As an avid 3D artist and student of ecology I am in awe of the possibilities that could emerge if these two fields were fully fused and fleshed out. An interesting approach I recently came across was the use of artifical coral as substrates to promote novel development of biodiviesity in coral reef environments. This is so friggin cool!
Multiple groups around the globe are using 3D reconstrcutions of reef building corals to mimic the real life reef builders and literally kickstart the rebuild phase of the reef foundation. These are big moves for 3D printing to move into the realm of ecological niche construction. To replace what was destroyed is one small step to contributing to change in a positive manner for gaias wonderful array of marine biodiversity.
This got me so hyped that i made a couple simple models of coral to express my pure joy in what I found today. I then upgraded the eye vortex from day 7 and added in two smaller marine creatures that were modelled earlier in the week.
Anyhoooo check out some of these awesome articles about artifical corals:
https://news.mongabay.com/2016/11/the-role-of-3d-printing-on-wildlife-conservation/
Artifical coral has also been used in research studies to reduce the harvesting of coral from the last remaining reefs. Not only does this aid the coral populations but it also contributes to understanding how organisms will interact with the artifical coral within a real marine environment.
This got me thinking: What other organism structures could be 3D printed to aid in remediation/restoration of terrestrial or lake ecosystems?
Over the next week or so I am going to be doing some research on how 3D modelling can aid in conservation. I hope to be inspired by what I learn and have something to share on this forum.
Thanks for stopping by, Stay Curious!
CItation: Mohammed, J. (2016). Applications of 3D printing technologies in oceanography. Methods in Oceaonography. Vol 17, pp 97-117 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mio.2016.08.001