3DPARE

Artificial reef 3D printing for Atlantic area

(EAPA_174/2016)

CHALLENGES

The marine environment is responsible for many economic activities of the Atlantic countries such as tourism, recreation and many others related to the exploitation of natural resources (fisheries, marine aquaculture, etc.). These activities and other anthropogenic actions (infrastructures) have an impact on marine ecosystems such as loss of population and species, migration and establishment of invasive species.

Therefore, natural reefs, one of the most varied ecosystem on the Earth, are disappearing due to a combination of factors such as over-fishing, pollution and pathogenic diseases. Proper management of this common issue through a shared vision of the environment and sea management is still required to avoid side effects on other Atlantic countries. However, stricter government regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, overfishing and water pollution could take years to implement.

In this sense, the use of artificial reefs in the Atlantic coast might be an answer, in the short term, by means of deployment reefs or coastal defences. Thus, artificial reefs can help increase populations of organisms associated with natural reefs, as many commercial fish and invertebrates and create an attractive environment for activities such as diving.

3DPARE IN NUMBERS

1,972,235.56€

Euro in budget

Days of work

26

International experts

THE PROJECT

“3DPARE” will develop innovative artificial reefs for sustainable management of the marine ecosystems of the Atlantic Area. This common habitat requires measures to protect or recover natural resources. Focus will be on innovative designs, low-impact, resistant and bio-receptive materials and their behaviour in marine environment.

Specifically, the materials and the design of artificial reefs have a high impact on the ecological effects since the affinity of marine organisms and promotion of biodiversity is increased with complex and multi-scale void systems. Therefore, optimized artificial reefs will be shaped through a large-scale 3Dprinting and low-impact and bio-receptive materials. These materials will be developed from natural and renewable raw materials to stimulate the colonization.

Compared to existing immersed artificial reefs of Atlantic countries, whose design and structure are created from conventional materials of concrete and steel, the solutions here proposed will be ecological, sustainable and tailored for enhancing the biodiversity and the ecosystem services in the marine environment.

Results achieved in 3DPARE will demonstrate that the material developed and the innovative techniques utilized in this project, not only are suitable to manufacture artificial reefs, but also are better that the ones currently used.

Interreg Atlantic Area Program

INTERREG Atlantic Area is an European funding programme that promotes transnational cooperation among 36 Atlantic regions of five European countries. With a total budget of € 185M, being €140M of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), this programme cofinances cooperation projects in the fields of Innovation & Competitiveness, Resource Efficiency, Territorial Risks Management, Biodiversity and Natural & Cultural Assets.