rrreefs Installs 13 3D-Printed Coral Reefs in the Maldives to Fight Bleaching

The Anantara Dhigu resort in the Maldives has just installed 13 3D-printed clay structures in its lagoon, aiming to bring new life to an ecosystem that has been at risk for years due to coral bleaching. The project, called Theyra Maa, meaning “13 flowers” in Dhivehi, was developed in collaboration with rrreefs, a Swiss company specializing in reef restoration through large-scale additive manufacturing.

This isn’t the first time 3D-printed clay has been used underwater. Numerous projects around the world are already applying additive manufacturing to reef restoration. Nor is this the first large-scale project for the Swiss company: since its founding in 2020, it has helped add more than 15,000 new corals to the reefs it has installed.

Installation of “Theyra Maa” in the Maldives (photo credit: rrreefs via LinkedIn).

“The inspiration behind rrreefs stems from a deep passion for the ocean and a determination to act against the rapid decline of coral reefs, one of the first ecosystems to feel the effects of climate change,” says Josephine Graf, the company’s co-founder. For her, Theyra Maa also shows that collaboration between such different sectors can produce concrete results for ocean conservation.