Loved ones are being honored while rebuilding North Carolina's marine ecosystems.
The North Carolina Artificial Reef Program has wrapped up its 2026 Memorial Project six miles offshore of Wilmington. In partnership with the organization Eternal Reefs, teams deployed ten specialized "eternal reefs" onto artificial reef AR-372.
The structures are heavy concrete reef balls mixed directly with the cremated ashes. The families who traveled to the coast for these placements represent a diverse mix of everyday citizens, including avid ocean fishermen, scuba divers, military veterans, and individuals who simply shared a deep lifelong love for the ocean and the North Carolina shoreline.
Division of Marine Fisheries officials said the unique balls do more than provide a permanent "living legacy" burial at sea. They actively create vital habitat for marine life by providing hard surfaces for coral, algae, and fish to colonize on the ocean floor.
