Recycled Coral Reef

Our coral reef project began with a simple question: what can trash become? Working entirely with recycled materials — single-use plastic bags, discarded foam packaging, salvaged milk jugs — my students shaped coral formations and sea creatures from the very materials harming our oceans. The finished piece transformed a pile of waste into an underwater world, and in doing so, said something true about consumption, environmental impact, and what becomes possible when we choose to reuse rather than discard. The piece won Best in Show and Most Sustainable in Show at the Jane Goodall Art Gala at the University of Tampa.