A viral video has been making the rounds lately that shows a giant (and extremely bizarre) ship opening up at its middle and dropping a metric buttload (that’s the official term) of cinderblocks directly into the ocean. The video is fascinating, so much so that I was certain it was AI-generated at first. After all, what kind of ship can part down the middle like that?

Turns out, the video is real! The ship is called a split hopper barge and is often used to transport and deliver dredged soil. Dumping concrete like this looks like the world’s worst case of littering, but in actuality, the concrete blocks serve an important purpose that benefits sea life of all varieties.

Dumping concrete block in the ocean. Soon coral and algae will take root on them and help them create a reef. pic.twitter.com/IgEiMb3HhP— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) July 24, 2025

Dumping concrete block in the ocean. Soon coral and algae will take root on them and help them create a reef. pic.twitter.com/IgEiMb3HhP— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) July 24, 2025

The cinderblocks of life

For answers, look no further than the GARP, that’s the Grenada Artificial Reef Project (also known as the Grand Anse Artificial Reef Project or GAARP).

With coral reefs under threat and disappearing all over the world, the team behind the project came up with an........

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