Coral reefs are a beautiful and essential part of our ecosystem. They provide food and shelter to millions of species of marine wildlife, encourage biodiversity, and help protect shores from erosion. Unfortunately, due to increasing ocean temperatures caused by global warming, the once bright and colorful coral reefs have been bleached, which means that the ecosystems that live within the reef could take decades to recover. Scientists predict 70% to 90% of coral reefs could be bleached within the next 20 years. Even after recovery, beaching affects the corals’ ability to grow, reproduce, and fight off disease.
Luckily, an organization in Hong Kong named Archireef has come up with a clever solution to coral reef bleaching. To rebuild the coral reefs in Hong Kong, Archireef has begun producing 3D-printed tiles made of ocean-safe terracotta. Using them to grow coral with a 95% survival rate, these tiles are being used to replace the destroyed or damaged reefs within the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. In addition, Archireef has said that they intend to market these tiles in order to help restore coral reefs globally.
The tiles used to 3-D print are made with an ocean-friendly, 100% natural terracotta and a robot with an attached 3-D clay extruder. These tiles are custom-made to be environmentally friendly, cost and time efficient, and easy to assemble underwater. They are based on a hexagonal system, that allows them to be easily expanded and adjusted to different environments and organisms like oysters and mangroves.
Archireef has helped bring back ocean ecosystems by keeping corals alive and providing homes for many species of ocean wildlife. Using natural, organic materials and a versatile 3-D printed design, this restoration project has helped save more than 600 corals in a cost and time-effective way. Fortunately, due to restoration projects like Archireef, there could be hope in restoring coral reefs both in Hong Kong and worldwide.
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