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Barnacle Reef
The Barnacle Reef on Ihuru in the Maldives was built in November 1996 to demonstrate a unique method for enhancing coral growth through mineral accretion or the Biorock™ process. Shaped like a barnacle, the metal structure is roughly 20 feet long by 12 feet high and is submerged in about 20 feet of water. Flowing through the Barnacle’s metal frame is a safe, low voltage, solar powered, electric current. An electric field causes minerals in seawater to precipitate and adhere to metal. The result is a composite of limestone and brucite with a composition similar to that of natural coral reefs and tropical sand beaches—an ideal foundation on which attached corals grow and flourish. This is the Biorock process. Robust coral formations, along with the natural protection from the Barnacle’s structure, soon attracts a wide variety of fish and other aquatic life making the site ideal for snorkelers and divers. The Barnacle reef on Ihuru also attracted considerable international attention when, in 1998, it won the Theodore M. Sperry Award from the Society for Ecological Restoration for Pioneers in the Field of Environmental Conservation. These photos show the progression of coral growth from April 1997 through November 2001 on the the Barnacle.
April, 1997. Bits of broken coral have been salvaged
September, 1997. Limestone deposits have covered the
March 1998. Coral and limestone growth is more
November 2001. Healthy coral growth has completely
Photos are the property of Wolf Hilbertz. and may not be republished without permission. |
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