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Reef Repair
AFCD/UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
A STRONG FOUNDATION: A diver attaches healthy corals to a 3-D printed tile placed on the seafloor in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park near Hong Kong.
JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN®
Architects and biologists have teamed up to restore storm-damaged coral reefs off the coast of Hong Kong. Last summer, researchers from the University of Hong Kong installed hexagon-shaped tiles on the seafloor in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park. The tiles will provide a solid surface on which new corals can grow.
The team created the tiles using a 3-D printer, which squeezed out layers of terracotta clay in a swirling pattern. After the tiles hardened, scientists placed them underwater and attached fragments of living coral. Over time, more corals should naturally stick to the structures. “One day I hope there will be a thriving coral reef, with our tiles as a foundation,” says marine biologist David Baker.
ISTOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES
COLORFUL COMMUNITY: About 25 percent of the ocean’s fish depend on healthy coral reefs.
Coral reefs are under threat from things like pollution and extreme weather events caused by climate change. This circle graph shows the conservation status of the world’s reef-building coral species. Why might there not be enough data on some coral species to draw conclusions?
SOURCE: FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS