Three–dimensional matrices for enhanced coral settlement through design for additive manufacturing

Purpose The effects of climate change have been contributing to coral reef degradation. Artificial reefs are one method being used to counteract this destruction. However, the most common artificial approaches, such as sunken vehicles and prefabricated cement reefs, do not allow adequate coral development. This paper aims to demonstrate how designers, using additive manufacturing and computational design techniques, can create artificial reefs that better mimic natural reef structures. Design/methodology/approach This research focuses on developing three-dimensional matrices through computational design using additive manufacturing to achieve better coral settlement. A “Nature Centered Design” approach was followed, with the corals at the center of the design project. Samples with different geometries and roughness, produced using paste-based extrusion with porcelain and porcelain with oyster shell, were tested in a controlled environment to investigate the settlement preference of soft corals. Findings The rapid prototyping of samples confirmed the preference of corals to settle to complex surfaces compared to smooth surfaces. Porcelain showed comparable results to Portland cement, suggesting further testing potential. A closer resemblance to the natural and intricate forms found in coral reefs was achieved through computational design. Originality/value This paper proposes a new approach combining rapid prototyping with coral’s biological responses to enhance the understanding of their surface settlement preference. The Nature Centered Design approach, with additive manufacturing and computational design, made it possible to create an innovative working model that could be customized depending on the implementation area or intended coral species, validating the design approach as a method to support environmental conservation.