A severely threatened ecosystem is the marine ecosystem. One of the world's most endangered marine habitats is native oyster reefs. Globally 85% of them are lost due to human activities. In the UK 95% of the native oyster reefs are gone. They are as crucial as coral reefs, and having lost them increases erosion, ocean acidification, polluted water, and declining biodiversity. Learn more here about the problems here.
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Why Resting Reef?
Resting Reef is a sustainable death care service that meaningfully commemorates past lives, whilst building new life. We do it by transforming the ashes of those who have died into beautiful reef memorial structures that regenerate marine biodiversity, capture carbon, filter water, and prevent coastal erosion. With our unique formula, containing ashes and crushed shells, we are 3D printing personal reef structures that create a stable foundation for marine growth and habitat for juvenile fish and other species.
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Let us share our story with you
Resting Reef started during our masters at The Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, where the co-founders met. Louise was interested in sustainability and materials, while Aura was looking into the topic of death after losing a close loved one and experiencing the stress of funerals. Resting Reef evolved as a response to the growing climate emergency and unspoken problems within the funeral industry. We wanted to create a memorial and eco-burial service that has a long-lasting positive impact and protects the planet for future generations.
We decided to sign up with our project for the Terra Carta Design Lab competition, an initiative by HRH King Charles and Sir Jony Ive in 2021, where we became finalists.
Since then, it has been an inspiring journey, where we have managed to push the boundaries of our project thanks to the incredible support from researchers and experts of Imperial Enterprise Lab, Bournemouth University, the Bloomberg Legal & Compliance Pro Bono Program, Innovate UK and other mentors.
We have been working full-time to make Resting Reef a reality and were able to have Morven Smith, an expert in wildlife conservation, and Wei Zhang a 3D model and bio design master join our team. They are helping us to achieve our next goal, setting up our pilot reef in England.
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Why do we need your help?
Our next big milestone is to build a pilot reef in the UK. This is important for us so that we can test the performance of our reef designs and formulation in real marine conditions. We also need a licence to place anything on the seabed in the UK, a process that is important to start now.
What we need
Milestone 1: £25,500
Allowing the team to achieve these milestones: MMO licence and preparation of the project
With this amount of funding, the Resting Reef team will be able to begin and work on the process of applying for licences from the Marine Management Organisation and Crown Estate. This will involve funding meetings with a case officer to receive advice and work on our application as well as conducting environmental impact assessments (among others) that are vital for the application. It will also allow us to design the methodology for the pilot reef and create a monitoring plan for the reef system.
Milestone 2: £56,000
Allowing the team to achieve these milestones: Production of reefs
This funding will allow us to work toward achieving the goals of milestone 1, as well as producing the reef structures for the pilot. This will be done by working with experts to develop a more robust formulation for our structures, developing anchoring mechanisms, optimising the process for creating our reefs and further research into 3D printability and casting techniques. This process is vital for Resting Reef to produce the most robust structures possible with the greatest chance of success.
Milestone 3: £91,500
Allowing the team to achieve these milestones: Preparing for deployment
Once milestones 1 and 2 have been completed. Resting Reef can begin to prepare for deployment. This process will require funding to hire a boat large enough to hold all of the reef structures, a trained HSE dive team, transportation to and from the site and all the technical equipment needed to place our structures on the seabed. Once our reef system is in place on the ocean floor, Resting Reef will need to monitor its growth and progress to learn from any weaknesses and ensure that once commercialised the structures produced are robust and will provide a legacy to be proud of.
Above and beyond:
Any funding above our milestones will bring us closer to our goal of bringing Resting Reef to the market and being a sustainable option for people and the planet. £350,000 will secure us a 2 years runway to get to market.
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Why a Pilot Reef?
Before we dive into a large-scale commercial reef, we need to do a smaller trial run, a research-based project called the Pilot Reef. This pilot project is incredibly important for several reasons:
Validation: We want to make sure our artificial reef structures work as intended. The Pilot Reef allows us to test if they provide suitable habitats for marine life and contribute to ecosystem restoration.
Technical Challenges: Building things underwater is complex. We need to ensure our structures are stable, durable and can withstand ocean conditions. The Pilot Reef helps us identify and resolve technical issues before we commit to a bigger project.
