Late last week, the world’s largest 3-D printed reef was submerged at Summer Island Maldives in an effort to help coral reefs survive a warming climate. The artificial reef, assembled with hundreds of ceramic and concrete modules, was submerged at Summer Island’s ‘Blue Lagoon’, where the resort hopes to create a new coral reef ecosystem.
Global warming is already dealing irreparable harm to coral reefs around the world. For destinations like the Maldives, having a thriving coral reef is especially important — which is why this news comes as a great relief for the local tourism industry.
Late last week, the world’s largest 3-D printed reef was submerged at Summer Island Maldives in an effort to help coral reefs survive a warming climate. The artificial reef, assembled with hundreds of ceramic and concrete modules, was submerged at Summer Island’s ‘Blue Lagoon’, where the resort hopes to create a new coral reef ecosystem.
Here is how the structure was created: a large 3-D printer worked for 24 hours straight to print moulds of the reef structures. These moulds were cast in ceramic and shipped to the Maldives. There, the moulds were then filled with concrete on the beach at Summer Island. In total, 220 ceramic, concrete-filled moulds were fitted together like a giant LEGO set. “3-D printing technology helps us to develop more innovative ways of protecting coral reefs,” Alex Goad, an industrial designer behind the project, explained. “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."
Technologies like these are especially beneficial to places like Maldives, which is particularly susceptible to climate change. Summer Island resort manager Mari Shareef agreed, “Projects like the 3-D printed reef are popular among guests, who like that we protect our environment. And it's not only for the guests. Our staff, most of whom are Maldivian, want to protect their environment. Ultimately, we want to help promote a culture of environmental stewardship, not just at Summer Island, but across the Maldives."