When it comes to helping coral reefs, scientists in Hong Kong are getting creative. Coral reefs are living organisms that serve as an essential food source and habitat for many marine creatures. However, a 2021 study found that half of the planet’s reefs have been lost since the 1950s because of overfishing, pollution, and climate change. Archireef, a company created by researchers from the University of Hong Kong, has been experimenting with ways to restore reefs. In 2020, they installed 3-D printed clay tiles that contain crevices for coral seedlings and marine life on the ocean floor in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, inserting 400 coral fragments into the ridges. (Coral doesn’t have roots and can’t attach to the sand, so it needs something to connect to.) Now the reef is thriving; many of the tiles are barely visible, and the coral survival rate is 98 percent, better than most other coral restoration projects. Researchers hope their findings will help improve other reefs around the world. “My dad would tell me of all these beautiful places he saw when diving,” Vriko Yu, Archireef’s co-founder, told news site Bloomberg. “When I visited those sites, it was just mud. The corals had disappeared. But they are coming back. If you build it, they will come.”