Jamaica Team Deploys 3D Reefs and 14-Hour Reef Sounds to Revive Bleached Coral

3 articles · Updated · Boy Genius Report · Jun 20

Underwater speakers are being used off Jamaica alongside 3D-printed reef structures and lab-grown coral, with healthy reef sounds played 14 hours a day near bleached areas.
The approach aims to draw fish back to heat-damaged reefs, because returning marine life can help restore the ecosystem and speed coral recovery.
A 2017 Great Barrier Reef experiment built 33 artificial reefs and found speaker-equipped sites attracted about twice as many fish as silent ones over 40 days.
Artist Marco Barotti, scientist Bethany Dean and the Alligator Head Foundation are leading the Jamaica effort, but researchers say it is still too early to know whether the Australian results will be replicated there.
The project comes as coral reefs face severe bleaching from warming oceans, with researchers warning reefs are among the first ecosystems nearing a climate tipping point.

Sources

Boy Genius Report17h ago

Jamaica Coral Reefs: Lab-Grown Coral, 3D Reefs & Underwater Speakers Combat Bleaching

Yahoo! Voices17h ago

Underwater Speakers Are Having An Unexpected Effect On Jamaica's Coral Reefs

AOL17h ago

Underwater Speakers Are Having An Unexpected Effect On Jamaica's Coral Reefs - AOL

4 Sources

Can playing the sound of a healthy reef actually bring a dead one back to life?

Can 3D-printed reefs survive the next 'ocean hot tub' when natural ones are already perishing?

Jamaica’s Race to Restore Coral Reefs: How 3D Printing and Sound Are Reviving a Vanishing Ecosystem

Overview

Jamaica's coral reefs are in severe decline, but a groundbreaking initiative on the island's north coast is working to revitalize them. This project brings together artistic innovation, scientific expertise, and community action through a partnership between artist Marco Barotti, marine biologist Bethany Dean, and the Alligator Head Foundation. They deploy 3D-printed reef sculptures seeded with lab-grown coral, creating new foundations for coral growth and rebuilding habitats vital for marine biodiversity. By combining creative design with science and local involvement, the initiative offers hope for restoring Jamaica’s struggling reefs.

...