Military-funded project tests hybrid reefs as defense tool in Florida

• It also puts the military at risk, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, which is funding the UM research in the hopes that hybrid-reef technology could someday protect bases like Navy Air Station Key West.

Catch up fast: UM researchers received an initial $7.5 million grant from the U.S. Defense Department's research arm last June to work on the project, called Reefense. It'll be completed in three phases over five years.

• Teams from Rutgers University and the University of Hawaii also received funding to participate in other parts of the Reefense project.

The big picture: UM marine biology and ecology professor Andrew Baker, who's a principal investigator for the project, told Axios that while the grant is funding research specific to military bases, the hybrid-reef technology can potentially be used in coastal areas across Florida.

• "The potential is so much greater than that," he said. "If you're not gonna try it here, where would you try it?"

How it works: The hybrid reefs will be built on a base of hollow, stackable concrete blocks that are full of holes to maximize the wave energy they can absorb, the Herald reports.

• Researchers will then place a combination of lab-grown and nursery-raised coral on top of the concrete structure, Baker said.

What they're saying: Baker said that his research will also attempt to biologically engineer more heat-resistant coral, including through selective breeding.

What's ahead: UM researchers plan to install and test two 20-foot-long hybrid reefs off Miami Beach near 80th Street later this month, the Herald reports. It's not technically part of Reefense, and is funded through a separate grant from the city of Miami Beach and the university.

• In May 2024, the Reefense team will install a 160-foot hybrid reef off the coast of the Key West Navy base.