Reefense project commences off MCBH’s coast

ByCpl.ChandlerStacy

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Beneath the waves of our planet’s oceans are expansive natural structures that are both beautiful and necessary: coral reefs The “rainforests of the sea” are vital to the health of global ecosystems whose fragility puts at risk nearly 25% of all ocean life, also including food, protection, and resources forabouthalfabillionpeople.Allcoralreefs are unique to include those found in and around the waters off the coast of Marine CorpsBaseHawaii.Inparticular,thesereefs are home to approximately 7,000 known species of marine plants and animals, 1,250 of which are unique inhabitants of Hawaiiancoralreefs TheDefenseAdvancedResearchProjects Agency (DARPA) Reefense project aims to develop self-healing hybrid biological and engineered reef-mimicking structures to mitigatecoastalflooding,erosionandstorm

ByFrankKaminski

Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport

Building 1, the oldest permanent Navybuilt structure onboard Naval Undersea WarfareCenterDivision,Keyport,wasbuilt morethanacenturyago whenhorse-drawn wagons plied the base and torpedoes were propelledbysteam.

NUWC Division, Keyport celebrated the reopening of this venerable landmark with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 22. The event marked the official completion of a five-year renovation project aimed at preserving Building 1’s historic features whileupgradingittomeetcurrentbuilding codesandenergyperformancestandards

NUWC Division, Keyport Facilities Branch Head Jared Peterson gave opening remarks in which he spoke of the vital role Building1playedformanyyearsasahubfor theKeyportbase.

“For all of us, Building 1 represents more thanacenturyoftorpedodevelopment and will now move into the future by providing many more years of key mission-focused innovationthatwillcontinuetosupportour warfighters,”saidPeterson.

Theevent’skeynotespeechwasdelivered by NUWC Division, Keyport Commanding OfficerCapt ClintHoskins,whorecounted Building1’sstoriedhistory.

“For decades, this building was the beatingheartofKeyport,”saidHoskins “Itoriginally housed nearly all of the base’s early operationsforthe16enlistedmenandeight civilian laborers initially stationed here. It went on to become the base’s hub for torpedo manufacturing and storage, along with many other functions, including the union and human resources offices and KitsapCreditUnion.”

Hoskins added, “The simple fact is that forthemajorityofthe90-plusyearsthatthis building was open, it was impossible to be anemployeehereandnothavesomesortof regularneedtovisitthebuilding.”

Hoskins went on to describe Building 1’s gradual deterioration over the years—how it was abandoned in the late 2000s due to mold, rotting wood and asbestos, and was eventually slated for demolition as part of a footprint reduction requirement for a new underseavehiclemaintenancefacilitymilitaryconstructionproject

It was Peterson who proposed renovating Building 1 as a way of preserving its legacy while simultaneously addressing a lack of engineering office space at NUWC damage while helping promote reef organism settlement growth and enabling the system to self-heal and keep pace with sea level rises over time. The Reefense project willimprovetheresiliencyofcoralreefsand helpmitigatetheeffectsofdisease,temperaturechangeandotherenvironmentalstressors In coordination with Marine Corps Base Hawaii, DARPA is also partnering with the University of Hawaii and U.S. Geological Survey St Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center to tackle this complex fiveyearproject USGSSt Petersburgresearchers will provide UH and DARPA with sea floor data collected from the waters surrounding Marine Corps Base Hawaii to helppredictcoastalerosionpatterns USGS St Petersburgresearchersarealsoconducting offshore geological surveys using sonar technologytoprovideahigh-resolutionmap ofunderwaterterrainfeatures.

“IntheareasurroundingFortHase there arecomplexinteractionsbetweenthegeology waves, wind, and sediment transport thatallaffectstheerosionofthebeach.What we’redoingisfocusinginonthegeologyand the shape of the sea floor,” said Emily Wei, researchgeologistatUSGSSt Petersburg.

With this collected data, UH researchers will have a accurate referenceon where to position these novel coral reefs USGS St Petersburg was able to identify the best spotstoplacethesestructureswiththeaidof specialtechnologythatcapturestheimagery oftheseafloor.

These artificial and living coral reefs will help promote the growth and allow for more species of marine life to thrive in the oceanic environment off the coast of the installation. Additionally, the coral reefs will provide homes for millions of species, healthy ocean food webs, and protect the coastlinesofMCBH.

“They [University of Hawaii Researchers] would like to put in artificial and living hybrid coral reefs,” said Wei. “They plan to installthesereefstructuresandhopetoplant living corals on top Hopefully biology will take over and the corals will thrive in that environment.

Attheconclusionofthisproject,therewill becarefullydesigned,newcoralreefsystems emplacedtohelppromotethesealifeinthe area and drastically improve the environmentaroundthecoastoftheinstallation

Coral reefs are critically important ecosystems that continue to face natural and manmade threats. If coral reefs disappeared,essentialfood,shelter,andspawning groundsforfishandothermarineorganisms wouldceasetoexist,andbiodiversitywould greatly suffer as a result. With the help of these research efforts, MCBH, in unison with interagency partners, can continue to protect resources and promote resiliency onlandandsea.

Division, Keyport. The renovation, which began in 2018, was a team effort between the firm formerly known as Fraser + Fogle Architects—now known as Fathom Architecture—the builders, the NUWC Division, KeyportFacilitiesteamandtheNavalFacilities Engineering Systems Command, said Hoskins

Hoskins praised the work of Fathom Architectureas“atruetriumphofarchitectural craftsmanship and attention to detail, one that pays stirring tribute to the building’soriginalcharacterwhileaugmentingit withmodernfunctionality.”

He noted in particular the successful restorationofBuilding1’soriginalredbrick veneer—which had long ago been painted over—and the preservation of its signature large yellow overhead crane interior windows and an original stairwell, among otherhistoricalartifacts

Also speaking at the event was Ryan Hendryx of Fathom Architecture, who served as principal architect and architect ofrecordforBuilding1’srestoration Hendryx spoke of the inspiration and vision that drovetherestorationeffort.

“While Building 1 was a bit ramshackle when we started, the design team saw tremendous potential,” said Hendryx. “We saw the potential to enhance day-to-day operations through a highly pragmatic and functional arrangement of spaces, and we sawthepotentialtoenhancetheday-to-day experiences of personnel through thoughtfuldesign.”

Hendryx continued, “[T]he functionality, materiality and building features were intended to promote a sense of warmth, well-being and character inside and out, while optimizing operations now and into thefuture.”

In his closing remarks, NUWC Division, KeyportActingTechnicalDirectorMichael Slater turned to the future of Building 1, whichhesaidwillseeit“returntoitsroots” asacenterfortorpedodevelopment.

“SoontheWeaponsIn-ServiceEngineering Division will fill these halls and offices withthesightsandsoundsoftorpedowork,” said Slater “Once again, men and women willbeoperatingoutofthisbuildingasthey work to sustain our weapons and ready the forceforthefight.”

Following the ceremony, guests were offered refreshments provided by the NUWCDivision,KeyportRecreationAssociation, and were invited to tour the newly renovatedbuilding.

About Naval Undersea Warfare Center DivisionKeyport NUWC Keyport provides advanced technical capabilities for test and evaluation, in-service engineering maintenance and industrial base support, fleet material readiness, and obsolescence management for undersea warfare to expand America’s underseadominance