Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc.
Coral reefs and mangrove forests are ecosystems perform a myriad of functions, each dependent and interdependent for the health and wellbeing of the marine environment, too vast and varied to list.
Eco-engineering and eco-design are emerging disciplines that leverage technology and advanced materials to combat the existential threat of environmental stressors on marine ecosystems. Through bio-inspired designs and nature-based approaches, eco-engineering nurtures sustainable, long-term recovery and protection of fragile marine and coastal environments. Founded in 2015, Reef Design Lab is a Melbourne-based eco-engineering and design company specialising in developing solutions to restore and fortify marine environments and shorelines. Led by Director and Industrial designer Alex Goad, the team at Reef Design Lab includes designers, architects, engineers and fabricators. In collaboration with university researchers and marine ecologists, councils and other asset custodians, the team uses a combination of technologies and materials to manufacture structures that mimic nature and inspire growth to solve nature’s challenges.
Reef Design Lab’s product range has grown to include living seawalls, mangrove planters, 3D-printed artificial reef units, erosion mitigation units (EMUs), and modular artificial reef Structures (MARS).
In an endeavour to regenerate Victoria’s native southern mangrove species along the mudflats on the waterfront, Reef Design Lab and researchers from the University of Melbourne created mangrove planters. Designed as a cradle for seedlings (propagules) while providing tidal surge protection for the juvenile plants, the planters are 3D-printed using marine-grade concrete. Through their complex root systems, mangrove forests protect shorelines by absorbing wave energy, reducing wave heights and quelling storm surges. Their aerial roots facilitate oxygen exchange for the root system. Under the water level, they stabilise sediments, lessen coastal erosion and serve as nurseries for fish and crustaceans, nurturing future generations.
Shorelines are equally dynamic environments that can be lost to erosion from wave action, storms and construction or grow and shift due to coastal development, dredging or natural processes. Reef Design Lab’s erosion mitigation units (EMUs) reduce wave energy and prevent shoreline erosion while providing habitat for colonising species like mussels and oysters. Each unit, measuring 200 cm in width, is made from an eco-blend concrete mix incorporating locally sourced recycled shell aggregate. As the reef recovers, the units enhance wave attenuation, functioning as a living breakwater. The first installation of EMU modules at Clifton Springs (Vic) for the City of Greater Geelong has encouraged other councils to explore similar nature-based approaches to coastal protection.
While designed for fortitude, conventional hard engineering solutions like seawalls, jetties and breakwaters can be retrofitted to become living seawalls with greater ecological outcomes. “Marine life such as algae, barnacles, oysters, and fish prefer grooves, crevices and cavities. We’ve developed ten modular habitat panel designs that mimic the natural features of shorelines to attract sea life to colonise and thrive. From 3D-printed engineered patterns, we create a silicone mould for each unit, which is subsequently cast with eco-blend concrete and reinforced with glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) rebar – Mateenbars™,” advised Alex.
Northern Beaches Council commissioned the Fairy Bower Living Seawalls installed at Manly (NSW) in late 2021 during repair works to the ocean pool. Other colonies of modular habitat units Living Seawalls have been installed at dozens of sites, in Australia, throughout Asia, Europe and South America.
Coral reefs are among the most diverse and industrious habitats on Earth, home to countless species of fish, crustaceans, invertebrates, seaweeds, corals and other living organisms that form a complex community structure. The Maldives is home to the world’s largest atoll, a geological structure formed over thousands of years through coral growth. It also features the seventh-largest reef system globally, which is significantly affected by anthropogenic pressures—this is where Reef Lab comes in. “Successful re-colonisation of a reef is a dynamic process influenced by biological interactions, environmental conditions and stable substrates for attachment,” according to Alex. “Our ‘Modular Artificial Reef Structures’ (MARS) are ceramic components, 3D-printed with a custom design and fitted with coral fragments expected to grow across the structure in time. The system works like a large underwater Lego set, able to be constructed by divers in myriad ways depending on the site’s needs to help mitigate the damage human activity has done to reef ecosystems.”
Not surprisingly, Reef Design Lab and its team have received many international accolades, including the 2023 Good Design Award for Sustainability, the Dezeen Awards Sustainable Design (Building Product) of the Year 2023 and the Powerhouse Design Award 2023. It was also a finalist in the Earthshot Prize for Living Seawalls in 2021. Alex’s work has also been exhibited internationally and acquired in the permanent collections of museums, including New York’s MoMA, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Helsinki Design Museum.
As an industrial designer, Alex is curious about materials, technological processes and new possibilities for eco-engineering. “I came across ATL’s TECHNIREZ Tooling Epoxy range—including laminating and coating systems, resins, gelcoats, compounds and laminating pastes—proving successful performance-driven. The low VOC emissions also make these products well-suited for use in a suburban studio environment in which we work.”
Another material adopted by Reef Design Lab is FRP Mateenbar™. Alex explains, “Galvanic corrosion can compromise the structural integrity of concrete structures reinforced with conventional steel rebar and stainless steel fasteners in saltwater environments. We’ve found that FRP Mateenbar™ reinforcement performs well in challenging and corrosive conditions. It is nonconductive, electromagnetically neutral and weighs only a quarter of what steel does. As an environmental agency, we appreciate that it has a lower embodied energy than steel and is designed for a 100-year lifespan.”
Reef Design Lab’s eco-design and engineering create structures that mimic natural processes, which have sustained marine ecosystems for millennia. These solutions address environmental challenges such as coastal erosion and habitat and nurture aquatic life. By collaborating with researchers, councils and organizations like WWF (World Wildlife Fund), Reef Design Lab makes restoring and protecting our oceans increasingly achievable.
reefdesignlab.com; atlcomposites.com.au; atlcomposites.com.au
