Oceanit’s RiSE team is collaborating on a multi-year coral reef nursery project led by Conservation International to develop 3D-printed coral nurseries off Oahu’s iconic Waikīkī Beach. Supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Habitat Conservation, “REEFrame” aims to create sustainable, modular nursery units that can grow corals for transplantation and habitat restoration or the creation of new reefs.
Over 50 percent 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.
Alongside Conservation International and Oceanit, the project includes the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources, Natrx, and workforce development nonprofit ClimbHI. REEFrame’s mission is to restore the planet’s severely degraded coral reefs, beginning in Hawaiʻi, by establishing permanent in situ coral nurseries that grow corals on 3D-printed, bio-mimicking concrete reef frameworks.
“The project will support the natural process of coral regrowth by providing the structural framework needed for a healthy reef ecosystem. This is why we call the project REEFrame,” said Oceanit coastal engineer Mike Foley, Ph.D.
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.
Working with a range of local stakeholders, REEFrame is establishing two permanent coral nurseries, each with a footprint of 100 feet by 100 feet, on a bare rock seafloor approximately ¾ mile off Waikīkī Beach on Oahu. Deployment of the modular nurseries is planned for 2025, following the completion of full environmental studies and the finalization of necessary permits.
Each nursery will consist of varied 3D-printed concrete modules, designed using biomimicry 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 has the potential to scale from Hawaiʻi to the world, serving as a blueprint for coral habitat restoration projects. Since the 1980s, Oceanit has been active in coral restoration, reef habitat construction, and coastal erosion mitigation projects, working with organizations such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on project CORAL: Carbon-negative Ocean Reef for Aquatic Life.
