1:1 Scale Coral Reef

There are thousands of species of hard, soft, and deep sea corals, covering a total of about >1% of Earth's surface*, with millions more animals and plants depending on them. They can be invasive†, huge†, and ancient˚. They can even be made out of 2,996 interlocking plastic bricks...

So in this set I have made a life sized model of a coral reef. Some notable features are the mantis shrimp, parrotfishes, and a squid (not based on any particular species).

I used multiple unusual techniques and pieces for the corals; for pieces, I used ones like cow horns, some sort of weird gear piece (catalogitem.page), and award ribbons. 

I built this set at first just as a burrow for an Odontodactyllus scyllarus, but then realized that, if I turned it into a coral reef, it would go great one here. I believe that it would make a great set because everyone knows it, it makes a terrific decorative piece, and it might help with awareness of coral extinctions. 

Size: 32 x 32 studs

Piece count: Exactly 2,996 pieces

*corals-and-coral-reefs

†invasivecupcoral.html

˚deep-sea-corals-may-be-oldest-living-marine-organism