3D printing coral reefs can create new habitats — but it doesn’t tackle human destruction

Coral reefs are vanishing from the world’s oceans. At least three quarters of these tropical marine habitats are severely threatened globally and in 2016 alone, the Great Barrier Reef lost up to 30 percent of its coral cover. But could modern technology simply create more reef? It may sound fantastical, but scientists are working on 3D printing new reef habitats to replace those lost from climate change, overfishing, and pollution. Coral reefs are important ecosystems for people in tropical countries as the sea life which lives on them is a major source of food and income. They also protect shorelines…

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https://ift.tt/2IUuMqc The Conversation October 13, 2018 at 06:00AM