Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, nestled in South Malé Atoll, has installed 13 flower-shaped reef structures on its lagoon floor in partnership with Swiss reef restoration company rrreefs, an effort to counter coral decline in one of the world’s most ecologically fragile marine zones.
The Theyra Maa installation, built from 3D printed fired terracotta clay and engineered at a microscopic level to encourage coral larval settlement, biodiversity recovery, and the formation of beneficial biofilms, offers a potential blueprint for how the tourism sector could fund and scale marine conservation infrastructure.
The structures combine steel reinforcement and a minimal concrete component for structural integrity, but it is the clay’s geometry and porosity that do the biological work.
“Every element of the design has been carefully considered to support coral growth. The flower-inspired forms create gentle water movement around the structures, helping coral larvae settle more effectively. The 3D printed clay also features a unique microstructure with tiny cavities between each layer, providing sheltered spaces where young coral larvae can attach and grow while being protected from predators,” said Mauro Bischoff,Head of Production at rrreefs.
The project was developed by a multidisciplinary team including Co-Founder Josephine Graf, Marine Ecologist Dr. Julia Spaet, and Dr. Gerrit Nanninga, a Research Fellow at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
Conservation by Partnership
Theyra Maa carries institutional weight beyond its science: it is the first time rrreefs has partnered with a commercial resort, placing restoration infrastructure within a hospitality context, funded in part by Edelweiss Air and help alliance, both part of the Lufthansa Group.
Oriana Migliaccio, Resident Marine Biologist at Anantara Dhigu, described the collaboration as still uncommon in the industry. “Opportunities like this are still relatively rare, and we are proud to work alongside rrreefs and our partners to support coral reef recovery and strengthen the resilience of our coastal ecosystems for future generations,” she said.
For rrreefs, the project reflects a broader urgency. “The inspiration behind rrreefs comes from a deep passion for the ocean and a determination to take meaningful action against the rapid decline of coral reefs, which are among the first ecosystems at risk from climate change,” said Josephine Graf, Co-Founder. “Together with Anantara Dhigu and Edelweiss Air, we are demonstrating the power of cross-industry partnerships in protecting our oceans for future generations.”
Additive Manufacturing Finds Its Footing in Marine Conservation
rrreefs’ approach fits within a growing movement applying additive manufacturing to ocean conservation, using bio-mimetic geometries that natural fabrication methods cannot replicate efficiently, in materials that support biological colonisation over time.
Similar efforts are expanding across regions. Recently, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Archireef, committing to coral reef rehabilitation using 3D printed reef structures made from natural materials. In Jordan, the Aqaba Development Corporation, marine science firm Voyacy Regen, and infrastructure company Sperra deployed 3D printed concrete reef structures tailored to support coral growth, a project featured at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France.
What distinguishes Theyra Maa is not the technology but the delivery model. As 3D printed reef restoration expands from research installations to commercial deployments, embedding that work within a resort’s guest experience introduces a funding and awareness channel that institutional research rarely reaches and signals that the gap between conservation ambition and operational reality may be narrowing.
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Featured image shows Hundreds of clay reef modules were carefully deployed to the lagoon. Photo via Minor Hotels.
