The Economic Times

In 1970, US dumped 2 million tires into the ocean; a plan to save marine life turned into one of the biggest environmental blunders

In 1972, more than 2 million old tires were dumped into the Atlantic Ocean off Florida. The goal was simple. Create an artificial reef and give marine life a new home. But the plan failed in the worst possible way. The tires never became a reef. Instead, they broke loose, smashed nearby coral, and damaged one of America's coastal ecosystems. Decades later, the Osborne Reef disaster is still a warning about how good intentions can turn into lasting environmental mistakes.