Flying through an undersea ‘stained-glass window’

Flying through an undersea ‘stained-glass window’



Marine ecologist Cayne Layton and his colleagues repurposed concrete paving stones, metal framing and industrial-sized rubber bands made from old car tyres into 28 large artificial reefs. The reefs were placed at Maria Island, about halfway up the east coast of Tasmania, and host common kelp ( Ecklonia radiata). “Many species began moving in within a few weeks… even some that we know little about,” says Layton, who is learning more about them from Indigenous Tasmanian people. The reefs “create an extremely tranquil, meditative environment to be floating in. They create an extremely tranquil, meditative environment to be floating in. The light filters through the canopy just like with a stained-glass window. You are effectively flying through the forest.” (Nature | 3 min read) (Craig Johnson)