How a Hong Kong start-up is using 3D-printed tiles to restore global marine biodiversity and slow down climate clock

Archireef deployed 128 of its tiles at Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park for Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in July 2020

It also began deploying tiles to rebuild 40 square metres of artificial reefs seeded with rescued coral fragments in Abu Dhabi’s coastal waters in January

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Published: 10:00am, 18 Feb 2023Updated: 10:29am, 18 Feb 2023

Vriko Yu Pik-fan was doing her weekly dive and research at a marine park in eastern Hong Kong’s Sai Kung area in 2014 when she made a startling discovery: a patch of corals had completely disappeared from the coastal waters within two months.

By the next year, 90 per cent of the Platygyra, the commonly found stony coral known as the brain coral, had been wiped off the sea floor of the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park where Yu – a marine biologist completing her PhD at the University of Hong Kong – frequently dived for her research.

The “shocking experience” made Yu realise just how quickly climate change and rising sea temperature were gathering pace, and endangering Hong Kong’s fragile marine biodiversity.

That realisation spurred her into action. Using 3D printing technology, Yu co-founded a company called Archireef that creates terracotta reef tiles to help corals grow and survive once they are attached to the seabed. Archireef deployed 128 of its tiles at Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park for Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in July 2020.

A patch of Platygyra brain corals at Hong Kong’s North Lantau area. Photo: Handout.

“The climate clock is ticking, [so] taking action right now is ecologically important before we hit another turning point,” said Yu, who sits on the Education Committee of the WWF Hong Kong and previously worked for the Reef Check Foundation.

Coral reefs are vital to the marine ecosystem. Besides providing crucial breeding ground and shelter for fish, reefs act as natural buffers against storms and surges, protecting an estimated 200 million people living along the world’s coastlines from violent weather, according to the Coral Reef Alliance. The annual economic value of seafood, tourism and recreation associated with reefs is estimated at US$2.7 trillion, according to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.