Jason deCaires Taylor

Jason grew up in Europe and Asia with his English father and Guyanese mother, he has a natural passion for exploration and discovery. Much of his childhood was spent on the coral reefs of Malaysia where he developed a profound love of the sea and natural world. He has spend many years working with the ocean and developed an interest for conservation, in particularly in regards to the decay of the coral reefs whether through global warming, natural evolution or human destruction. Jason graduating in 1988 from the London Institute of Arts with a BA in Sculpture and Ceramics, and later experience in the Canterbury Cathedral taught him traditional stone carving techniques whilst five years working in set design and concert installations exposed him to cranes, lifting, logistics and completing projects on a grand scale. With his passion for ocean conservation and his incredible technique/talent he equipped himself with the skills required to execute the ambitious underwater projects that have made his name.










Oceans teem with microscopic organisms that are constantly drifting down towards the sea bed, attaching to and colonising on the way any hard secure surface, such as rock outcrops, and thereby creating the basis of a natural reef. Coral reefs attract an array of marine life (such as colourful fish, turtles, sea urchins, sponges, and sharks) and also provide enclosed spaces for sea creatures to breed or take refuge

Only about 10 – 15% of the sea bed has a solid enough substratum to allow reefs to form naturally. In order to increase the number of reefs in these areas artificial reefs have recently been created from materials that are durable, secure and environmentally sensitive.

These reefs appear to have been successful in that they have attracted coral growth which, in turn, can support an entire marine ecosystem. Jason’s quest to save the oceans with his sculptures begin by carving cement instead of stone and supervising cranes while in full scuba gear to create artificial reefs submerged below the surface of the Caribbean Sea. Taylor is currently the founder and Artistic Director of the Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA) in Cancun, Mexico. I find his works totally fascinating and magical, and you can purchase some prints of his works at http://www.underwatersculpture.com/pages/print_sales/index.asp