Sustainable artificial coral reef restoration using nanoclays and composite hydrogel microcapsules

This report assesses the potential of sustainably-produced artificial coral reef materials metakaolin clay, hydrogel microcapsules, and nanocomposite microcapsule-encapsulated calcifying bacteria as artificial coral reef constituents. The findings show that nanoclays and hydrogels can be considered safe, potential artificial reef constituents, and can improve the sustainability of artificial reefs. Nanoclays, nanocomposite hydrogel microcapsules, and encapsulated bacteria can be considered as cement replacements for artificial coral reef development.