The museum was a collaboration between the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and the South Walton Artificial Reef Association in 2018, according to its official website.
The museum was a collaboration between the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and the South Walton Artificial Reef Association in 2018, according to its official website. Since the museum opened, more than 100 species of marine and plant life have been recorded around the sculptures. It is therefore both an ecotourism attraction and an ongoing experiment in the conservation of the marine environment.
One of them is “Poseidon’s Throne”, which is at once a symbolic seat of power and habitat for marine organisms. “A Common Chord” takes the form of a giant guitar, and celebrates the relationship between humans and nature. Other installations are “Three Wishes,” a genie lamp that divers can play with by blowing air into small openings, and “I Found It,” a giant diamond ring lying on the Gulf floor.
The idea was simple, but ambitious: merge artistic expression with marine conservation. Artists from around the country and the world are invited to submit sculptures for consideration each year. Selected works are engineered, transported and carefully positioned on the sea bed. They are built to endure a harsh environment and to support marine life, not conventional museum pieces. Artists and organizers must meet certain requirements for materials, structural integrity and ecological safety, including requirements that allow sea turtles to escape safely if they become trapped. The result is an ever-changing underwater gallery. Dolphins and sea turtles, along with a range of fish and invertebrates, are also found. For scientists, the site offers more than a beautiful underwater landscape. It offers an opportunity to monitor the development of artificial reef systems and their potential impacts on marine environments. The sculptures vary from playful to monumental. A giant octopus, a skull, a seashell and a pirate shipwreck augment the otherworldly atmosphere. The works together form a landscape that is part art exhibition and part sunken fantasy and part thriving ecosystem. UMA has drawn in divers and art lovers, as well as marine scientists, ecologists, wildlife professionals and students. Researchers can observe artificial structures transform into working habitats as the sculptures slowly get colonized by marine organisms. The project has also garnered international attention, being featured by major media outlets and recognized as a notable travel destination.
