The first installation of the Museum of Underwater Art – a series of inter-tidal and fully submerged galleries planned for the Great Barrier Reef region of Queensland, Australia – is due to open in December on the coast at Townsville.

Ocean Siren will be a solar-powered sculpture of a young girl, which uses live temperature data supplied by the Australian Institute of Marine Science to give a visual representation of rising sea temperatures through the use of changing colours.

A second phase of the museum will be the Coral Greenhouse, situated in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. This will be a 12m-high underwater botanical structure designed as an art space, underwater educational centre, science laboratory and a secure space for marine life.

The skeletal design of the greenhouse has been engineered to dissipate ocean currents while providing an intricate habitat for marine life. A series of coral nurseries, organic stems and underwater trees surrounding the greenhouse are designed to facilitate coral rehabilitation.

The museum galleries are being designed by British sculptor and environmentalist Jason deCaires Taylor, with funding from the Australian and Queensland governments and corporate partners. There will be installations at Townsville, Magnetic Island, Palm Island and throughout the Great Barrier Reef region.

Taylor said the museum will convey messages about the threats to oceanic marine systems and humanity's deep-rooted dependency on the sea.

"The museum seeks to encourage environmental awareness, increase knowledge of marine ecosystems and help instigate social change whilst leading visitors to appreciate the breathtaking natural beauty of the Great Barrier Reef," he said.