Environmental Impact: We care about the impact on the environment. The Pilot Reef helps us assess how our structures affect water quality, biodiversity, and interactions with other marine life. This ensures our project is environmentally sustainable.
Learning and Optimisation: Through the Pilot Reef, we gather data and feedback to improve our design and strategy. This helps us make future deployments more efficient and effective.
Engaging Stakeholders: We want to work closely with local communities, conservation groups, and government agencies. The Pilot Reef allows us to communicate our goals, address concerns, and explore collaboration opportunities.
Risk Management: Large projects involve financial and operational risks. The Pilot Reef serves as a low-risk way to assess results and make informed decisions before investing significant resources.
Your support plays an important role in sponsoring this important pilot test. It provides the necessary resources for us to evaluate and refine our plan before we proceed with our larger effort to provide this new alternative to the market and restore the marine environment.
Learn more about the pilot reef with our handbook here.
The impact Resting Reef will make
Your support will help us one step closer to greater impact. This includes but is not limited to an increase in biodiversity, prevention of coastal erosion, improved water quality, sequestration of polluting materials, community engagement and reduction of land-intensive practices. More info about the impact can be found here.
Marine environments worldwide confront a multitude of threats that threaten their ecological integrity and long-term health:
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Overfishing and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices lead to the depletion of fish stocks, undermining marine ecosystems and jeopardising the livelihoods of coastal communities.
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Climate change exacerbates these challenges, causing sea level rise, ocean acidification, and coral bleaching, which harm marine biodiversity and coastal communities.
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Coastal development, often driven by industry, contributes to habitat loss, degradation, and alteration, further compromising the balance of marine ecosystems.
- Destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling, cause physical damage to sensitive habitats like coral reefs and seafloor ecosystems.
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Resting Reef’s reef structures have been designed with the marine environment in mind. The 3D-printed ridges, overhangs and tunnels serve a dual purpose: to create intricate habitats that mimic natural reef features and promote biodiversity by offering a range of niches and shelter options for marine organisms. The structures utilise waste crushed oyster shells, and cremains/bone ash. These features will work together to restore the marine environment through:
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Habitat restoration:
The reef structures themselves serve as artificial habitats that mimic natural features found in marine ecosystems. They provide surfaces for the attachment of marine organisms such as corals, seq squirts and oysters which establish colonies and create thriving microhabitats.
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Increased biodiversity:
These structures attract a diverse array of species from small fish to invertebrates which will use them for shelter, breeding and foraging. This influx of species will contribute to the establishment of a balanced and diverse ecosystem.
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Reduction of coastal erosion:
The reef structures (and the species that colonise them) act as submerged breakwaters. They dissipate wave energy, reducing the impacts of storms and preventing the further degradation of coastal areas. This protects shorelines and promotes the growth of seagrass beds and mangroves, both essential coastal habitats.
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Water Quality Improvement:
Filter-feeding organisms that colonise these structures (such as oysters) help to improve water quality by removing excess nutrients and small particles from the water. This can lead to increased clarity and improved conditions for marine life.
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Carbon Sequestration:
Oyster reefs, in particular, play a role in carbon sequestration by storing carbon in their shells and the surrounding sediments, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Our reef structures act as catalysts for the regeneration of damaged marine habitats. They provide immediate habitat for marine life but also facilitate ecosystem recovery resulting in healthier and more resilient coastal ecosystems and communities. Find out more about how we can measure success further down.
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The impact your contribution has on Resting Reef
For us to achieve this goal of ecosystem restoration, we need your support now. Receiving these funds will allow us to acquire essential licences from organisations like the Crown Estate or the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), allowing the project to operate legally and responsibly in the marine environment. Importantly, this funding would allow Resting Reef to sustain and expand the team, ensuring that skilled staff members can continue their crucial work to make this project a reality.
This funding would further support comprehensive research initiatives in optimising our artificial reef structures through mechanical testing, the development of an anchoring mechanism, and 3D printing processes among others. The establishment of a pilot reef would serve as vital testing grounds for refining and validating our restoration methods.
This financial boost would push Resting Reef toward commercial viability, enabling the widespread implementation of our solution for marine ecosystem restoration.
Achievements and Recognition of Resting Reef
- Awarded a prestigious D&AD Pencil for Creative Excellence in the Future Impact/Design/Emerging Talent category in 2023.
