Ofer Berman: 3D Printing Coral Reefs

Design Tech presents research work by Industrial Design Graduate Program students, at the Technion Institute of Technology, Israel. Research by graduate student, Ofer Berman: "Freeform Clay Deposition in the Service of Marine Biology" Transcript: Coral reefs are one of Nature's most diverse ecosystems, occupying only 0.1% of the area in the ocean yet supporting 25% of all marine species on the planet. They contain more species richness per unit area than any other Aquatic environment. In the last 40 years more than 50% of coral reefs in the world have been degraded or died. In the next 40 years researchers estimate that about 70% of them will die or will be completely degraded. In an attempt to give back shelter to many species that lost their homes, industrial design researcher, Ofer Berman, has developed an artificial reef structure made of 3D printed clay. 3D printing has the ability to produce a wide range of shapes and complexities. These shapes provide the animals with a safe environment.Clay is a natural material that does not have a harmful effect on nature. The artificial reef has been tested in Eilat, Israel, in July 2019. About a month later, several plant colonies and fish species have been observed Ofer is currently working on scaling the experiment into a fully functional 3D printed habitat.

 

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Ofer Berman | PhD Candidate