Enhancing Coral Reef Restoration through Biomimetic 3D-Printed Structures: A BACI-Based Longitudinal Assessment

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-924-7_18How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Coral reef restoration; biomimetic design; 3D printing; BACI design; biodiversity enhancement

Abstract

Coral reefs represent some of the most intricate and biologically rich marine ecosystems, fulfilling a pivotal role in the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of coastal environments. Nevertheless, these vital ecosystems are increasingly endangered by the impacts of climate change, the phenomenon of ocean acidification, and deleterious anthropogenic interventions. This research endeavors to evaluate the efficacy of biomimetic, biocompatible 3D-printed reef structures in enhancing restoration outcomes in comparison to traditional methodologies. A quantitative experimental framework utilizing the Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) model was executed, supplemented by a longitudinal monitoring program spanning 12 months. Critical performance metrics encompassed larval adhesion rates, annual linear growth extensions, and biodiversity assessments as indicated by the Shannon–Wiener index. The findings indicate that geopolymer-based 3D- printed substrates resulted in a 78.5% augmentation in larval settlement, coral growth rates reaching up to 4.8 cm/year, and an increase in the biodiversity index from 1.8 to 3.1, all of which were statistically superior to the control group. Structures characterized by elevated porosity demonstrated enhanced efficacy in facilitating colonization and fostering long-term ecological resilience. These results corroborate habitat complexity theory within the domain of restoration ecology and offer pragmatic recommendations for the application of additive manufacturing technologies to realize sustainable restoration of tropical coral reefs.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Wahyuni Wahyuni
AU  - Andri Sahata Sitanggang
AU  - Novrini Hasti
AU  - Imelda Pangaribuan
AU  - R. Fenny Syafariani
AU  - Nizar Rabbi Radliya
AU  - Sussy Susanti
AU  - Febilta Wulan Sari
AU  - Viki Quikly Wahyudi
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/16
TI  - Enhancing Coral Reef Restoration through Biomimetic 3D-Printed Structures: A BACI-Based Longitudinal Assessment
BT  - Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Informatics, Engineering, Science & Technology (INCITEST 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 211
EP  - 221
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-924-7_18
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-924-7_18
ID  - Wahyuni2025
ER  -