An innovation from Zurich could well help halt the disappearance of coral reefs in the Philippines. The start-up has specifically created structures that attract polyps and encourage them to form colonies. It’s a technological and environmental challenge that should enable these tiny marine animals – the corals – to continue to exist. To accommodate them, the young Zurich-based organisation Rrreefs has placed 100m2 of concrete bricks covered with terracotta clay off the coast of the Philippines. This coral “mini-hotel”, which required the printing of 820 modules, is designed to attract larvae. “The clay used is a very good substrate,” stresses the start-up’s co-founder, Hanna Kuhfuss. Coral larvae also detect colour and “first settle on structures like this”, she explains. Almost three months after the installation, the scientists made a pleasant discovery: larvae have already appeared in the artificial reef. “It’s fantastic,” enthuses Kuhfuss, who explains that the organisms ...
