Eternal Reefs - Cremation Urn alternative

Eternal Reefs

There is a new memorial choice that replaces cremation urns and ash scattering. Eternal Reefs, Inc. creates permanent environmental living legacies that memorialize the remains of those who have passed. If you've ever imagined resting eternally on the ocean floor or becoming a natural habitat for sea life, this urn alternative may be for you.

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the plane, but people are damaging them. Don Brawley, the founder and a diver, saw this deterioration of the reefs firsthand when diving off the Florida Keys. Don and his college roommate set about creating system that replicates that natural marine environment—which became known as the Reef Ball. The Reef Ball is essentially an artificial reef, cement outcropping, that over time encourages marine growth.

The company began mixing cremated remains with the material used to make Reef Balls when Don’s father-in-law passed away. In and interview with National Geographic Don quotes his father-in-law as saying, "I'd rather spend eternity down there with all that life and excitement going on then be with a bunch of old dead people."
News spread quickly, others began selecting an Eternal Reef as their final resting place.

The Memorial Reef is a process which typically includes: mixing the ashes with a cement, casting the reef, creating a rubbing of the loved ones memorial plaque, ceremony, lowering of the Memorial Reef into the ocean, and an inspection of the Eternal Reef after three months.

This is a unique option particularly for those concerned about the use of land for burials, the recent rash of “metal thieves” violating urns in cemeteries.

More about Eternal Reefs and its founders can be found on their website at
http://eternalreefs.com


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