We all know that losing a loved one is tough, and it’s just as challenging to figure out a proper way to honor them.
Do you bury them? Cremate? Have a funeral? Purchase a casket?
You may even be thinking of these things for yourself when your time draws near. There are so many options.
What if we told you that there was an easy burial options that not only honored your loved one’s life, but could also help restore the planet and help with climate change?
If you pay attention to climate change news at all, you probably already know that reefs in the ocean are in real trouble. Just look at the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Australia, for instance.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, but its existence is being threatened. In 2018, National Geographic reported that half of the Great Barrier Reef was already dead. There have been other reports released in the last few years saying that warm ocean temperatures are causing the reef to decline, something that isn’t good for the planet.
Not only are reefs home to thousands of species of sea life, but they block shorelines from giant waves and floods that can damage humans and the coastline. Plus, add in the amount of money tourism brings in from exploring coral reefs, and you’re looking at a huge mess if reefs become extinct one day.
So, what can be done to help bring reefs back to life and thrive in the oceans?
One way is the Eternal Reef.
Imagine that you (or your loved one) could have your remains turned into a man-made reef that will become the new home for coral, fishes and other sea life. That’s what exactly Eternal Reef does.
Once you become cremated, your remains will be mixed into a “proprietary, environmentally safe cement mixture” that is then turned into a tiny cement cage and is placed on the ocean floor among other memorials to help form a new man-made reef.
The clusters of Eternal Reefs become homes to all sorts of sea life, therefore making the ocean a better place for fish and sea life that may have had their habitats displaced by dying reefs.
Eternal Reefs makes sure that the memorials are permitted through a number of local, state and federal agencies. The reefs are placed in the ocean so that they can be viewed by anyone, so a local scuba diver may stumble upon the memorials.
Another cool thing is that you can use as little or as much of the cremation to make the Eternal Reef. If you still want to scatter your loved one’s ashes somewhere else, just use half of the cremation for the Eternal Reef. It’s all up to you.
As of 2020, there have been more than 2,000 Eternal Reefs places throughout 25 locations in the ocean. There are memorials off the coast of Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
This can all sound pretty morbid, but just think of it as a truly unique way to honor a loved one, as well as helping the environment. It may not seem like all that much, but at the end of the day, you are providing a new home for sea life that desperately needs it. It’s like you’re healing the ocean and your soul at the same time.
There’s also something comforting about knowing that your loved one’s remains are giving life to an array of sea life that otherwise would be struggling. It’s like, life goes on in a sense, you know?
If you want more information on how you can turn your loved one’s remains into an Eternal Reef (or do it for yourself), click or tap here.
