Emerging 3D technologies for future reformation of coral reefs: Enhancing biodiversity using biomimetic structures based on designs by nature

Levy, Natalie; Berman, Ofer; Yuval, Matan; Loya, Yossi; Treibitz, Tali; Tarazi, Ezri; Levy, Oren

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154749

Cited by 24 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…Additionally, such microscale bioprinted living materials could be combined with larger-scale 3D printing approaches aimed at coral reef restoration. [58,59] We anticipate that the fabricated living coral microenvironments will find wide applications in coral reef science and will be further developed as a next-generation technology for coral stress and bleaching studies, ultimately paving the way for the engineering of novel biomaterials and artificial coral reefs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioprinted Living Coral Microenvironments Mimicking Coral‐Algal Symbiosis

Wangpraseurt

Sun

You

et al. 2022

Adv Funct Materials

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The coral‐algal symbiosis is the biological engine that drives one of the most spectacular structures on Earth: the coral reef. Here, living coral microhabitats are engineered using 3D bioprinting, as biomimetic model system of the coral‐algal symbiosis. Various bioinks for the encapsulation of coral photosymbiotic microalgae (Breviolum psygmophilum) are developed and coral mass transfer phenomena are mimicked by 3D bioprinting coral tissue and skeleton microscale features. At the tissue–seawater interface, the biomimetic coral polyp and connective tissue structures successfully replicate the natural build‐up of the O2 diffusive boundary layer. Inside the bioprinted construct, coral‐like microscale gastric cavities are engineered using a multi‐material bioprinting process. Underneath the tissue, the constructs mimic the porous architecture of the coral aragonite skeleton at the micrometer scale, which can be manipulated to assess the effects of skeletal architecture on stress‐related hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production. The bioprinted living coral microhabitats replicate the diffusion‐related phenomena that underlie the functioning and breakdown of the coral‐algal symbiosis and can be exploited for the additive manufacturing of synthetic designer corals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioprinted Living Coral Microenvironments Mimicking Coral‐Algal Symbiosis

Wangpraseurt

Sun

You

et al. 2022

Adv Funct Materials

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“…Various AR studies have used BJ processes (Erioli and Zomparelli, 2012; Gardiner, 2011; Reef Arabia, 2012). The ME process, particularly PDM, offers a range of extruded materials for AR manufacturing, including cementitious (Dunn et al , 2019; Ly et al , 2021; Yoris-Nobile et al , 2023) and clay ceramic materials (Lange et al , 2020; Levy et al , 2022) materials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial reefs through additive manufacturing: a review of their design, purposes and fabrication process for marine restoration and management

Matus,

Alves,

Góis

et al. 2024

RPJ

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review cases of artificial reefs built through additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and analyse their ecological goals, fabrication process, materials, structural design features and implementation location to determine predominant parameters, environmental impacts, advantages, and limitations. Design/methodology/approach The review analysed 16 cases of artificial reefs from both temperate and tropical regions. These were categorised based on the AM process used, the mortar material used (crucial for biological applications), the structural design features and the location of implementation. These parameters are assessed to determine how effectively the designs meet the stipulated ecological goals, how AM technologies demonstrate their potential in comparison to conventional methods and the preference locations of these implementations. Findings The overview revealed that the dominant artificial reef implementation occurs in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Seas, both accounting for 24%. The remaining cases were in the Australian Sea (20%), the South Asia Sea (12%), the Persian Gulf and the Pacific Ocean, both with 8%, and the Indian Sea with 4% of all the cases studied. It was concluded that fused filament fabrication, binder jetting and material extrusion represent the main AM processes used to build artificial reefs. Cementitious materials, ceramics, polymers and geopolymer formulations were used, incorporating aggregates from mineral residues, biological wastes and pozzolan materials, to reduce environmental impacts, promote the circular economy and be more beneficial for marine ecosystems. The evaluation ranking assessed how well their design and materials align with their ecological goals, demonstrating that five cases were ranked with high effectiveness, ten projects with moderate effectiveness and one case with low effectiveness. Originality/value AM represents an innovative method for marine restoration and management. It offers a rapid prototyping technique for design validation and enables the creation of highly complex shapes for habitat diversification while incorporating a diverse range of materials to benefit environmental and marine species’ habitats.

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“…So far, when used as “natural surrogates,” old‐generation of ARs, mainly built of concrete casting of simple geometric shape, have shown to support less diversity than adjacent natural habitats (Ferrario et al 2016; Hill et al 2021). The three‐dimentional (3D)‐printing technology can contribute to improve this use of ARs, by enhancing design complexity and supporting the use of biocompatible materials, as recently observed for coral reefs (Levy et al 2022). Such a structure may be more effective in facilitating the settlement of communities that better mimic the characteristics of natural assemblages than the old generation of ARs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial reef effectiveness changes among types as revealed by underwater hyperspectral imagery

Riera,

Hubas,

Ungermann

et al. 2023

Restoration Ecology

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Artificial reefs (ARs) are designed to mimic natural habitats and promote marine life. Their effectiveness is however debatable and can depend on factors such as structural complexity and construction material. Old artificial reefs (OARs) were made of concrete mold of simple geometric shapes, limiting their ability to mimic the complexity of natural reefs. Recent advancements in three‐dimentional (3D)‐printing technology have enabled the creation of 3D‐printed artificial reefs (3DRs) with biocompatible material and complex structures that can better simulate the natural habitats. We employed underwater hyperspectral technology to estimate the performance of these reefs and compare the benthic photosynthetic signal of natural reefs (NATs) with those of ARs (OARs and 3DRs) in coastal area of the north‐western Mediterranean (France and Monaco Principality). We expected differences in reflectance signals between OARs and NATs, and signals closer to NATs in 3DRs than OARs. Underwater hyperspectral technology was able to detect higher chlorophyll‐a derived signals on NATs than OARs. Moreover, the magnitude of differences between 3DRs and NATs was smaller than that between OARs and NATs. Although ARs were not capable of mimicking natural reefs, the use of 3D‐printed ARs might ameliorate their effectiveness for coastal reconciliation.

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Emerging 3D technologies for future reformation of coral reefs: Enhancing biodiversity using biomimetic structures based on designs by nature

Cited by 24 publications

References 74 publications

Bioprinted Living Coral Microenvironments Mimicking Coral‐Algal Symbiosis

Bioprinted Living Coral Microenvironments Mimicking Coral‐Algal Symbiosis

Artificial reefs through additive manufacturing: a review of their design, purposes and fabrication process for marine restoration and management

Artificial reef effectiveness changes among types as revealed by underwater hyperspectral imagery

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