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Journal of Oceanography and Marine Research | ISSN: 2572-3103 | Volume 6
&
Marine Science, Coastal Dynamics and Management
6
th
International Conference on
Oceanography, Ocean Technology and Marine Biology
6
th
International Conference on
September 21-22, 2018 | Dallas, USA
Designing structures that test and optimize recruitment: Coral restoration using innovative 3D technology
Abigail Engleman
Florida State University, USA
A
nthropogenic damage is causing a decline in physical coral reef structure. Damaged reef structure and decreasing live coral
coverage can consequently limit ecosystem services that coral reefs provide. With over 500 million people directly dependent on
coral reefs for food, protection, and livelihood, it is essential we develop effective and sustainable methods to restore coral ecosystems.
Coral reef restoration efforts aim to reestablish live coral coverage and/ or increase reef structure to damaged reefs. Traditional
restoration practices have severe limitations and show inconsistent success rates. The inability to retain coral larvae on reefs also
hinders the sustainability of these methods, without continuous human intervention. Research efforts which prioritize understanding
larval dynamics can open possibilities for additional restoration tools in the future. Enhancing live coral on artificial substrates may be
one way to propagate larvae and increase coral recruitment in physically degraded reef areas. Deploying specially designed settlement
substrates would provide immediate structural complexity to damaged reefs, encouraging fish and invertebrate colonization, while
simultaneously facilitating coral recruitment. By testing the role of multi-scale structural complexity on the larval settlement, this
study identifies characteristics that are beneficial to improve larval recruitment on artificial substrates, adding to the tools available
for coral reef restoration. This research uses innovative 3D technology to develop substrates that incorporate multi-level structural
complexity to facilitate larval settlement and post-settlement survival. The resulting settlement structures serve as an example of for
3D technology used in marine conservation and coral restoration, specifically. Novel technologies, such as 3D scanning and printing,
allow researchers to address questions that were not previously considered, due to experimental restraints and complications and
increase ease of addressing some previously considered settlement questions. Methods in this research also showcase the scalability
of 3D models and set the stage for this technology to revolutionize restoration in the future.
aengleman@bio.fsu.eduJ Oceanogr Mar Res 2018, Volume 6
DOI: 10.4172/2572-3103-C1-006