Jason deCaires Taylor: sculpting homes for marine life

Green Canvas

Jason deCaires Taylor is a globally-known sculptor and environmentalist who first gained international attention in 2006 with the creation of the world’s first underwater sculpture park. Now listed as one of the Top 25 Wonders of the World by National Geographic, the park was instrumental in the government declaring the site, which was situated in the West Indies, as a National Marine Protected Area.

Jason's sculptures are submerged into the ocean where they act as artificial reefs and become habitats for marine life, helping underwater creatures and plants to thrive. By design, his works have a rough texture that encourages coral larvae to attach and thrive, while nooks and dark cubbyholes provide homes for fish and crustaceans.

Some of Jason’s major projects include a collection of over three hundred submerged sculptures and architectural forms in Lanzarote, Spain. An underwater museum situated of the coast of Cannes in France and Ocean Atlas - a monumental 60-ton single sculpture in the Bahamas. Jason’s work has been featured in pretty much every major publication across the globe and has received numerous awards along the way. He’s also a member of The Royal Society of Sculptors, a featured TED speaker and in 2014 was awarded The Global Thinker by Foreign Policy.

If you’d like to see some of Jason’s work, here are a few links to some of his projects:

• https://www.underwatersculpture.com/projects/molinere-underwater-sculpture-park/
• https://www.underwatersculpture.com/projects/musa-mexico/
• https://www.underwatersculpture.com/projects/museo-atlantico-lanzarote/

And you can also check out some of his work on his Instagram. and if you’re interested in learning more about Green Canvas, you can find us on our website.

We hope you enjoy the episode!