Invader Tags Jason deCaires Taylor’s Underwater Reef Sculptures With 8-Bit Mosaic Graffiti

Artist <a href="http://www.underwatersculpture.com" target="_blank">Jason deCaires Taylor</a> has taken his <a href="http://inhabitat.com/urban-reef-jason-decaires-taylor-creates-an-underwater-suburbia-to-revive-cancuns-struggling-coral-reefs/" target="_blank">gorgeous underwater installations</a> to the next level - by collaborating with mosaic street artist <a href="http://www.space-invaders.com/" target="_blank">Invader! The project took <a href="http://www.space-invaders.com/" target="_blank">Invader</a> to the depths of the Bay of Cancun, where Invader installed his signature <a href="http://inhabitat.com/new-post-submission-299/" target="_blank">mosaic graffiti</a> on Taylor’s artificial reef sculptures, creating an urban statement under water.

<a href="http://www.space-invaders.com/" target="_blank">Invader</a> is a French artist  known for installing <a href="http://inhabitat.com/diy-make-dad-an-8-bit-pop-up-card-this-fathers-day-card/" target="_blank">Space Invader video game icons</a> made from tiles on streets all over the world.

The quirky Atari-inspired pieces have popped up on six out of seven continents, and they're often not removed by building owners since their <a href="http://inhabitat.com/christopher-marleys-mesmerizing-insect-mosaics-help-preserve-critical-habitats/" target="_blank">mosaic quality</a> doesn’t look like vandalism. He's know for hitting the most out-of-reach and unexpected places, so his appearance under the sea seems fitting.

The first to be hit was Taylor’s “Urban Reef,” an <a href="http://inhabitat.com/8-ton-volkswagon-beetle-scultpure-joins-400-other-objects-in-an-artificial-reef-in-mexico/" target="_blank">underwater sculpture series</a> of suburban homes - a suitable start for Invader. Blue and black space invaders were affixed to the side of one home, while a red creature popped up nearby on “The Silent Evolution,” an epic grouping of figures standing together.

Taylor’s sculptures are not just art installations - they also provide shelter for underwater creatures. <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-great-barrier-reef-has-lost-50-of-its-coral-over-the-past-27-years/" target="_blank">Coral and other animals</a> quickly bond to his sculptures’ surfaces, creating a new environment and eco-system for them to thrive.

With his underwater art installations, Taylor helps to provide <a href="http://inhabitat.com/coralbots-are-robots-designed-to-save-scotlands-coral-reefs/" target="_blank">safe havens for sea life</a>, despite the increasing pollution that hinders their longevity.

Taylor’s collaboration with Invader only adds a new layer to his already impressive series of works, which bring awareness to the importance of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/caribbean-coral-reef-could-soon-be-extinct-with-live-coverage-down-to-just-8/" target="_blank">marine life and coral reefs</a>.