BeoReef
Sustainability / Branding
ArtCenter College of Design
Semester 5
14 week project
*This is a school project with no association to Bang and Olufsen
A Bang and Olufsen speaker that uses bioacoustics and soundscape enrichment technology to help in coral reef conservation.
THE PROBLEM
*Credit-Chasing Coral
CORAL BLEACHING
Global warming is causing coral to bleach at alarming rates due to the rising sea temperatures. Coral bleaching happens when coral expels zooxanthellae algae living in their tissues. Without this algae the coral is left without its main source of food, leaving it unprotected, and vulnerable to disease, and eventually dying.
WHY WE SHOULD CARE
BIODIVERSITY
Although they cover only 0.1% of the earth's surface coral reefs hold 25% of marine species.
PEOPLE
Coral Reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion and provide jobs for local communities. Over half a billion people depend on coral reefs for income, food, and protection.
MEDICINE
More than 20,000 chemicals in corals are potentially useful in pharmaceuticals, with important medicines being developed to treat disseases such as cancer, alzheimer's, heart disease, etc.
WHERE BANG AND OLUFSEN COMES IN
-
Since It was created Bang and Olufsen has created some of the most influential audio products on the market.
-
Bang and Olufsen is now committed to sustainability by using sustainable materials and even creating the first cradle to cradle speaker in the market.
But what if they were to use their platform and innovative design to create a product that directly benefits the environment?
BIOACOUSTICS
“The study of the production, transmission and reception of animal sounds.”
-
Reef recovery requires a flourishing community of living organisms such as young fish and larvae.
However..
-
Scientists have observed a 75% reduction in acoustic sounds in degraded reefs, which has led to almost 40% less settlement of young marine life.
Steve Simpson - Professor of marine biology at the University of Exeter on bioacoustics
“Listening to a coral reef is like listening to an orchestra of biological sound–fish produce popping, whooping, and trumpeting sounds to warn each other of predators, to call each other when they find food, and to impress one another during the breeding season.”
THE SOLUTION
SOUNDSCAPE ENRICHMENT
Soundscape enrichment is a technique where artificial sounds of a healthy environment (Bioacoustics) are introduced to attract new and healthy species to a desired ecosystem to help in the development and establishment of a healthy coral reef environment.
The use of recordings taken from thriving coral reefs will help increase attraction of new species to damaged reefs, remediating the decline of species settlement, and thus the health of coral and the ecosystem as a whole.
HYPOTHESIS
PROOF
Led by Tim Gordon, a student from the University of Exeter, a team of marine biologists implemented soundscape enrichment on damaged areas in the Great Barrier Reef.
After deployment they were able to observe a 50% increase in the number of fishes and marine life settlement in the damaged reefs where soundscape enrichment was introduced.
Acoustic enrichment can enhance fish community
development on degraded coral reef habitat
Timothy A.C. Gordon1,2*, Andrew N. Radford3, Isla K. Davidson3, Kasey Barnes4, Kieran McCloskey1, Sophie L. Nedelec1, Mark G. Meekan2, Mark I. McCormick 4,5 & Stephen D. Simpson 1
SEE FULL PUBLICATION
FORM DEVELOPMENT
Scroll right to explore the process
-
By introducing a speaker that can use the power of bioacoustics for soundscape enrichment, we can help attract new species to create a thriving coral reef ecosystem, where coral and all species alike will benefit from the health of their surrounding and fight coral bleaching.
However..
-
This concept will not eliminate coral bleaching. To do this the only solution is to reduce the release of Greenhouse Gases and eventually reduce global warming and in consequence, ocean warming.
FINAL DESIGN
Materials
-
Recycled Polyethylene body
-
easily recyclable
-
no chemical releases
-
low risk of leaching
-
-
Silicon solar panels
-
Algae based fabric speaker cover
Solar Power
-
Silicon solar panels suitable for underwater usage
-
Although not as effective when used outside of the water the low water depth of coral reefs still make it an effective power source.
-
Curved surface maximizes points of contact with sunlight through the day
Speaker
-
Warped surface directs sounds in all directions towards the reef.
-
Algae based fabric cover avoids debris from entering the system.
-
Bioacoustic recordings are stored inside the system and played as a loop.
Form
-
High placement keeps speaker far away from the reef to cause minimum disruption
-
Organic form inspired by elements of nature.
-
2 leg, 2 anchor set up for easy and minimal impact installation.
-
2 anchors rings to stabilize against tide movement
“The greatest danger to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
Robert Swan
As products designers we are tasked with the responsibility of designing for the future, however, coral reefs are dying now, and with the world's current trajectory are expected to disappear by the year 2050. I believe that to design a better future we have to design the present.
I decided to design BeoReef using current technologies for immediate implementation, and immediate change, because corals need us today and not in a near future, because for coral reefs, there might not be a neer future.
BoeReef
EXPLORE THE REST OF THE COLLECTION
To make the BeoReef Concept economically feasible I designed a family of products to go with the underwater speaker. There are the products that would be purchased by the consumer to help fund the BeoReef project using a 1 for 1 style business model.
