Sustainability: How technology can help save coral reefs

Corals are extremely important animals in marine life. Because of their biodiversity, they are essential for all marine species – for example, almost ¼ of fish depend on them for their existence. As if the corals are mini forests in the aquatic environment.

But something happens with corals: They are very vulnerable to the conditions of their environment. These animals need access to sunlight and plenty of clean, clear, salty, warm water. If you don’t have it, a coral reef that took millions of years to form could die in a matter of weeks.

And there is an additional issue that prevents the existence of these fragile organisms: the effects of climate change caused by human action. The oceans are warming (more than corals can bear) and if this picture does not change, there is a high probability that between 70 and 90 percent of the world’s coral reefs will disappear by 2050.

Taking this scenario into account, a company called Coral Maker decided to take action to improve this situation. With the support of Autodesk, a company specializing in software development for various types of industries, he has developed a project that uses technology to restore coral reefs on a large scale.

It sounds incredible, but it’s nothing more than cutting-edge technology added to a planet-favoring cause. See how the project works.

Mass coral restoration

Coral Maker, with the technological support of Autodesk, has developed a method that produces “skeletons” used to restore coral reefs. This is done using masonry fabrication and salvaged building materials.

The work comes at a very opportune time, as about 50% of the world’s coral reefs have already disappeared, according to Coral Maker founder Taryn Foster. “Coral reef restoration is currently done on a small scale and most of the work is done by hand. We do existing restoration projects on about one hectare a year. Combined with Coral Maker technology, a wider supply chain and the development of this industry, we can make 100 hectares arable a year,” he said.

Technology used

Coral Maker comes up with this offer to restore corals. It uses masonry machinery and stone waste from the construction industry to create stone foundations that act as skeletons and provide a medium for the corals to grow, and it works as if it were some kind of seedbed for these animals.

Next, AI-guided weapons take pieces of living coral to the skeletons, which are then “sewed” into what were considered ideal environments in the ocean. Corals eventually reach adult size between 12 and 24 months – a much shorter period of time than it would naturally take.

Coral Maker’s capacity is to produce up to 10,000 coral skeletons per day, which means the restoration of up to 100 hectares of coral reef per year. This is possible because the project has participation from Autodesk, which uses a technology called Autodesk Fusion 360 to prototype the skeletons and all the necessary structure. “Collaboration with Autodesk has created an incredible connection between biology and technology. This link has allowed us to develop new technologies to restore reefs at a rate unimaginable a few years ago,” says Foster.

Autodesk: Sustainability Partner

Autodesk is a design software and digital content company that develops technology solutions for all types of industries. Founded in California in 1982, it offers its products to organizations worldwide.

The company also publishes promotions for its products, which can be of great interest to those who want to invest in the modernization of processes in their business. Keep in mind that promotions are seasonal and the offer you’ve been waiting for may appear at any time!