"San Diego ARKs: Engineering the Future of Reef Resilience"

Where much of the ocean application started, San Diego serves as a proving ground for stress-tested ARK prototypes.

• Environment: Reef collapse is accelerating due to stronger storms and slower coral recovery, leading to “flattened” reefs worldwide.
• Application: Engineering ARK structures that collapse under high-force conditions, or electrically enhance coral growth, can restore structure and speed up reef formation.
• Project goal: Design and test storm-resilient and growth-enhancing reef structures that can be scaled globally in climate-vulnerable zones.

Prototype Testing Ground: Mission Bay, San Diego

Engineering team partnered with SDSU engineering students designed and tested two advanced Ark structures: the Collapsing Ark, which adjusts its structure during storms, and the Electrified Ark, which uses renewable energy to stimulate coral growth.

Collapsing ARK

• Fixed on seafloor with pilings to add structure to flattened reefs
• Stainless steel skeleton with custom joints and acrylic shear pin
• Collapses when hit by 80 lbs of lateral force (≈2 m/s currents), reducing drag and preserving integrity
• Promotes coral fragmentation during collapse—helping natural spread

Electrified ARK

• Active electrolysis system: naval brass + rebar frames
• Solar panel & water-flow turbine provide electric current
• Stimulates calcium carbonate deposition on metal surfaces
• Alkalinity boost promotes coral calcification and growth
• Acts as chemical habitat modifier to outcompete algae

Both ARK types were tested using custom instrumentation and observed in controlled field conditions.

• Force threshold testing using strain gauge (Collapsing Ark)
• Collapse response consistency and survivability
• Electrolysis performance (gas bubble formation, CaCO₃ deposition)
• pH and alkalinity shifts near cathode frames
• Coral growth potential and algal suppression (preliminary)
• Long-term durability and scalability considerations