EFRI ELiS : Carbon Sequestration and Coastal Resilience Through 3D Printed Reefs

天然珊瑚礁及其相连的生态系统在隔离二氧化碳和保护沿海地区免受气候变化引发的极端事件(如飓风、洪水等)的影响方面发挥着至关重要的作用。不幸的是，气候变化引发的海洋酸化破坏了近40%的珊瑚礁和依赖的生态系统。尽管在过去几十年里建造了各种材料的人工鱼礁，但其中大多数材料对环境的影响和寿命仍然令人担忧。为了找到解决方案，该项目将研究在人工鱼礁建设中使用自我修复的碳固存复合材料，这种材料将能够储存二氧化碳，同时保护沿海地区免受海平面上升和极端洪水的影响。该项目的成功完成将使社会受益，因为它确定了一条保护沿海社区免受气候变化直接危害的新途径，并有助于减少温室气体排放。还将通过学生教育和培训为社会带来更多好处，包括指导德克萨斯大学阿灵顿分校的三名研究生、德克萨斯农工大学金斯维尔分校的一名研究生和本科生、德克萨斯大学达拉斯分校的一名研究生和德克萨斯农工大学的一名研究生。该项目旨在建立一种新的方法来设计活的工程珊瑚礁，以增强海岸的弹性，储存碳，并恢复栖息地。研究目标是：(I)研究自修复负碳复合材料的过程-结构-性能关系，以获得最大的固碳能力和在海水中的优异寿命；(Ii)了解负碳复合材料、表面藻类和微生物生物膜之间的相互作用，以确保钙质生物在工程珊瑚礁上的定居和生长；(Iii)通过实验室实验研究3D打印工程珊瑚礁的波浪-结构相互作用，以确定能够充分衰减波浪并为海洋生物提供栖息地的最佳珊瑚礁形状和孔隙率；以及(Iv)进行沿海水动力学模拟，以确定部署的最佳地球物理配置(位置、尺寸、方位)，在该配置位置，工程礁体结构将产生可量化的洪水减少量，以应对内陆水文变化、风暴潮、地面下沉和海平面上升等复合灾害。除了研究，项目团队还将通过研讨会向高中生提供实践学习机会，主题涉及该项目涉及的STEM主题，包括碳汇、3D打印、海洋生物学和沿海洪水建模。项目团队还将通过与自然保护协会和德克萨斯海洋赠款合作的多个研讨会来吸引服务不足的社区。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Natural reefs and their connected ecosystem play a vital role in sequestering carbon dioxide and in protecting coastal areas from climate change-induced extreme events, such as hurricanes, flooding, etc. Unfortunately, climate change-induced ocean acidification has damaged nearly 40% of the reefs and the dependent ecosystem. While artificial reefs with a wide range of materials have been constructed in the past few decades, the environmental impact and longevity of most of these materials remain concerning. To find a solution, this project will investigate the use of self-healing carbon-sequestering composite materials for artificial reef construction that will enable storage of carbon dioxide while also protecting coastal areas from rising seas and extreme floods. The successful completion of this project will benefit society by identifying a novel pathway to protect coastal communities from the immediate hazards of climate change and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additional benefits to society will be achieved through student education and training, including the mentoring of three graduate students at the University of Texas at Arlington, a graduate and undergraduate student at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a graduate student at the University of Texas-Dallas, and a graduate student at Texas A&M University.This project aims to establish a novel pathway to design living engineered reefs that will enhance coastal resilience, store carbon, and restore habitat. The research goals are to: (i) investigate the process-structure-property relation of the self-healing carbon-negative composites to attain maximum carbon sequestration capacity with superior longevity in seawater; (ii) understand the interactions across carbon-negative composites, surface algal, and microbial biofilms to ensure the settlement and growth of calcareous organisms on engineered reefs; (iii) investigate wave-structure interactions of 3D-printed engineered reefs via laboratory experiments to identify the optimal shape and void ratios of the reefs that will enable adequate wave attenuation while also providing habitat to marine life; and (iv) perform coastal hydrodynamic modeling to identify the optimal geophysical setup for deployment (location, dimensions, orientation) at which the engineered reef structure would produce quantifiable flood reduction in response to compound hazards of inland hydrologic variations, storm surge, ground subsidence, and sea level rise. In addition to research, the project team will provide hands-on learning opportunities to high school students via workshops on the STEM topics involved in this project including carbon sequestration, 3D printing, marine biology, and coastal flood modeling. The project team will also engage underserved communities through multiple workshops in collaboration with the Nature Conservancy and the Texas Sea Grant.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.