The rebirth of the corals passes from 3D printing: thus they are reconstructing the damaged seabed of the Maldives

In the turquoise waters of Maldivesan Australian innovation promises to give new life to damaged seabed. It is the project of the Reef Design Labs (RDL)non-profit organization led by Alex Goad, who introduced the first artificial reef printed in 3D of the archipelago.

The system, called Mars (Modular Artificial Reef Structure)is based on blocks of ceramic Made with three -dimensional printers, easily assembled by divers without the use of cranes or special boats. This technology allows you to reproduce in an extremely accurate way the complex shapes of natural coral reefs, offering ideal shelters for fish, sponge And anemonesas well as surfaces where i Coral fragments They can take root and grow.

Each structure not only helps to restore The marine ecosystembut also acts as a platform of scientific research To study the best grafting techniques and the most heat -resistant species. Although not a solution to the serious global problems of the seas – such as Coral whitening and theacidification of oceans – the Mars project represents an effective local tool for the environmental restoration.

They adapt to the specificities of the seabed and local fauna

Le Maldives, hard affected by theEl Niño event of 2016they saw disappear up to 75% of their corals in the south of the archipelago. Interventions like these therefore become essential to try to save one of the most important atolls on the planet.

The Mars system also has the advantage of modularity: the light and resistant blocks can be adapted to Specificity of the seabed and of the local fauna. In addition, ceramic has proved to be an excellent material both for the structural stabilityboth to encourage the adhesion of corals.

Today, thanks to the enthusiasm aroused by these projects, also the local communities they begin to start their own coral nurseryshowing that technology can be not only an ally of science, but also an instrument of social involvement.

In a world where the climate change Threat the survival of coral reefs, Mars offers concrete hope. One reef at a time, block after block, you can try to reconstruct marine biodiversity that we are losing inexorably.