The 3D-printed terracotta-based reef tiles will aid coral restoration near the Arabian Gulf in Abu Dhabi
When they said you could 3D print everything, they meant it.
Artificial 3D-printed terracotta-based reef tiles have been successfully deployed in the Arabian Gulf off the shore of Abu Dhabi. Intended to aid coral restoration, the announcement was made by ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), the region’s largest environmental regulator, and Archireef, a climate technology company headquartered in Hong Kong.
The tiles were designed by a team of marine biologists and architects and produced through custom 3D clay printing in Archireef’s new production facility in an economic zone under KEZAD Group. As compared to other types of artificial reefs, the clay-based reef structures are environmentally friendly and engineered to closely mimic the natural pattern of corals and prevent sedimentation build-up, a major threat for corals.
The outplantation site is a marine protected area near Um Khorah Island in the Al Dhafra Region. Featuring 40 square meters of reef tiles housing around 1,200 coral fragments grown in specialized nurseries owned by EAD, the process was completed by a team of seven scuba divers over the course of five days.
The partnership between ADQ and Archireef announced in November 2022 funds research and development of eco-engineering solutions for marine biodiversity restoration, combining scientific research with the use of latest technologies in 3D printing, IoT, and AI.
The project is an innovative addition to the efforts of EAD, whose marine ecosystem preservation and rehabilitation initiatives rank among the top ten global initiatives, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
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The Agency provided the project with logistical support and expertise, and the team of coral experts from EAD worked closely with ADQ and Archireef on assessing and selecting the site, providing corals to the project from EAD’s in situ coral nursery.
Continuous monitoring of the deployment site will provide data on the performance of the corals, including photographic updates to capture the recruitment of fish populations.
As the most diverse ecosystems on Earth supporting the largest number of aquatic species per unit area, coral reefs increasingly enjoy special protection from governments and engaged private sector players.
Abu Dhabi waters are known to house 34 different types of hard coral. As the world has witnessed a steady decline over the past decade due to mass coral bleaching, caused by an increase in water temperature, this move comes as a welcome step towards restoration.
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Image source Canva