3D Printing: A State-of-the-Art Technique to Save Our Oceans

We hear about 3D printing creating models and prototypes in various industries, such as furniture and jewelry. As technological expansion continues to increase around the world, researchers have found a new way for 3D printing to address an environmental issue: the decrease in coral reefs.

Beginning in 1950, atmospheric temperatures increased, which raised the oceans’ temperatures and levels of carbon dioxide in seawater. As a result, several oceans, particularly around Southeast Asia and Indonesia, experienced a 50-95% decrease in the coral population. Even the Great Barrier Reef, the largest and longest reef system in the world, experienced a decline in corals due to coral bleaching and climate change. Though we as students do not realize the severity of this issue, the decrease in coral reefs lessens worldwide oxygen production as well as decreases the number of coastlines. Fortunately, 3D printing has proven to be extremely beneficial.

Corals closely reflect the way that plants grow and reproduce. According to Charlotte Hauser, a bioengineer and chemist in Saudi Arabia, “you can cut them, snip them in small pieces like you do with plants.” Once they are placed in water, roots will begin to grow.

Keeping this in mind, researchers have developed the “hybrid coral” which grows even faster than regular coral. Made from a silicone mold and eco-friendly calcium carbonate ink, the material will not damage marine life even if it decomposes. Hauser, leading researcher on this case, created the 3D prototype and added small pieces of living coral on it, specifically coral from the Red Sea due to its tolerance to high heat. After leaving the hybrid corals in aquariums for long periods of time, they found success: corals growing new tissue.

Additionally, for the lab aquariums to reflect present conditions, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses subsurface automated dual water samplers (SASs). These samplers are placed in the ocean to monitor and provide information about the flow rate, light, temperature, and acidity levels. The downside is that the materials used to produce a SAS, waterproof acrylic and stainless-steel hardware, cost at least $1000.

Using the Engineering Design Process (EDP), a free design software, researchers created a 3D printed SAS that can function in seawater at up to 55m in depth, collect multiple samples, and record the temperature at which those samples are collected. A key component of this SAS is ease at which a single diver can use it, and other researchers may use/refine it for more accurate and advanced results.

With their original goal of creating a tool that is both accessible and cost-effective, the NOAA’s latest project on 3D printing samplers not only shows their determination to restore coral reefs but also the dynamic applications of technology in this generation.

By building hybrid corals and unique measurement tools, the science of 3D printing opens the door to a new range of positive possibilities. These inventions not only showcase the growth in technology but also provide hope that we can enhance the ecosystem despite the natural obstacles that come before us. This is just the first step in the long journey to environmental change.