STUART, Fla. — Florida’s coral reefs have been having a tough time in nature, so a Treasure Coast business has teamed up with a well-known environmental group to see if their man-made concept of a 3D-printed reef can help.
At the Florida Oceanographic Society Coastal Center in Stuart. There are 300 creatures in the Gamefish Lagoon and now one 3D-printed reef.
Brittany Hascup, director of animal care and life support, said the reef will provide a number of benefits, including protection.
“Something that would initially serve as habitat for smaller critters that need to get out of sun, and possibly away from flying birds, that like to come around the lagoon,” Hascup said. “Really exciting. It was a super long journey.”
That journey began back in December in Palm City at the warehouse for Printed Patio.
“We never actually set out to create a reef,” Justin D’Angelo said.
But as a fan of the society’s coastal center, owner D’Angelo wanted to do something for the community. He took inspiration from a similar project in Portugal.
“It’s humbling to be part of this ecosystem and make a mark in it,” he said.
Protecting Paradise
Printed Patio, Florida Oceanographic Society join forces to create man-made reef
The concrete used in a 9-foot-long reef is stronger than what is used in traditional home building, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had to sign off on its use.
A crane was brought in to get the nearly 4,000-pound structure into the water.
“It was dropped into the water on the pallet in its laying down orientation,” D’Angelo said. “Then the pallet was reconfigured so it could be flipped in the water.”
Within two hours of its initial placement, Lily the sea turtle was already checking it out.
“What makes this great is that our turtles have buoyancy issues. This makes it even easier to get up under something and rest.”
The printed patio donation would have cost the coastal center about $10,000, but now other environmental groups and non-profits are knocking.
“So, we’re looking at doing an ocean deployment in November,” D’Angelo said.
In time, as other organisms grow on it, this reef will truly become a living part of this lagoon.
