The Largest Dam in Europe Gets New Coral Reefs Straight from the Printer

- For nearly 100 years, the longest dam in Europe has prevented the Netherlands from flooding, but it has destroyed the marine life around it. Now, a small Dutch company is seeking to restore what was lost by 3D printing coral reefs.

The Afsluitdijk dam was completed in 1932, closing off a river mouth that was a vital habitat for fish and a rich fishing area. Now, a concrete wall runs through it, making it a poor home for marine life.

Nadia Fani, a tech entrepreneur turned environmental activist, is trying to change that by 3D printing new reefs, piece by piece. She said that at Coastruction, they are working on "making it the largest artificial reef in the world to restore underwater life." In 2021, Fani co-founded Coastruction to support damaged coral reefs around the world.

Outside European waters, the company has already printed reefs for the Maldives, the Red Sea, and the Caribbean island of Saba. Artificial reefs are not a new idea, as governments have been sinking concrete blocks and old ships to create them since the 1950s.

At that time, any solid object could form a reef, but now they are designed with the needs of wildlife in mind. Each new piece of reef, which will extend along the dam layer by layer, is made using locally available sand, cement, and water.

After testing them in various tanks, Coastruction is deploying smaller models in a low-salinity lake near the office to ensure their effectiveness in open water. The company's most ambitious project is closer to home, as the first piece of the new reef reaches its final destination at the Afsluitdijk dam.

Vani explained that "these reefs will extend at least one kilometer, and who knows, maybe more, especially since the dam stretches over 30 kilometers." As the reefs expand and life returns to them, the task of protecting them will be in the hands of future generations.

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