“Frankenreef”? The University of Hawaii will take on a Department of Defense-funded project to design and build a hybrid coral reef — part-man-made, part-natural — to help protect a vulnerable stretch of Oahu’s coastline from flooding, erosion and storms. Global warming is exacerbating the effects of these phenomena.

UH was awarded up to $25 million for the “Reefense” project: a “self-healing, hybrid biological and engineered reef-mimicking structure.” We’ll expect the research to ensure that this hybrid creation doesn’t surprise us with unexpected behavior.