Great Barrier Reef's Museum of Underwater Art Is Ready For Divers | All & About

British artist Jason deCaires Taylor’s submerged art and sculpture installation off the Queensland coast is designed to help regenerate the Great Barrier Reef.

The new Museum of Underwater Art (Moua) on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is ready for divers and snorkelers to visit, as soon as tour companies are permitted to operate boat trips again. The project, by British sculptor and environmentalist Jason deCaires Taylor, aims to raise awareness of the threatened ecosystem and encourage rehabilitation of the reef.

One of the first, and largest, artworks to be installed is The Coral Greenhouse. Moua is around two hours by boat from the Queensland coast and 18 metres under water on a flat, sandy bank in the natural inlet of John Brewer Reef.

Weighing 165 tonnes, the biomorphic skeleton structure and base of the sculpture was created from corrosion-resistant stainless steel and pH-neutral cement, to help instigate natural coral growth.

The beam sections provide minimal resistance to wave energy, while providing an ideal surface for filter-feeding organisms and schooling fish to congregate. Inside, workbench sculptures aim to provide a refuge for different marine creatures, from octopuses to sea urchins.

The designer’s signature figurative sculptures feature as “coral guardians”, modelled on children from local and international schools.

The installation also features tree sculptures based on local species, including eucalyptus and umbrella palm. The not-for-profit project has been in development for three years, funded by local and national governments, several corporate partners and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Ocean Siren, a four-metre-tall solar-powered sculpture of a young indigenous girl, has been installed on the coast at Townsville as part of the museum.

The only part of the project visible above the surface, Ocean Siren includes hundreds of LED lights, which change colour in response to the water temperature – from blue to dark red, a warning of critical warming.

For over a decade, deCaires Taylor has been making site-specific underwater sculptures, including in Grenada, Mexico, Lanzarote and the Bahamas.

Moua’s original launch date was the end of March, but its opening was delayed by coronavirus. Several other sculptures are due to be installed around the reef as part of the project throughout 2020 and 2021.