MASTER’S THESIS 2020

This research was developed within the scope of a Master’s thesis in Industrial and Product Design at the University of Porto, Portugal from 2018-2021. All the works were carried out in partnership with the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto, Inegi, Cerena and the company Fragario do Norte, which provided the maintenance and use of the aquariums as well as the coral species.

In this study, the ability of FDM 3D printing technologies to create of coral propagation substrates. Due to the possibility of manufacturing morphologies complex, cavities and reliefs were incorporated to ensure the settlement of corals and the formation of the Alga Crustosa Coralina. 3D printing has provided an innovative method of production for the area of ​​ecology and restoration, allowing the creation of fast and low-cost prototypes, the which offers the possibility of reprinting as many times as necessary until reaching the expected objective. The chemical composition and design of substrates are determining factors for propagation. successful reproduction of corals through the asexual reproduction method. The obtained results in this study proved the importance of incorporating textured surfaces for growing of the coral. This emphasizes the relevance of the design process in the projected structural complexity. Furthermore, once the substrates were covered by the marine biofilm, they were mostly close to the natural rock, giving an added value to the product (compared to with the commercial use substrate studied) with the concern of implementing elements less invasive to the natural environment.

Link of the original project