Product Review & Eternal Reefs
By M. Kotch
More and more people are exploring alternatives to traditional burials; whether they are green, exotic or extravagant options, the choices are growing in number. Green burials, in particular, have been gaining popularity among the eco-conscious. If it seems like you can’t pick up a newspaper or turn on the news without hearing about a new green funeral choice, you’re not alone.
One such service that has been getting a lot of press lately is Eternal Reefs, a company that incorporates a loved one’s ashes into a concrete cast before placing it in the sea bed, where it serves as an artificial reef.
As roommates at the University of Georgia, Eternal Reef’s founding members noticed the delicate and declining state of coral reefs where they took their frequent diving trips. The challenge? Creating reef balls from materials that were marine-friendly, that could withstand rough oceanic weather—all while remaining stable and facilitating an environment that microorganisms gravitated to. In the late 1990s, Eternal Reef’s co-founder, Don Brawley, was asked to include ashes into one of the reef balls by his own father-in-law, Carleton Palmer. Shortly after his father-in-law’s passing, Brawley set about mixing the remains into the concrete of a reef ball before setting it on the sea floor and creating the first Eternal Reef memorial.
So how does it work? Every family and each memorial is served differently by Eternal Reefs. Here is a brief overview of who and how the company serves.
• The Process: a loved one’s remains (cremated ashes) are mixed in with the concrete, and then cured for about a month before being placed in one of several permitted reef locations along the East Coast of the U.S.
• The Experience: Family members are allowed—and encouraged—to take part in every step of the memorial from casting the concrete to placing written messages and hand imprints on the wet concrete to photographing the inscribed bronze plaques that are placed on each Eternal Reef.
• The Memorial: mourners are invited to participate in two events, the viewing: where loved ones can gather and view the memorial reef, and the dedication: where the company charters a boat for family members to witness the dedication and placement of the memorial into the ocean. Depending on weather conditions, these two events may or may not occur on the same day. Military honors are served during the viewing for veterans.
• Price: Community reefs (where more than one person’s remains are incorporated into multiple reefs) start at about $2500. Individual memorial reefs range in size and price, starting at about $4000 to about $6500. Boat-charter rates for transporting family members are $75 per person. An extra charge of $250 is added when combining an additional loved one’s remains into one memorial.
• Who it serves: Eternal Reefs create memorials for individuals, couples and pets—even creating memorials that combine a person’s remains with a beloved pet.
• What else you should know:
o Eternal Reefs does not guarantee a particular location due to ever-changing regulations and permits issued by the Army Corp. of Engineers
o Memorial reefs cannot be retrieved once they have been set on the sea floor
o The company provides two certificates that outline the memorial’s latitude and longitude, and provides GPS coordinates for future visits
o Eternal Reefs provides a pre-funding plan
While some may argue that cremation and reef ball creation involve the burning of fossil fuels, there is no doubt that helping to strengthen the fragile eco-systems that are coral reefs is a green step in the right direction.
For more information visit: www.eternalreefs.com
