Miami, FL

Underwater sculpture park brings coral reef art to Miami Beach – WTOP News

Published

7 hours ago

November 3, 2025

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — South Florida is seeing a wave of new cars, but they won’t add to traffic…

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — South Florida is seeing a wave of new cars, but they won’t add to traffic or lengthen anyone’s commute. That’s because the cars are made of marine-grade concrete and were installed underwater.

Over several days late last month, crews lowered 22 life-sized cars into the ocean, several hundred feet off South Beach. The project was organized by a group that pioneers underwater sculpture parks as a way to create human-made coral reefs.

“Concrete Coral,” commissioned by the nonprofit REEFLINE, will soon be seeded with 2,200 native corals that have been grown in a nearby Miami lab. The project is partially funded by a $5 million bond from the city of Miami Beach. The group is also trying to raise $40 million to extend the potentially 11-phase project along an underwater corridor just off the city’s 7-mile-long (11-kilometer) coastline.

“I think we are making history here,” Ximena Caminos, the group’s founder, said. “It’s one of a kind, it’s a pioneering, underwater reef that’s teaming up with science, teaming up with art.”

She conceived the overall plan with architect Shohei Shigematsu, and the artist Leandro Erlich designed the car sculptures for the first phase.

Colin Foord, who runs REEFLINE’s Miami coral lab, said they’ll soon start the planting process and create a forest of soft corals over the car sculptures, which will serve as a habitat swarming with marine life.

“I think it really lends to the depth of the artistic message itself of having a traffic jam of cars underwater,” Foord said. “So nature’s gonna take back over, and we’re helping by growing the soft corals.”

Foord said he’s confident the native gorgonian corals will thrive because they were grown from survivors of the 2023 bleaching event, where a marine heatwave killed massive amounts of Florida corals.

Plans for future deployments include Petroc Sesti’s “Heart of Okeanos,” modeled after a giant blue whale heart, and Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre’s “The Miami Reef Star, a group of starfish shapes arranged in a larger star pattern.

“What that’s going to do is accelerate the formation of a coral reef ecosystem,” Foord said. “It’s going to attract a lot more life and add biodiversity and really kind of push the envelope of artificial reef-building here in Florida.”

Besides being a testing ground for new coral transplantation and hybrid reef design and development, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner expects the project to generate local jobs with ecotourism experiences like snorkeling, diving, kayaking and paddleboard tours.

The reefs will be located about 20 feet (6 meters) below the surface of the water and about 800 feet (240 meters) from the shore.

“Miami Beach is a global model for so many different issues, and now we’re doing it for REEFLINE,” Meiner said during a beachside ceremony last month. “I’m so proud to be working together with the private market to make sure that this continues right here in Miami Beach to be the blueprint for other cities to utilize.”

The nonprofit also offers community education programs, where volunteers can plant corals alongside scientists, and a floating marine learning center, where participants can gain first-hand experience in coral conservation every month.

Caminos, the group’s founder, acknowledges that the installation won’t fix all of the problems — which are as big as climate change and sea level rise — but she said it can serve as a catalyst for dialogue about the value of coastal ecosystems.

“We can show how creatively, collaboratively and interdisciplinarily we can all tackle a man-made problem with man-made solutions,” Caminos said.

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Associated Press videojournalist Cody Jackson contributed to this report.

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Follow David Fischer on the social platform Bluesky: ‪@dwfischer.bsky.social‬

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© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Miami, FL

Inter Miami upset 2.0? Nashville SC force Game 3 | MLSSoccer.com

Published

1 day ago

November 2, 2025

Press Room

Inter Miami upset 2.0? Nashville SC force Game 3 | MLSSoccer.com

The Coyotes fought to a memorable 2-1 win at GEODIS Park on Saturday, keeping their Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs hopes alive behind goals from Sam Surridge and Josh Bauer.

Lionel Messi pulled one back late for the Herons, but Nashville held on to send the Round One Best-of-3 Series down to the wire.

Both sides will play for a spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Nov. 8 at Chase Stadium.

“I think our group was committed to responding to play our way here at home,” said head coach B.J. Callaghan, praising his side’s response from a 3-1 loss in Game 1.

“We did that from the opening whistle. And it’s just about making sure that we take that mentality with us, no matter if we’re home or away, in another game where it’s win or go home.”

Statement performance

After conceding eight goals to Miami across their last two meetings, the Coyotes put in a monumental defensive effort to hold the visitors to just a single, late goal.

“You can talk a lot about tactics and on-the-field stuff. I think this game wasn’t so much about that,” said Bauer, who started at left back in place of the injured Daniel Lovitz. “You know, we made little tweaks and we watched the video and did some things differently.

“But this game, this game was between the ears and in your hearts. And you could see that, I think, from everyone tonight. Little cold and rainy. Perfect for us just to be dogs out there.”

Saturday was Nashville’s 10th meeting against Miami since Messi’s arrival in the summer of 2023. They hadn’t won any of those, notably losing the Leagues Cup 2023 final and being knocked out of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup by the South Florida side, among other setbacks.

For the Coyotes, it was important to remind themselves – and the league – that it’s not as one-sided a rivalry as recent history might indicate.

