Opportunities for further development of 3D-printed floating artificial reefs

Abstract

This article sets out the potential benefits of combining floating structures with 3D-printed artificial reefs to increase sustainable development of artificial reefs. Traditional artificial reefs are often sited on the seabed (bottom-founded) and are limited to a narrow range of suitable deployment sites. By utilising floating structure technology to create floating artificial reefs, these ecological installations leverage the advantages of floating structures to create more conducive conditions for improved bio-diversity, aquacultural harvests, and coral growth. These advantages include the ability to sensitively deploy floating reefs in the photic zone of deeper waters or where there are soft seabed conditions, speed and flexibility in deployment, creative use of mooring systems to reduce the impact of climatic and navigational threats, and the use of reefs to reduce the impact of coastal erosion and increased urbanisation. This article then considers how floating artificial reefs offer biological and environmental advantages, with the potential to deploy these reefs under environmental offset policies. Importantly, the article considers how 3D-printing technology can produce topographical optimisation of the floating structure, and potentially increase the speed of coral coverage, diversity of fish species and reduced settlement predation. It concludes with identifying future research opportunities to realise the delivery of 3D-printed artificial reefs as part of floating offshore development projects or for environmental offset programs.