"Cajun Coral" being installed around Louisiana's coast

3D Printing technology continues to advance and has already produced plenty of modern marvels, including one benefitting the Louisiana coast.

Natrx partnered with Danos (who actually coined the "Cajun Coral" name) to help with the fabrication and installation of Cajun Coral, a customized 3D printed concrete that has already been installed along the coastline of the state to replenish depleted reef systems.

One major benefit of the new Cajun Coral reef system is that it will serve as a home for a variety of marine life in the Gulf, where residents thrive off the waters.

General Manager of Natrx, Tyler Ortego, says the company will “find a popular fishing structure that has been decommissioned and removed, then replace that former infrastructure with their (3D printed) reef materials”

As marine life flourishes around these new artificial reefs, so will the opportunities for anglers. Ortego advises those curious about fishing the waters around these new reefs to visit the CCA Louisiana website to find their locations and fish the waters around them.

He says they expect oysters to flourish along the reefs and they want Louisiana residents to use them. Ortego notes that the installation process usually begins with finding a decommissioned fishing structure that has been removed and replacing the former structure with the Natrx reef materials.

Another added benefit (especially as the state faces another potentially busy hurricane season) is that the reefs create a buffer zone against storms that may batter the coast.

While there is no perfect shield that can be installed to fight the strength of these storms, Ortego adds that “anything you can do to
create a speed bump for those storms, whether it be coastal marshes or oyster reefs” is helpful.

Todd Graves, founder of Raisin’ Canes, recently donated enough to fund four more of the 3D printed reefs in the state. Graves originally donated $100,000 to build a reef at the former site of Hotel Sid. Hotel Sid was an oil and gas platform that many fishermen gravitated to because of its abundance of prized marine life.

Graves noted his love for his home state as the reason behind the donation and urged other corporations in the state to support the effort.