Jason de Caires Taylor Blends Environmentalism with Underwater Photography

By judithperez1 September 9, 2011

Underwater photographer, sculptor and conservationist, Jason de Caires Taylor produces transfixing installations that encourage growth and habitation for endangered sea life.

Working alongside marine biologists and a US artificial reef company, Taylor and his team have developed a unique method of incorporating his work in a truly exceptional way to appreciate marine life.

Once Taylor’s concrete sculptures are deployed and strategically positioned at the bottom of the ocean floor, his installations begin to take form. These underwater museums facilitate the spawning of new coral reefs while freeing-up the surrounding ecosystem from the effects of pollution, tourism and overfishing – important because scientists predict that the ocean’s natural coral landscape will be extinct by 2050 unless measures are taken to reverse the current destruction rate.

Taylor’s aim is to draw the human footprint to his environment and away from the natural reefs, allowing the landscape time to regenerate. Above all, Taylor’s work highlights the role art can play in promoting awareness, change and a hope for one of today’s more pressing environmental concerns.