Florida conducts cleanup of Osborne Reef tire disaster

Divers and environmental teams are engaged in a long-term marine cleanup operation at Osborne Reef, off the coast of Broward County, Florida. The project, which began in the early 1970s, was originally intended to solve two problems simultaneously: disposing of large quantities of used tires and creating artificial habitats for marine life.

Between 1972 and 1973, at least 240,000 tires were documented as being placed in the ocean, though the Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimates the total number could be between one and two million. Over time, the metal fasteners holding the tires together corroded and broke. Driven by currents, storms, and hurricanes, the tires began to move across the seafloor, rolling into and damaging natural coral reefs.

Following the determination that the tires were unsuitable as an artificial reef structure, removal efforts began in the early 2000s. Official Florida data indicates that more than half a million tires had been recovered by 2025. Cleanup operations are scheduled to continue through 2026 under state contracts to retrieve the remaining tires, including those lodged against rocky seafloors.