The 3D printed BathyReef, designed by the Rougerie+Tangram Lab and the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanology, is a workshop for studying the organism’s colonization of the deep sea. It forms a duo with the underwater robot BathyBot, a rover designed to explore the ocean floor. Together, they form a deep-sea observatory located more than 2000 meters below sea level to measure the diversity and activities of biodiversity in extreme environments.
Bathyreef is a bio-inspired structure providing a multitude of shelters for the living. Its multiple crevices increase the surface area that can be colonized and optimize its weight and the quantity of material. Water circulation is facilitated, the mechanical stimulation of bioluminescence of organisms passing through is increased, while providing a multitude of shelters for living organisms.