- Finalists of the Terra Carta Design Lab 2022, an initiative by HRH King Charles, Sir Jony Ive and the Royal College of Art.
- Selected to exhibit at Prototypes for Humanity in Dubai in 2022.
- Shortlisted for the London Mayor’s Award in 2022 and the Make it Circular Challenge in 2023.
- Presented at Maddy Keynote and Netexplo Future Forum in Paris.
- Showcased at London Design Biennale 2023 at Summerset House.
- Showcasing at Dutch Design Week October 2023.
- Showcasing and hosting a workshop in Mexico at What Design Can Do 2023.
- Received media traction from more than 16 important publications like Dezeen, Fast Company, Wallpaper, Yanko Design, Design Week, The Telegraph, Edie and Business Green.
- Louise was awarded The Arts Foundations 2023 Fellowship in Bio Design.
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What do you get
All donations will receive:
- The latest updates on the pilot reef progress and results.
All contributions are welcome and if you prefer to contribute another amount from the ones suggested above please click on the pink button “SEE OPTIONS” on the top right side. Please check the FAQs section for more information about the perks.
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£15: Immersive soundtrack - Downloadable audio track by Fink. Resting Reef's has partnered with the renowned singer Fin Greenall, known professionally as Fink, to produce a marine-related soundtrack only available during this campaign. Fink has written in collaboration with Amy Winehouse, John Legend, Banks, Ximena Sarinana and Professor Green.
Title of track: 2 halves
“I made this track for Resting Reef using recordings from two of my favourite places in Cornwall as a bed for some contemplative melodics and horizontal ambience ….I didn’t want anything to necessarily guide or impede the listener or myself during the journey - I just wanted a flow that was rooted in nature ..” - Fink
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£50: Resting Reef’s mention - Get a special recognition on our website and other relevant exhibition opportunities we are part of such as Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven in October 2023!
+ Audiotrack by Fink
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£100: Name on the recognition plaque - Get your name engraved on our very special backer's plaque that will be placed with our pilot (See FAQs for important information).
+ Audiotrack by Fink
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£175: Collectable Reef Token - Our collectable reef token has received multiple awards and recognition for its design. It is a miniature reef structure made of our unique formula (no ashes). Choose between a variety of colours (organic pigments). This decorative design object can be a paperweight, placed on a bookshelf or used for other decorations (See FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink
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£350: 2-Hour Inspiring Talk - The Resting Reef's team will deliver a 2-hour inspirational and educational talk to a selected group of your choice, with interesting themes to choose from like sustainability, design, rituals, and entrepreneurship. (In-person, subject to availability, see FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink
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£500: Name a reef structure - One of the reef structures that will be deployed in our pilot reef will be sponsored and named after you (See FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink
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£1,000: A memorial reef for your pet - A unique opportunity to memorialise a beloved pet by transforming its ashes into one of the reefs that will be placed in our pilot reef (See FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink
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£2,000: Sponsor social-impact workshop - The Resting Reef's team will deliver a 4-hour education-led workshop to a selected group of your choice (elementary school, elderly home, NGO) with a strong focus on social impact. The topics of the workshop can vary from sustainability, design, rituals, and entrepreneurship. (In-person, subject to availability, see FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink
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£2,500: Corporate workshop - The Resting Reef's team will deliver a 4-hour workshop for a business, organisation or club. Select a workshop from the topics of sustainability, design, rituals, and entrepreneurship (In-person, subject to availability, see FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink
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£3,500: One day with Resting Reef - Join Resting Reef's team for a day of your choice. Get to experience what it takes to set up a restoration project and be part of our behind-the-scenes! (See FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink
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£5,000: SILVER Patron - Become one of Resting Reef's honourable Patrons and play a key role in achieving our goal of setting up our pilot reef. The amount contributed will boost the development of research and restoration tasks. Exclusive access to our memorial and eco-burial service when available and 25% off a memorial reef service. (See FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink + Collectable Reef Token
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£10,000: GOLD Patron - Become one of Resting Reef's honourable Patrons and play a key role in achieving our goal of setting up our pilot reef. The amount contributed will boost the development of research and restoration tasks. Exclusive access to our memorial and eco-burial service when available and 40% off a memorial reef service. (See FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink + Collectable Reef Token
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£20,000: PEARL Patron - Become one of Resting Reef's honourable Patrons and play a key role in achieving our goal of setting up our pilot reef. The amount contributed will boost the development of research and restoration tasks. Exclusive access to our memorial and eco-burial service when available and 60% off a memorial reef service. (See FAQs for important information).
