Eternal Reefs

Eternal Reefs is the only company in the world that mixes the ashes of cremated people into cement to form “reef balls,” which they then lower into the ocean to help create habitats for marine life. While it certainly sounds strange, it helps if you think of it as a way of creating something that does something good for the environment–offering marine life a home that replaces the dying coral reefs.

Long-time good friends Frankel and Bawley often went diving together in the Florida Keys. They quickly noticed how the area’s reefs were deteriorating and began organizing volunteers to create reef balls–structures made of natural resources that provide homes for coral and microorganisms. Then, in 1998, Brawley’s father-in-law got sick. “He knew his time was limited,” says Frankel, “and he really wanted his cremated remains to be in a reef.” After a funeral director gave Brawley the ashes, he remembered his father-in-law’s request, and from his death, a new company was born.

“We definitely get one of two responses,” reports Frankel. “Either their eyes light up and they get it right away. Or they don’t think we’re serious.” Generally, Frankel says, if somebody isn’t excited about the idea, they often say, “That’s not really for me, but I know someone it would be perfect for.”

entrepreneur.com