multi-LIFE Buoy

What it does

Buoys are lost at sea. Serves as an artificial reef while acting as fishing net buoy or while drifting. On shores, they become a shoreline barrier or an artificial reef. As they would be filled with plastic debris found on shores, they help reduce pollution.

Your inspiration

Mr. Marcus Eriksen, Co-founder & Researcher Director at The 5 Gyres Institute, LA, USA has requested me for a Design solution. The Institute is a leading Organization that fights ocean plastic pollution. The idea came naturally to design buoys with multi functions (while acting as a buoy or when drifting or landing on a shore).

How it works

Aquaculture in South Korea is a huge industry. They are using styrofoam or plastic buoys for which millions are lost at sea. The Solution! One of the solutions is to design buoys that can be useful while drifting and landing on shores and beaches. The benefits: - Serves as an artificial reef while acting as fishing net buoy or while drifting. Small fishes can hide and grow into this artificial reef, which bring more life into oceans and sustain fishing activities, - On shores, they become a shoreline barrier or an artificial reef. As they would be filled with plastic debris found on shores, they help reduce pollution.

Design process

My first trial design was like a square box that interlock one into the other like a «lego blocks» serving as a buoy for fisherman and once on shore to build walls against shore erosion. In this first design there were some holes in the block for attaching ropes. Then I realized that these holes could help small fishes to find refuge and to grow. Then I change the design totally to have more of these holes for small fishes to hide and grow. Once on shore it can be opened and filled with debris found on shore (to reduce shore pollution) and serves as weight for the buoy to be placed on shoreline (as a wave breaker wall against erosion). It can also be placed on the sea floor to act as an artificial reef for small fishes to hide and grow. Overall, at any stage of the buoy life cycle, it helps growing the fish biomass thus indirectly helping the fishing industry and ensuring more food from the sea for human.

How it is different

All commercial buoys have just one function - for fishermen activities. And they all have just one life and one function. It seems that fishermen haven't found a way to keep their buoy from eventually drifting away and causing pollution in the ocean or on shore somewhere! With multi-LIFE buoy, lost buoy at sea can now bring a great value to small fishes, to reduce pollution on shores and to protect the shore line.

Future plans

Multi-LIFE Buoy was presented to Mr. Marcus Eriksen, Co-founder & Researcher Director at The 5 Gyres Institute of Los Angeles. A leading Organization that fights ocean plastic pollution through education and science. Mr. Eriksen has quote: ‘’Really cool design.This would be a great FAD design, and a useful shoreline barrier if it washes up where it's needed. We could share this with colleagues in South East Asia that work on plastic pollution issues.’’ ‘’These are both amazing designs. Let me share with my contacts in Korea and SE Asia. Marcus’’ Accordingly, experts from the Korean Fishing Industry are currently evaluating the Design.

Awards

Two Silver Product Design Awards at the 2017 European Product Design Award / Rural Sustainable Design Category & Other Design Category (in March 2017). The same Design won in two categories.