Name on plaque + Audiotrack by Fink + Collectable Reef Token
Other Ways You Can Help
We would like you to share Resting Reef and the crowdfunding campaign via social media. But most importantly, we would like you to share it by word of mouth: tell your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours about this revolutionary way of restoring nature and how they can build a beautiful legacy in their afterlife.
We are always looking for collaboration opportunities or suggestions on locations to set up a reef, and an introduction can be invaluable for us.
We are always happy to receive any volunteering/pro-bono support for a wide range of skills and knowledge. Please reach out!
How can we measure success?
The pilot reef serves as a crucial step in estimating the environmental benefits and measuring the success of Resting Reefs restoration efforts. The pilot provides an opportunity to collect data on various ecological impacts such as species diversity/abundance, water quality and the growth of marine organisms on the structures. By establishing a “control” area without artificial reef structures and comparing it to the pilot reef, we can evaluate the differences between the two sites. Over time we can make long-term observations. Success will be indicated by the sustained growth and health of marine life on our structures, as well as the continued improvement of these ecological and environmental parameters.
Success also involves engaging local communities and stakeholders in our project. Positive community engagement and support, along with educational initiatives, are vital indicators of success in terms of raising awareness and garnering support for local marine restoration efforts.
Finally, the ability to scale up the project to a commercial reef based on the findings of the pilot is another measure of success. If the pilot demonstrates positive outcomes in terms of habitat restoration, biodiversity enhancement, and environmental benefits, it paves the way for the implementation of our commercial reef restoration projects in the UK and around the globe.
Risk & Challenges
Navigating potential risks and challenges is a fundamental part of any project, and Resting Reef is no exception. Here's a transparent look at the obstacles we may encounter and how we are prepared to address them:
MMO Licence Processing Time: Obtaining the required Marine Management Organisation (MMO) licence can be a lengthy process. We're well aware of this, and we're actively working with experts and advisors who specialise in this area to ensure a successful application. Additionally, we've built buffer time into our project timeline to accommodate potential delays. Our dedication to meticulous planning and compliance qualifies us to overcome this hurdle efficiently.
Sample and Prototype Durability: While our initial tests have shown promising results, the true test of our reef designs will come during the pilot phase in rough marine environments. We acknowledge the possibility of samples and prototypes breaking, and we're prepared to learn from these experiences. Our qualified team will use these insights to improve our designs, ensuring their resilience and longevity.
Deployment Timing: Our goal is to have the pilot reef in the water within 12 months, but unforeseen circumstances can either expedite or delay this timeline. We remain flexible and adaptable, placing our current priority on establishing a pilot reef that aligns with the funding provided. Our proactive approach to project management and contingency planning positions us to address any timing challenges effectively.
Refusal for UK Deployment: While we're committed to opening restoration sites in the UK, there's a chance that the MMO or Natural England may refuse our application to place memorial reefs in UK waters. In such a scenario, Resting Reef is prepared to explore alternative locations worldwide. We understand the global demand for coastal restoration and are dedicated to fulfilling our mission wherever viable opportunities arise. We are very willing and open to collaborating with international stakeholders for both pilot and commercial opportunities.
Reward Delivery Timing: We understand the importance of delivering rewards on time to our supporters. While we will make every effort to adhere to our delivery schedules, we also believe in transparent communication. In the event of any unforeseen delays, we will maintain an open dialogue with our supporters, keeping them informed about our progress every step of the way.
Ashes Handling: Resting Reef handles ashes with the utmost care and responsibility. While we provide updates to the owners of the ashes throughout the process, it's essential to note that Resting Reef retains full control of the ashes once they are handed over.
More questions are answered in our FAQ and here.
Thank you for helping us achieve our goal!
Resting Reef is on a mission to provide an environmentally friendly, meaningful, and impactful alternative to conventional methods of commemorating a loved one, with a new tradition around death that truly honours life.
For more information about the project, visit our website or get in touch with us https://restingreef.co.uk/
Thank you for your support and contribution!
Aura & Louise
Resting Reef Founders
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