In the early 1970s, the Broward Artificial Reef Inc., a local fishing group, worked with the U.S. military to sink over two million used tires off the coast of Fort Lauderdale as part of an artificial reef project. The idea was to repurpose waste tires into a marine habitat that could support marine life. The project, backed by Goodyear and the U.S. military, included a symbolic act when Goodyear dropped a gold-plated tire from its airship into the ocean. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved the plan, and over 100 private boats helped with the operation. However, the structure of the reef was not as durable as intended. The tires were grouped in small clusters and fastened with nylon bands and galvanized steel clips, but they were not filled with concrete and remained mostly empty, filled with air and water. Over time, the steel clips corroded due to saltwater exposure, causing the tires to detach from one another. These loose tires, moved by tropical storms and hurricanes, became dangerous underwater projectiles, damaging nearby coral reefs by crushing them. The tires also did not serve their intended purpose of attracting marine life. Instead of drawing in coral or fish, they mainly attracted algae and released toxic substances like cadmium and carbon black into the water. These toxins were harmful to marine organisms and swimmers. As a result, the project failed to create a thriving underwater ecosystem and instead created a hazardous environment. Efforts to clean up the area have continued since the 2000s, but progress has been slow. In 2001, researcher Robin Sherman secured a grant from NOAA to start removing tires, managing to extract only 1,600 tires at a high cost. By 2016, the Florida legislature had allocated $4.3 million for the project, and by 2019, around 250,000 tires had been removed. However, estimates suggest that as many as 650,000 tires may still be submerged off the coast. In 2023, a Florida Senate bill mandated the Department of Environmental Protection to develop a restoration plan by 2024, focusing on cleaning up the affected natural reefs. The cleanup process has also required careful handling of corals that had attached themselves to the tire clusters. So far, 700 corals have been removed, with most being replanted on natural reefs to monitor their health and growth. Another 700 corals are expected to be removed in the next phase. Similar issues arose in France in the 1980s, where 25,000 tires were submerged along the Côte d'Azur. Decades later, cleanup efforts began, underscoring the long-lasting environmental consequences of such artificial reef projects.