“We can go toe to toe like we did tonight and play the type of game that we want to play,” said Bauer. “We talk about the game within the game and all the little extra stuff that goes on. We’ve got to be nasty. We’ve got to show that. But I think this gives us a lot of confidence, the first time beating Miami and kind of getting that monkey off our back.”

2024 all over again?

Heading into a pivotal Game 3, Nashville hope to ensure Miami exit the playoffs in Round One for the second year in a row.

The 2024 Supporters’ Shield winners suffered an all-time upset last season when No. 9 seed Atlanta United overcame a Game 1 loss by winning the next two matches to send that year’s favorites packing.

While that certainly has to be in the back of Nashville’s mind, they’re focusing less on Atlanta’s performance last year and more on the successes they’ve already had in 2025. Winning the US Open Cup, their first trophy in club history, has given them the belief – and the hardware – to validate the idea that they can win crucial, knockout matches against great teams.

“We’re in a constant state of trying to get better… and we get better from using those past experiences,” said Callaghan. “There’s a lot of things that we can point to. Like playing in an elimination tournament like the Open Cup… There’s that pressure of it’s win or go home. That’s an easy one.”

“It’s hard to win on the road in this league, and we know it’s going to take an effort even greater than what we had tonight to beat them on the road,” added Bauer. “I know that B.J. and the rest of the staff are going to have us prepared and ready to go and put our best foot forward.

“These are when the lights are the brightest. We’ve got to be up for it.”

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Miami, FL

SNAP uncertainty leaves South Florida seniors scrambling for food aid

Published

2 days ago

November 1, 2025

Press Room

SNAP uncertainty leaves South Florida seniors scrambling for food aid

Many people are unsure whether their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be replenished on Saturday.

With so much uncertainty, local food organizations are preparing for an influx of need throughout communities.

Senior citizens face rising food insecurity

One of the most vulnerable groups — and a significant portion of SNAP recipients — is senior citizens.

The Pantry of Broward County and Meals on Wheels South Florida told CBS News Miami they are being inundated with calls from elderly people who are terrified of what’s to come.

“We are hearing horror stories on a daily basis of folks just cannot make ends meet,” said Wendy Bourgault, executive director of Meals on Wheels South Florida.

Bourgault said that at the beginning of the week, her Broward County office was swamped with calls from people whose SNAP benefits would be ending.

She said one morning, they were hit with 20 calls looking for help with food.

“They have to choose, ‘Do I run electricity? Do I go to the doctor? Do I buy food?’” said Bourgault.

New relief program targets homebound seniors

After noticing a rise in the cry for help, Meals on Wheels South Florida established the Senior SNAP Relief Program.

“Over 60, homebound, and in need who have lost their SNAP benefits, we will kick in immediately two weeks’ worth of food. Maybe by then it will be ended. If it isn’t, you’ll immediately get another two weeks,” said Bourgault.

Empty shelf after empty shelf is becoming a trend at the Pantry of Broward County.

Pantry prepares for disaster-level demand

With the ending of SNAP benefits, staff said they are preparing for a natural disaster, like it’s a hurricane.

“It’s all hands on deck for the staff. It’s trying to get as many volunteers in as possible,” said Warren Lubow, chief operating officer of the Pantry of Broward County.

Lubow said the phones have been nonstop with calls from seniors seeking help.

Ninety percent of their clients receive SNAP.

“You take away those SNAP benefits — that’s less money in their pockets for rent, for food. For electric bills, water bills,” said Lubow.

Already serving 600 seniors across Broward County, the pantry is trying its hardest to serve everyone.

“We have been getting a lot more requests for new clients. We have a waitlist of over 150 people,” said Lubow.

Volunteers urgently needed to meet demand

Both organizations say there’s a great need for volunteers during this time.

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Miami, FL

Inter Miami looks for 20th win of season, takes on Nashville

Published

3 days ago

October 31, 2025

Press Room

Inter Miami looks for 20th win of season, takes on Nashville

Inter Miami CF (19-7-8, second in the Eastern Conference during the regular season) vs. Nashville SC (16-12-6, sixth in the Conference during the regular season)

Nashville, Tennessee; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Inter Miami CF +144, Nashville SC +153; over/under is 3.5 goals

BOTTOM LINE: Inter Miami looks for its 20th win of the season when it faces Nashville.

Nashville is 11-3-3 at home. Nashville ranks fifth in the Western Conference with 58 goals led by Sam Surridge with 23.

Miami is 8-4-5 in road games. Miami has a 14-2-2 record in games it scores three or more goals.

The matchup Saturday is the fourth meeting this season between the two teams. Miami won the last game 3-1.

TOP PERFORMERS: Surridge has 23 goals and three assists for Nashville. Hany Mukhtar has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.

Lionel Messi has 31 goals and 16 assists for Miami. Tadeo Allende has scored five goals over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nashville: 2-7-1, averaging 1.7 goals, 5.0 shots on goal and 5.7 corner kicks per game while allowing 2.2 goals per game.

Miami: 7-2-1, averaging 3.0 goals, 7.2 shots on goal and 4.8 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.6 goals per game.

NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: Nashville: Wyatt Meyer (injured), Matthew Corcoran (injured), Julian Gaines (injured), Jonathan Perez (injured), Ahmed Qasem (injured), Taylor Washington (injured).

Miami: David Ruiz (injured), Obando (injured).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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