Jordan’s King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein has announced a new partnership with blue technology company Voyacy Regen, cofounded by Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau, to build a new ocean technology accelerator and innovation hub in Aqaba, Jordan. The project will focus on regenerating coral reefs and critical coastal marine infrastructure at scale.
“Today’s announcement marks a pivotal step forward in our effort to embed sustainable practices and climate actions as an integral part of Jordan’s economic growth, while establishing safeguards that will protect the kingdom’s environment and natural resources for future generations,” said Hussein Al-Safadi, CEO of Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC). “The Aqaba Marine Park will play a vital role in regenerating coral reefs, strengthening climate resilience, and promoting the sustainable use of ocean resources, in alignment with His Majesty King Abdullah II’s vision for Aqaba, and with the guidance and support of the AMP’s International Honorary Advisory Board.”
Coral reefs absorb up to 97% of storm surge and are critical barriers against increasingly catastrophic storms that already cause billions of dollars of damage and threaten millions of lives. However, coral reefs are disappearing at an alarming rate. it’s estimated that half of the world’s corals have disappeared since the 1950s, with 14% vanishing between 2009 and 2018 alone.
Located within the Aqaba Marine Nature Reserve, under ASEZA’s supervision, and home to coral reefs and marine ecosystems, the Aqaba Marine Park and Voyacy will focus on large-scale coral reef regeneration and coastal marine infrastructure. They said traditional methods of coral restoration, which involve growing small batches of corals and planting manually, cannot be implemented at the scale and speed needed to meet this crisis.
The partners plan to use 3D-printed reef structures, designed to absorb wave energy, with aquacultured heat-tolerant corals. Voyacy and Jordan have mobilized a coral propagation farm where, the company said, microfragmentation makes the coral grow much faster than normal. The company did not specify what feedstock they use for the 3D-printed reef structures. Some companies use calcium carbonate–the material reefs are made from in nature–or bioactive ceramics.
