Divers for the Environment December 2023

Page 8

NEWS

A PRESENTATION FOR EDA MEMBERS

NATURETECH FOR ACTIVE CORAL REEF RESTORATION

On the 19th of October, Archireef presented their Naturetech for active Coral Reef Restoration project to our EDA members at our wonderful partner venue at Deep Dive Dubai. Archireef ’s Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Deniz Tekerek gave an illuminating talk about the company’s 3D-printed Reef Tile (the world’s first) made from clay which was followed by an engaged Q&A.

1.2 billion people, delivering $36 billion a year in tourism dollars.

What makes Archireef unique? Our mission is simple, we are dedicated to assisting the recovery of coral ecosystems through innovative eco-engineering solutions. Our solutions are designed for the foundational species, in this case, it’s coral-centric, as we believe that they are the best architects to create the natural habitats for the associated biodiversity. Our patented 3D printed coral reef tiles integrate biomimicry and non-toxic materials. They are modular, weigh around 12kg, and can be scaled at pace, placed on the seabed by divers and without the need for heavy machinery unlike other methods. We are driven by our mission and are working on creating private-public partnerships in order to scale and speed up our impact. Sustainability is a team effort, by joining forces we can achieve so much more.

Can you tell us how the tiles have helped marine life and coral ecosystems so far? Archireef has deployed an area of over 500 square metres in Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi over the past two and a half years. We have been studying the associated biodiversity around coral and have seen a significant increase in fish and invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp and sea cucumbers. This is helping us to prove that our tiles can enhance the abundance and biodiversity of reef fish. We have also been using environmental DNA to fully quantify and capture biodiversity that we cannot see with the naked eye, which is all very exciting. However, it takes time for nature to recover, and change won’t happen overnight. As part of our business model, we conduct regular monitoring and report our findings to our clients over a minimum period of three years. This allows them to monitor the ecological impact with us and is part of our three-step model, which includes defining the restoration site and scope of the project, deploying the reef tiles and then monitoring how the tiles are performing.

What problem are you trying to solve? We have already lost 50% of our coral reefs, and if we don’t act now, most of the world’s coral reefs will be gone by the end of this century. This is particularly important because the world has a huge dependency on corals. Coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine life. They are a food source for over 8

DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT | DECEMBER 2023

Land-based pollution and land reclamation are some of the biggest threats to corals as they contribute to the loss of a natural substrate on ocean floors, leading to coral reef degradation and loss. Archireef is re-creating a natural substrate for corals to grow and thrive on.

What kind of partnerships do you have in place to ensure the sustainability of your

work in the long-term, and do you partner with local communities to ensure longevity of your projects? While we mostly work with the private sector and market our solutions to large corporations, we also partner with local government entities, NGOs, and universities to achieve the best outcomes for nature. One fruitful partnership we’ve been able to forge is that with the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD). The EAD have been critical to our success in Abu Dhabi given their depth of local marine ecosystem knowledge and in-house expertise, which we have rarely seen elsewhere. This partnership enabled us to operate with more confidence and take guidance from the real local experts. To encourage longevity, our commercial partners commit to long-term subscriptions with us. During these subscription periods, the Archireef team continues to maintain and monitor the installations by performing regular health checks, tracking the growth of corals, taking and processing environmental DNA samples, and more. In addition to this, our Reef Tile installations as well as our ocean literacy workshops are a natural draw for local communities. During installations, members of the local community can get involved and learn more about the challenges corals face, and our workshops help children and adults better appreciate and respect marine ecosystems. For more information, go to: https://archireef.co


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DO YOU KNOW? DAN EUROPE – DIVE ACCIDENT INSURANCE

1min
page 103

GAS PLANNING 101: HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR RMV

5min
page 102

LET’S TALK ABOUT... GAS PLANNING

10min
pages 100-101

MUSANDAM: A UNIQUE WORLD

7min
pages 94-99

BACK TO BALI

8min
pages 88-93

TULAMBEN A WRECK & MACRO HAVEN

11min
pages 81-88

MY JOURNEY TO -308M: A NEW WORLD RECORD IN CAVE DIVING

29min
pages 68-79

AI IN THE DIVING WORLD

10min
pages 64-67

GREEN FINGERED MENACE

14min
pages 59-63

CLIMATE CHANGE AND MELTING ICE

6min
pages 50-57

CLEANUP ARABIA 2023

4min
pages 38-41

LEFEET S1 PRO WATER SCOOTER

5min
pages 34-37

KHOR FAKKAN HOSTS VITAL REEF CHECK COURSE A MARINE CONSERVATION MILESTONE!

1min
page 33

SIGNS OF HOPE IN THE MALDIVES

3min
page 33

REEF CHECK MALAYSIA CELEBRATES 16 YEARS WITH AN EVENTFUL SUMMER

3min
page 32

DIVE INTO SCIENCE WRAPS UP 2023 TRAINING ON CATALINA

4min
page 31

THE SEA IN THE EYES OF CHILDREN

6min
pages 28-29

STEPPING INTO THE BLUE WORLD!

4min
page 27

OCEANSHOT INVITES PADI TO FIRST-EVER UNDERWATER PANEL

3min
page 26

PADI’S CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: GIVE THE GIFT OF BLUE MEANINGFUL GIFTING FROM AND FOR OCEAN LOVERS

10min
pages 24-25

TULA BLUE’S WATERPROOF JEWELLERY COLLECTION FOR THE ADVENTURE-SEEKER CREATED BY PADI SCUBA DIVER

2min
page 23

EAD’S MARINE RESEARCH VESSEL “JAYWUN” RECEIVES THE FUTURE FIT SEAL

5min
page 22

ABU DHABI HOSTS THE LARGEST REPORTED OSPREY BREEDING POPULATION IN THE ARABIAN GULF REGION

4min
page 21

EAD ANNOUNCES THE “GHARS AL EMARAT” WHICH WILL PLANT MANGROVE TREES FOR EACH VISITOR TO COP28

5min
page 20

AFTER SUCCESSFUL REHABILITATION BY EAD & PARTNERS, MALQUOT TRANSFERRED SAFELY TO THE YAS SEAWORLD RESEARCH & RESCUE CENTRE

5min
page 19

ONBOARD THE JAYWUN RESEARCH VESSEL

4min
page 18

FREEDIVING: A SINGLE BREATH CONNECTION TO MOTHER NATURE

3min
page 17

DEEP DIVE DUBAI CELEBRATES INNOVATION AND THE FUTURE OF UNDERWATER EXPLORATION WITH OCEANONEK

4min
page 16

PADDLE OUT FOR COP28

2min
page 15

DIVE INTO THE FESTIVE SPIRIT: SANTA’S GROTTO COMES TO JA RESORT!

2min
page 14

EDA HAS RECEIVED THE PADI 2023 OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO OCEAN CONSERVATION AWARD

1min
page 14

DIBBA BAY LAUNCHES THE OYSTER REEF CREATION PROJECT

5min
pages 12-13

A PRESENTATION FOR EDA MEMBERS: NATURETECH FOR ACTIVE CORAL REEF RESTORATION

5min
pages 8-9

AN EDA MOVIE SCREENING | THE DEEP MED

2min
pages 6-7
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