Structure by 3D printed shapes
Photo courtesy Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Functional objective:
Reef structures and stabilisation to facilitate reef recovery
Delivery method:
3D printed complex structures
Deployment scale:
Micro (a few metres)
Subprogram:
Novel, human-made structures for coral settlement (new shapes, sizes and surfaces) can enhance reef structural complexity and provide surfaces to promote coral resettlement and growth. They can range from micro-scale engineering to artificial reefs.
This potential intervention would place 3D printed structures on degraded reefs to recreate structural complexity and facilitate ecological processes such as coral recruitment, survivorship, herbivory, fish diversity and growth of immobile organisms.
The structures would be printed and deployed from large barges.
