Technology As Friend, Not Foe
Coral reefs around the world are dwindling in size and number, with most news stories reporting their recede. Australian firm Reef Design Labs however have made history, by manufacturing and delivering the largest man made coral reef to date. Whilst technology is usually cited as one of the main causes of detriment to wildlife and natural habitats, Reef Design Labs have put it to good use.
The Project
Now sitting 7 metres below the lagoon at Summer Island, the reef started out life in the workshop at Reef Design Labs. The reef is designed to mimic natural coral reef contours, in the hope of enticing local sea life. The moulds were then printed over a 24 hour period, cast in ceramic and then shipped to the Maldives. Ceramic is used in the process, as it is similar to the calcium carbonate of actual coral reefs. Once all 220 pieces of the set up arrived at the Maldives, they were filled with concrete and sent to the depths to be assembled. Once everything had been put together, live coral was applied to the structure, in the hope that it will cultivate and thrive in years to come.
Alex Goad, Designer
Alex Goad, an Industrial Design graduate of Monash University, spent his final year of his studies developing MARS (Modular Artificial Reef Structure). His project won multiple awards, including the Australian James Dyson Award and the US Popular Science Invention Award. It was upon this success that lead Alex to co-found Reef Design Lab. Upon reflecting on the experiment off Summer Island, Alex had this to say:
“3D printing technology helps us to develop more innovative ways of protecting coral reefs. The technology allows us to mimic the complexity of natural reef structures, so we can design artificial reefs that closely resemble those found in nature..We hope this will be a more effective way of growing and restoring corals.”
Footnote:
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