Multiannual monitoring of 3D printed artificial reefs in the Marine Protected Area of the Larvotto

The multiannual monitoring of the submerged 3D reefs will enable the following questions to be answered: are the differences initially observed in the colonisation of 2 substrates (dolomite and concrete) maintained over time? Do the 3D reefs allow an abundance of fauna to colonise them?

In order to answer these questions, innovative techniques will be tested during the macrofouling monitoring, using a submersible hyperspectral camera. This will make it possible to identify the species present on a colonised substrate both rapidly and accurately. This technique has never been used in the Mediterranean before, and may have many applications in marine ecology. The other expected outcomes of the project are: greater knowledge of the link between architectural complexity and biodiversity; greater knowledge of the long-term behaviour of dolomite as a substrate for colonisation.