GCRA
OVERVIEW
FAQ
NEWS
ARTICLES
PHOTOS
REEF ISSUES
RESTORATION
PAPERS
LINKS
|
|
|
|
A Solution for
Corals in Peril
At the recent Coral Reef Symposium in Bali, Indonesia, scientists concluded that most of the world’s ocean reefs have been killed or severely damaged with the remainder in certain jeopardy. Disastrous reverses in reef health threaten marine biodiversity, tourism, fisheries and shore protection worldwide.
Reefs die for many reasons: rising water temperatures, sewage flows, eutrophication, disease, and negligence. A reef ecosystem that took hundreds of years to grow can be destroyed in a single afternoon by dredging, dynamite or cyanide fishing.
When coral reefs die, fish populations disappear; beaches and shorelines are damaged. Unprotected by breakwaters, fragile land areas become vulnerable to erosion, saltwater intrusion and destruction from waves.
(Photos are thumbnails. Click to enlarge)
Coral bleaching is now common in reefs around the world. Bonaire, NA
The Global Coral Reef
Alliance (GCRA)
Global Warming, Population
and Pollution
But conventional wisdom might be wrong. GCRA does have a solution—A patented form of mineral accretion called the Biorock® Process, owned by Biorock®, Inc. and licensed to GCRA. With it corals thrive, even in environments where water quality is poor and surrounding corals are dying.
The Biorock® Process Accelerates Coral Growth In pilot installations in Mexico, Panama, Indonesia, Maldives, Thailand, and Papua New Guinea, we have built artificial reefs where corals grow rapidly even in stressed environments.
Applying a low voltage electrical current (completely safe for swimmers and marine life) to a submerged conductive structure causes dissolved mineral crystals in seawater to precipitate and adhere to that structure. The result is a composite of limestone and brucite with mechanical strength similar to concrete. Derived from seawater, this material is similar to the composition of natural coral reefs and tropical sand beaches.
Biorock structures can be built in any size or shape depending only on the physical makeup of the sea bottom, wave and current energies and construction materials. They are well suited for remote, third world sites where exotic building materials, construction equipment and highly skilled labor are non-existent.
GCRA methods provide a cost-effective way to increase coral survival from bleaching and disease, while restoring damaged reefs. In time, these structures cement themselves to the ocean bottom, providing a physical barrier that can protect coastlines from waves and currents that cause erosion.
Structures can be any shape
or size depending
In the Maldives, during the 1998 warming, fewer than 5% of the natural reef corals survived. But on our GCRA reefs, 80% of corals not only survived, they flourished. Corals from these reefs are now recolonizing the surrounding natural habitats. GCRA reefs are growing in Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Panama, and Mexico.
Constructing A New Reef To build a Biorock reef, an electrically conductive frame, often made from construction grade rebar or wire mesh, is welded together, submerged and anchored to the sea bottom. Sizes and configurations vary to fit the setting. Then a low voltage direct current is applied using an anode (power sources can include chargers, windmills, solar panels or tidal current generators). This initiates an electrolytic reaction causing mineral crystals naturally found in seawater, mainly calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide, to grow on the structure.
Within days, the structure takes on a whitish hue as it becomes encrusted with precipitated minerals adding rigidity and strength. Electrical fields, plus the shade and protection offered by the metal/limestone frame, attract a wide range of colonizing marine life including fish, crabs, clams, octopus, lobster, and sea urchins.
Once the reef structure is in place and minerals begin to coat the surface, the next phase of reef construction begins. Divers transplant coral fragments from other reefs and attach them to the ark’s frame. Immediately, these coral pieces begin to bond to the accreted mineral substrate and start to grow—typically three to five times faster than normal. Soon the reef takes on the appearance and utility of a natural reef ecosystem rather than a man-made one.
Limestone quickly covers the metal frame. Bali.
No Area of the World is Too Remote Reefs often need restoration far from convenient sources of electrical power. Accordingly, we use electricity generated by renewable resources including the sun via photovoltaic panels, as well as wind and water-driven generators.
Healthy Reefs In Stressed Environments Due to electrolysis, corals on ark reefs gain energy affecting growth, reproduction and their ability to resist environmental stress. These reefs grow rapidly and get stronger as they age. And unlike some other types of artificial reefs made from cars or tires for example, Biorock reefs don't leach harmful pollutants into the sea.
The Biorock Process is the only known technology that can sustain corals through warming water temperatures.
We hope to build as many Biorock sites as feasible before reef degradation and coastal erosion passes the point where recovery and restoration becomes impossible.
Coral fragments
transplanted to the structure
Coral species typically found on healthy reefs gain a major advantage over the weedy organisms that often overgrow them on reefs stressed by eutrophication. In tests where the electrical current is interrupted, mineral accretion stops and weeds begin to cover the corals. But, if the current is maintained, coral reef habitats can often be restored even in areas where water quality would prevent their recovery by any other method.
Biorock structures have unlimited potential for making breakwaters that actually get stronger with age. If waves or colliding ships cause damage, renewed mineral accretion makes them, to an extent, self-repairing.
Healthy corals grow quickly—up
to ten times faster
As the corals grow, the
structure takes on the
GCRA—Dedicated and Ready To Help We would be pleased to consult on Biorock technology as well as coral reef construction and restoration. GCRA scientists are ready to work with foundations, governments or private firms to build, restore and maintain coral reefs, nurseries and sanctuaries wherever funding and suitable conditions exist. Projects include coral reefs for tourism or breakwaters for shore protection.
Biorock® is a registered trademark of Biorock, Inc. The Biorock® Process is owned by Biorock®, Inc. ©Global Coral Reef Alliance, 2002
Global Coral Reef Alliance
04/17/2008
|
|
