A 3D printed coral reef has been successfully installed in the Indian Ocean

Not too far back, we presented you with a video of a 3D printed coral reef installed in the Maldives in one of our top 5 videos of the week. It is considered as the largest 3D printed reef by its designer Alex Goad of the Reef Design Lab. It could be an effective solution to preserve the marine ecosystem today threatened by global warming. The structure was created, at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, thanks to several 3D printed ceramic molds.

Coral reefs are home to a variety of aquatic species, from seaweed to fish, and represent 25% of the world’s marine life. Today, they suffer from a phenomenon called bleaching. Basically the coral polyps reject algae from their tissues. This especially happens because of the increase in water temperature. Thus causing a gradual death of the coral. Several initiatives using 3D printing technologies developed to try to preserve the reefs and the species that live there. One such project was when Emerging Objects worked with Boston Ceramics and SECORE (Sexual Coral Restoration) to create a population of 3D printed substrates to attract coral larvae to the reefs and encourage their reproduction.

The largest 3D printed barrier reef

With the same goal of restoring in mind, Alex Goad, industrial designer at Reef Design Lab, has developed a 3D printed coral reef designed to be the largest ever created. Last week it was settled in the Indian Ocean near the Summer Island Maldives. Composed of hundreds of ceramic and concrete modules, the reef has been designed using an advanced computer modeling program. This provides the textured appearance of the print.