I, Emity Hardy, am a fourth-year Industrial Design (honours) student at Western Sydney University, and my research focuses on sustainable marine infrastructure, exploring alternative materials such as Roman Concrete to design and create artificial reefs. As this work opens up many potential career opportunities, I aim for my future to centre around environmental restoration and conservation for marine life, as it has always been a small, yet hopeful dream to work with sharks one day, and that providing the inner workings of my project would mean something to someone.

Emity Hardy

 

Artificial reefs are human-made structures designed to mimic natural reefs, creating habitats for marine life and supporting healthy ecosystems. Traditional concrete used in reef construction can leach chemicals, raise pH levels, and corrode in saltwater, which can harm coral growth and the surrounding environment. This project explores Roman concrete—a mixture of lime, volcanic ash, and aggregate—as a more sustainable alternative. Roman concrete is stable in saltwater, can self-heal over time, and its textured surfaces give coral larvae plenty of places to attach and grow. The modules are made using wet casting, which allows them to be shaped precisely, cured carefully, and given textured surfaces that help coral attach and grow. Because volcanic ash is limited, alternative materials like rice-husk ash are also explored. The reef is designed using a combination of modular and patch layouts, giving the structures stability while creating different habitats that support a variety of species and allow them to move between areas. Input from marine scientists, environmental agencies, and local communities helps guide the design process and ensures the modules are practical and ecologically thoughtful. By combining knowledge of ancient materials with modern wet-casting techniques and careful design, this project produces reef modules that are durable, environmentally friendly, and capable of supporting marine life over the long term.