Parrotfish

Miami offers access to the northern sector of the Florida Reef Tract, where natural limestone reefs, coral communities, wrecks, and purpose-built artificial reefs lie close to a major metropolitan shoreline. Warm currents extending northward from the Caribbean allow reef-building corals and tropical marine life to occur at Miami’s latitude. The area is especially distinctive for its extensive artificial-reef network: since 1981, Miami-Dade County has deployed ships, concrete structures, limestone, military equipment, and retired offshore platforms to create habitat and additional dive sites. Divers may encounter reef fish, sea turtles, rays, nurse sharks, and schooling fish, although coral disease, pollution, and marine heatwaves continue to affect the region’s natural reefs.

Fun Fact: Miami-Dade County manages 11 inshore and 17 offshore artificial-reef sites containing nearly 50 large vessels, two retired oil-production platforms, and even surplus U.S. Army tanks.