Oceanit is restoring coral reefs in Waikiki with modular, 3D printed coral reef nurseries for habitat restoration.
Created in partnership with
Led by Conservation International, the project also includes the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources, Natrx, and workforce development nonprofit ClimbHI. It is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Habitat Conservation.
Since the 1980s, Oceanit has been active in coral restoration, reef habitat construction, and coastal erosion mitigation projects.
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An inflection point for coral reefs
Over half of the world’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years, largely due to climate change, pollution, overfishing, and excessive recreation. Experts warn that up to 90 percent of reefs could die within the next century. Reefs play critical roles in supporting marine life, biodiversity, and coastal protection, with half of all U.S. fish species relying on coral reefs for part of their life cycles. This makes coral reefs some of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth.
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REEFrame grows corals for habit restoration
REEFrame works by establishing permanent in situ coral nurseries that grow corals on 3D-printed, bio-mimicking, concrete reef frameworks.
Each nursery will consist of varied 3D-printed concrete modules to include multiple holes and overhangs that attract fish and other marine life. Oceanit will oversee REEFrame’s implementation and deployment, conducting engineering assessments for the coral nursery design, completing all environmental assessment work, developing engineering plans for construction, managing permitting, and leading the installation of the coral nurseries in Waikīkī.
REEFrame is establishing two permanent coral nurseries, each with a footprint of 100 feet by 100 feet, on a bare rock seafloor approximately three-fourths of a mile off Waikīkī Beach on Oʻahu.
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Why it matters
REEFrame has the potential to scale beyond Hawaiʻi, serving as a blueprint for coral habitat restoration projects around the world.
The methods and designs developed for Waikīkī will be adaptable and deployable to other coastal areas in the United States and globally. Corals could be grown on the REEFrames for transplant, or the modular units could be arranged to create new permanent habitats for corals and marine life. Initial REEFrame approaches will build on reef research already underway at the University of Hawaiʻi, and Oceanit and will utilize printed reef design methods developed by Natrx.
