloor or coral reefs have been destroyed the structures help to renew the sea-life by establishing new habitats for
59:", pyramids, or similar memorial-style shapes chosen to be appropriate to the location. Reef balls weigh between 800 and 4,000 pounds (360 and 1,810 kg) and their perforations ensure that storm pressure doesn't move them out of place on the sea floor.
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Despite growing popularity, the process still involves both cremation and concrete, both of which carry an environmental cost. Cremation, depending on the age of the crematorium, releases around 540 pounds (240 kg) of
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Reef burials are popular amongst divers and others who love the sea. Some people feel that such burials offer the deceased a second life as part of a living reef. Loved ones are given the
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154:, eels, fish and invertebrates will come to live on the structure. Each memorial contributes to a unique ecosystem and provides a permanent and environment for all marine life.
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165:, a marine study survey, estimated that the population numbers of wild sea life went from close to zero to thousands in the space of two years. The survey found
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ash is mixed with concrete to form objects that are placed on the seafloor to encourage wildlife in areas where sea life has been diminished.
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In the United States there are more than thirty permitted locations for reef memorials, including off the coasts of
Florida at
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has been designated for this use in the 'Wreck to Reef' area, with a particular focus on creating structures to shelter young
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177:. Since then the numbers have continued to grow: a survey in 2018 showed the reef supports more than 65 different fish,
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are a type of "green" or "natural" burial considered by some to be an eco-friendly alternative to traditional
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until their shells grow. Artificial reef balls were first used at Jurien reef in
Western Australia in 2015.
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55:. The structures are expected to last for 500 years and are variously perforated domes called "
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419:"Artificial reef balls containing people's ashes lowered into the sea off WA coast"
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In 2019, the first reef burials were placed in the water using a crane in the
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495:"An increasingly popular way to be buried: Become part of an artificial reef"
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623:"Artificial reef balls containing ashes lowered into the sea off WA coast"
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589:"Ashes of the dead will keep lobsters company on monumental new reef"
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299:"Reef ball burials: the new trend for becoming 'coral' when you die"
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and the concrete sector is responsible for 8 percent of global CO
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Miami, Lisa Orkin
Emmanuel, Associated Press in (2008-05-12).
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owns the UK seabed, a square-kilometre site off the coast of
648:"Reef Ball Burials: Come Back As Coral In Your Next Life?"
693:"A coral reef cemetery is home to life in the afterlife"
371:"First memorial reef balls inaugurated in Venice lagoon"
240:"Green Guru: How Eco-friendly Are Reef Ball Burials?"
265:""Green" Burials Offer Unique, Less Costly Goodbyes"
673:"The Neptune Memorial Reef – An Under Sea Cemetery"
142:Depending on the locations different varieties of
513:"MBARA – Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association"
157:In the most established memorial reefs such as
146:can grow on the surface of the concrete and
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352:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
181:and lobster and 75 other species including
561:"Solace Reef: A Cemetery on the Sea Floor"
330:"Watery graves offer a haven for divers"
192:. England is seeded with baby lobsters.
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467:"Eco-Afterlife: Green Burial Options"
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441:Grundhauser, Eric (2018-10-29).
493:Fink, Kathryn (July 19, 2021).
443:"Bury Me in an Artificial Reef"
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271:. 2005-09-09. Archived from
395:"Other Disposition Options"
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768:Environmental conservation
93:Atlantic City, New Jersey
99:. In the UK, where the
763:Ecological restoration
718:"Lobsters on the Reef"
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587:Bruxelles, Simon de.
375:www.italianinsider.it
207:Neptune Memorial Reef
159:Neptune Memorial Reef
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23:Neptune memorial reef
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399:GREEN BURIAL COUNCIL
275:on February 22, 2022
202:Reef Ball Foundation
499:The Washington Post
471:Scientific American
188:The Solace Reef in
167:spotted eagle rays
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16:Burial process
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138:Sea rewilding
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120:Venice lagoon
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66:Young lobster
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725:. Retrieved
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701:. Retrieved
699:. 2021-04-20
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654:. 2022-02-25
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629:. 2015-12-11
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334:the Guardian
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307:. Retrieved
305:. 2022-02-21
303:the Guardian
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277:. Retrieved
273:the original
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248:. Retrieved
246:. 2012-01-09
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190:Weymouth Bay
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141:
134:production.
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101:Crown Estate
85:Mexico Beach
82:
69:
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28:Reef burials
27:
26:
758:Coral reefs
722:Solace Reef
652:Green Queen
541:Solace Reef
175:puffer fish
171:damsel fish
53:crustaceans
753:Ceremonies
742:Categories
727:2022-02-26
703:2022-02-26
678:2022-02-26
658:2022-02-26
633:2022-02-26
608:2022-02-23
570:2022-02-22
546:2022-02-26
537:"Location"
522:2022-02-26
476:2022-02-22
452:2022-02-26
404:2022-02-22
380:2022-02-26
339:2022-02-22
309:2022-02-22
279:2022-02-22
250:2022-02-22
223:References
122:in Italy.
89:Egg Harbor
57:reef balls
42:Background
603:0140-0460
594:The Times
79:Locations
36:Cremation
773:Funerals
627:ABC News
423:ABC News
348:cite web
196:See also
113:lobsters
109:Portland
105:Weymouth
697:AP NEWS
269:Science
244:Audubon
183:sponges
163:Florida
152:diatoms
91:, near
601:
179:shrimp
32:burial
778:Reefs
148:algae
144:coral
97:Texas
599:ISSN
354:link
173:and
107:and
95:and
51:and
49:fish
72:GPS
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350:}}
346:{{
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