Rescuing the Coral Reefs
A Fantastical World
The subject of the ocean is close to my heart. I was raised along the beaches of Southern California. The smell of the salt air, the subtle and rhythmic roar of the waves, the cries of seagulls, it all lifts my spirits and immediately makes me feel rejuvenated and "right with the world" - especially if I haven't been near the ocean in a while. The vast oceans of the world still haven't been fully explored and the few deep-sea creatures we've been able to see thus far are fantastic: scary and alien looking, like something one would find in a science fiction magazine.
Many of the oceans' creatures have bio-luminescence, which allows them to generate dazzling light shows, created within their own bodies. Amazing! So when I heard this story being aired on the news this morning, I had to write about it.
The Rainforests Of The Ocean
Coral reefs are one of the planet's greatest marvels. They form and thrive in waters low in nutrients, creating their own nutrient-rich biodiversity by providing shelter and safety for a wide array of ocean life, not the least of which is the famed Clown Fish. Not just incredibly beautiful, coral reefs are used as medication to treat everything from heart disease to cancer and serve as a natural barrier to ocean erosion. So varied are the medicinal possibilities of the coral reefs, marine scientists refer to them as the medicine cabinets of the 21st century.
A Fragile Relationship
It is because of the fragile give-and-take relationship with microscopic algae that coral reefs are able to thrive in nutrient-poor waters, but because of warming conditions in the planet's oceans, much of this algae is dying. The result is 20% of the world's coral reefs have been decimated by a process known as "bleaching."
Researcher Andrew Baker is hoping to "inoculate" the coral reefs. He and his team have been carefully harvesting the Mustard Hill corals of Biscayne Bay, about 10 miles off the coast of Miami. It's a controversial action, but I say, at least he's taking action.
Reef Restoration Tech
Another step which is being taken to restore the world's coral reefs is low voltage electrical currents are being applied through seawater, which crystallizes dissolved minerals onto steel structures. The resulting aragonite is the same mineral which makes up natural coral reefs. Corals colonize and grow very quickly onto these steel structures.
This technology is currently being applied in Indonesia -Bali, Jamaica, Maldives- Ihuru and Vabbinfaru, Mexico -Yucatan, Panama- San Blas Islands, Papau New Guinea, Saya de Malha, Seychelles and Thailand.
