About India's first 3D-Printed Artificial Reef Modules:
- It is to be deployed by Tamil Nadu in coastal waters off the Ramanathapuram coast.
- It is part of an ambitious marine habitat restoration initiative under the second phase of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.
- It will serve as a pilot to assess the performance of six newly developed reef designs created through advanced 3D-printing technology.
- The modules, each weighing about 1 tonne, were developed by Chennai-based startup Tvasta, an IIT Madras-incubated company, in collaboration with Visakhapatnam Regional Centre of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.
- These modules will be deployed about two nautical miles offshore.
- Features:
- Unlike conventional artificial reefs made from reinforced concrete structures, the new modules feature complex geometries with multiple crevices, folds and attachment surfaces designed to enhance biodiversity.
- They are manufactured without iron reinforcement and incorporate material innovations aimed at increasing porosity and creating substrates more suitable for marine organisms, including corals, sponges and other reef-associated fauna.
- They allow greater structural complexity, higher surface area, and species-specific habitat design.
- The technology offers significant advantages over traditional reef modules, including faster fabrication, reduced labour requirements and flexibility to alter material composition according to site-specific ecological needs.
