coral reef restoration

1. Coral Reef Restoration
BE 4240: Ecological Engineering
Kathryn Abbott, Ali Bostwick, Cecilia Eargle, & Alena Senf

2. Importance of Coral Reefs
● Coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems containing 25% of all marine life
● They provide a physical barrier reducing runoff
● Increase tourism amongst coastal cities
● Reef fisheries provide billions of dollars in the global economy
● Assist nutrient cycle
● Geological processes

3. The Issue
● Climate change
○ Excess carbon dioxide reacts with water to for carbonic acid
○ pH is lowered which decreases amount of carbonate
■ The pH of the surface ocean has fallen by 0.1 pH units since the beginning of the Industrial
Revolution (30% increase in acidity)
● Anthropogenic activities
○ Dredging
○ Ship groundings
○ Anchoring on coral reefs
○ Oil and pesticide pollution
○ Overfishing
● Natural events
○ Tropical cyclones
○ Earthquakes
https://www.marineconservation.org.au/coral-bleaching/

4. http://reefresilience.org/coral-reefs/stressors/ocean-acidification/ocean-carbon-chemistry/

5. Current Solutions

6. Transplanting
● Fragments from surviving coral
colonies are collected
● Frames are constructed made of
wire and steel stakes
● Coral fragments are reattached
● They are then transplanted to
new locations
https://i.redd.it/zsd4c4pimle21.jpg

7. Example: Pacific Costa Rica
● Both coasts of Costa Rica have suffered significant
reductions in live coral in the 1980’s
● Ecosystem restoration efforts have been made in
Costa Rica using the transplant method
● The study began in the 1990’s and was not deemed
very successful
● Results showed the coral had a high capacity to
regenerate tissue via. The transplant method
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/ma
p/costa-rica-map.htm

8. Restoration from Physical Damage
● Physical damage to coral can consist of scarring, crushed coral formations, or
broken chunks of reef platform
● Restoration includes:
○ Sorting coral and rubble
○ Removing rubble from the reefs
○ Reattaching individual coral pieces
● The reefs should be continually monitored during the restoration and for
several years afterward

9. Example: Grand Cayman Islands
● In 1996 the cruise ship Maasdam
struck the Grand Cayman Islands
● Damaged area was approximately
1000 m^2
● Cayman Island Department of the
Environment (DOE) developed a
restoration plan
● Restoration took 4 months
● Reefs were monitored for an
additional 2 years afterward
http://ontheworldmap.com/cayman-islands/large-detailed-grand-
cayman-map.html

10. 3D Printing of Artificial Reefs
● Tomography scanning is done on specimens from coral reefs to extract the 3D
surface data
● The computer rendered 3D file is used to create the 3D printed coral reef unit
https://www.engineering.com/3DPrinting/3DPrintingArticles/ArticleID/17809/In-the-Face-
of-Climate-Change-Saving-Coral-Reefs-with-3D-Printing.aspx

11. Example: Maldives, Australia
● Reef Design Labs (RDL) submerged a 3D printed
coral reef in August 2018
● RDL prints hollow blocks of ceramic molded into
complex shapes
● Ceramic filled with concrete for stability
● Living coral is then attached
● Testing how different techniques of attaching
coral fragments affect growth
● While 3D printing coral holds promise, the reefs
will be negatively impacted if ocean temperatures
continue to rise
https://maldivesfinest.com/location-map

12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6aFsPbtth0#action=share

13. Future Expectations and Conclusion

14. Future Solutions
● Social solutions
○ Educate the public
○ Encourage people to get involved
○ Citizen science programs
○ Working with responsible party to initiate restoration quickly in the event of anthropogenic reef
damage
● Improving coral self-attachment
○ Attaching corals upside-down
○ Feeding corals with Artemia
○ Removal of macroalgae

15. Conclusion
● Use of 3D printing is currently the best solution
● Low-cost
● Further research
● Additionally, the public should be educated
○ Citizen science projects
○ Community outreach
○ Workshops
● 3D printed filament may be able to be produced from recycled material

16. Questions?

17. Sources
(1) Museum, Q. Human Impact on the Reef.
(2) Hardt, M.; Safina, C. Covering Ocean Acidification: Chemistry and Considerations.
(3) Author, C. R.; Guzman, H. M. Society for Conservation Biology Restoration of Coral Reefs in Pacific Restoration of Coral Reefs in Pacific
Costa Rica. Source Conserv. Biol. 1991, 5132123 (2), 189–195.
(4) Society for Ecological Restoration. Costa Rica: Cano Island Coral Reef Restoration.
(5) C., J. W. Coral Reef Restoration. Ecol. Eng. 2000, 15, 345–364.
(6) Lowe, R. J.; Falter, J. L. Oceanic Forcing of Coral Reefs. Ann. Rev. Mar. Sci. 2015, 7 (1), 43–66.
(7) Uribe-Castañeda, N.; Newton, A.; Tissier, M. Le. Coral Reef Socio-Ecological Systems Analysis & Restoration. Sustain. 2018, 10 (12), 1–11.
(8) International, S. O. Worlds First 3D Printed Reef. 2012, 1–2.
(9) Mohammed, J. S. Applications of 3D Printing Technologies in Oceanography. Methods Oceanogr. 2016, 17, 97–117.
(10) Klinges, D. A New Dimension to Marine Restoration: 3D Printing Coral Reefs. 2018.
(11) Tagliafico, A.; Rangel, S.; Christidis, L.; Kelaher, B. P. A Potential Method for Improving Coral Self-Attachment. Restor. Ecol. 2018, 26 (6),
1082–1090.
(12) Ceccarelli, D. M.; Loffler, Z.; Bourne, D. G.; Al Moajil-Cole, G. S.; Boström-Einarsson, L.; Evans-Illidge, E.; Fabricius, K.; Glasl, B.; Marshall,
P.; McLeod, I.; et al. Rehabilitation of Coral Reefs through Removal of Macroalgae: State of Knowledge and Considerations for Management
and Implementation. Restor. Ecol. 2018, 26 (5), 827–838.
(13) Hesley, D.; Burdeno, D.; Drury, C.; Schopmeyer, S.; Lirman, D. Citizen Science Benefits Coral Reef Restoration Activities. J. Nat. Conserv.
2017, 40 (August), 94–99.
(14) Earth Science. Why Does the El Nino Stop?
(15) Molitch-Hou, M. In the Face of Climate Change: Saving Coral Reefs with 3D Printing.