CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is set to deploy India’s first 3D-printed artificial reef modules in coastal waters as part of an ambitious marine habitat restoration initiative under the second phase of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. Scheduled off the Ramanathapuram coast on Sunday, 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, led by principal scientist and head Dr Joe K Kizhakudan.
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. These modules will be deployed about two nautical miles offshore.
“The objective so far has been fish habitat restoration and strengthening the resilience of coastal communities. These new-generation modules provide immense possibilities because they allow greater structural complexity, higher surface area, and species-specific habitat design,” Dr Kizhakudan told TNIE. He pointed out that 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.
The pilot deployment will help scientists evaluate the durability and ecological performance of the modules under local coastal conditions, and determine whether larger-scale deployments can be undertaken in the future, he added.
The initiative comes at a time when coral reef ecosystems worldwide are under increasing stress from ocean warming and mass bleaching events. Researchers believe that innovative habitat restoration tools could improve ecological resilience and support the recovery of marine biodiversity.
Officials in the fisheries department said the artificial reef programme was being implemented with the cooperation of traditional fishing communities in Ramanathapuram, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts, who are expected to benefit from enhanced fish stocks and healthier marine ecosystems in the long term.
The scheduled deployment in Ramanathapuram is the last leg of a project, funded jointly by the centre and state government in a 60:40 ratio, carried out across 213 artificial reef sites in Tamil Nadu.
