Have you ever wondered what the smell of a coral reef can tell us about its well-being under heat stress?
Do vibrant and healthy coral reefs emit a scent?
If they do, what does it smell like?
Biomimicry usually starts with our eyes — we notice a shape, a texture, a colour pattern, and ask what problem it solves. But nature doesn’t only speak in visuals. Sound, touch, and yes, smell, all carry information that a purely visual approach can miss entirely. A coral reef’s chemical “conversation” — invisible and unheard, but very real — is a perfect reminder that if we only look, we’re only getting part of the story. Training ourselves to notice with all our senses, not just sight, opens up a much richer set of design lessons nature has to offer.
Smell plays an interesting and important role in our lives. It has a huge impact on our food preferences and social lives. We even use our smell to subconsciously pick up on the stress levels of others.
Despite the importance of smell, we may not often think about the scent of a vibrant and diverse coral reef or how the smell might change when the reef is under pressure from changes in our climate. Stress makes humans sick and even smelly, and stressed-out corals smell different, too.
Coral reefs are hotspots of biodiversity, and reefs, mostly in tropical waters around the world, are home to many organisms. Corals are tiny animals called ‘polyps’ that typically live in large colonies. During the last decades, coral reefs have been under relentless stress from a wide range of global and local issues, such as climate change, declining water quality, overfishing, pollution, plastic pollution, coastal development, and ocean acidification.
A 2020 study by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney, the University of Sydney, and Southern Cross University set out to answer this. They collected coral from the Great Barrier Reef near Heron Island and gradually raised the water temperature in the lab to simulate heat stress. The results were striking: the diversity and quantity of gases produced by the corals dropped sharply under heat stress, and some gases showed up only in the stressed samples. So it looks like measuring the mix and number of chemicals a coral gives off could genuinely help us learn more about a reef’s health (Lawson et al., 2020, Global Change Biology).
It would be fantastic if we could design a smell test to determine the health of a coral reef.
Coral reefs are important ecosystems for life underwater and the protection of coastal areas. These stunning animals have inspired several interesting biomimicry inventions, such as cement making and dyeing clothes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Why does using all your senses matter in biomimicry?
It’s easy to default to sight when observing nature — shapes and colours are the most obvious clues. But many of nature’s best solutions aren’t visible at all. Smell, sound, touch, and even taste carry information too: a coral reef’s chemical signals, a bat’s echolocation, the texture of a shark’s skin. Practising biomimicry with all your senses — not just your eyes — opens up design lessons that a purely visual approach would miss entirely.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.