CORAL POCILLOPORA

Pocillopora damicornis is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.  The bleaching of corals is one of the effects of ocean acidification, it makes coral turn white and is the main reason why coral reefs are disappearing.

Whit this project we aim to create awareness on the impact of human activity on the preservation of coral reefs. Through real 3D models of Pocillopora damicornis, José Carlos Espinel created a design which would work as a tile, the objective is to create a "pocillopora wall" that can then be lighted with an arduino based system, change its color from the original coral color, to white in a recreation and interpretation of the loss of life in coral reefs.

In the first Algae Society show in Santa Barbara, one tile has been shown and is available for children to touch, in order to make them understand the complexity of this structures and the importance of its preservation.

This project, still in progress is being developed in collaboration with artist David Harris, academic at Queensland College of Art -Griffith University in Australia.