Sophia Jackson, a first-year PhD candidate in Dr. Shu Yang’s Lab in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, has recently been awarded the prestigious 2024 ForEverglades Research Enhancement Grant to fund her innovative coral restoration project titled “Coral Restoration of Sustainable and 3D Printed Artificial Coral Reefs.” The reviewers praised the originality and significance of Sophia’s approach, which merges cutting-edge 3D printing technology with sustainable bio-hybrid materials to address the urgent need for coral restoration.
Sophia’s project focuses on restoring Florida’s Coral Reef, the largest coral reef system in the continental U.S., which spans over 350 miles and serves as a vital habitat for diverse marine life. With ocean temperatures rising and acidification increasing, the reef faces severe threats, leading to frequent coral bleaching events and biodiversity loss. Sophia aims to combat these issues by developing artificial coral reefs that mimic the natural shapes and chemical properties needed to promote coral growth, providing a more resilient and sustainable restoration solution.
Central to Sophia’s research is microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), a process that mimics natural calcium carbonate formation to encourage coral settlement. By using sustainable materials like cyanobacteria and diatomaceous earth, Sophia is creating porous 3D-printed tiles that can accelerate coral growth and enhance coral immunity against environmental stressors such as heat and acidification. Her work draws inspiration from pink crustose coralline algae, a species known for its critical role in helping coral larvae attach and thrive on reef surfaces.
Sophia’s research explores essential questions about coral growth and resilience: Which materials are most compatible with coral larvae? What geometric structures best promote coral settlement and growth? How can artificial reefs be designed to both mimic natural forms and endure the harsh conditions of the ocean? These questions are guiding her efforts to develop innovative artificial substrates that support coral health and offer sustainable solutions to restore damaged reefs.
With a broader vision for ocean conservation, Sophia hopes to revolutionize coral restoration techniques not just in Florida, but globally. Her work contributes to multiple climate change mitigation efforts, including enhancing marine biodiversity, buffering coastal areas against wave energy, and increasing the ocean’s ability to sequester CO₂. Sophia’s interdisciplinary approach, which combines advanced materials science with marine biology, holds significant potential to address the challenges of climate change while safeguarding coral ecosystems for future generations.
Collaborating with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and leading marine biologists, Sophia’s groundbreaking research aims to pave the way for sustainable reef restoration methods, ensuring that coral reefs can thrive in an increasingly volatile ocean environment.