CSD-15 Partnerships Fair

Interactive Discussion Session

SIDS Partnership: Implementation of New Technologies

for Sustainable Development

Monday, 7 May 2007, 3:00-6:00 PM, Conf. Room 7

BIOROCK TECHNOLOGY FOR

CORAL REEF RESTORATION,
FISHERIES RESTORATION,
& MARICULTURE IN SIDS
BIOROCK® TECHNOLOGY
The most cost effective solution for:
Coral Reef Restoration
Fisheries Restoration
Shore Protection
Mariculture
Materials Production

Dr. Thomas J. Goreau

President
Global Coral Reef Alliance
CORAL REEFS ARE THE MOST DIVERSE, PRODUCTIVE
ECONOMICALLY VALUABLE, AND BEAUTIFUL MARINE
ECOSYSTEMS

BAHAMAS, 1948
F. W. GOREAU
A solution for corals in peril

Electric Reefs
ST MAARTEN , OCTOBER 29 2006, THREE DAYS
Eliane Pollack
Eliane Pollack

ST MAARTEN , OCTOBER 29 2006, THREE DAYS

Eliane Pollack

ST MAARTEN , OCTOBER 29 2006, THREE DAYS

OCTOBER 31 2006 Eliane Pollack
ST. MAARTEN
1 WEEK
 OCTOBER 31 2006
ST. MAARTEN
1 WEEK

Eliane Pollack
 OCTOBER 31 2006
ST. MAARTEN
1 WEEK
Eliane Pollack
E. Woollacott, 2006
Four month old
reef in Gili
Trawangan,
Lombok,
Indonesia
Four month old reef in Gili Trawangan, Lombok,Indonesia

E. Woollacott, 2006
August 2006
9 months old

Laurent Lavoye
Gili Trawangan
 10
month
coral
Chris Hendricks
Gili Trawangan
September 2006
E. Woollacott, 2006 1.5 year old
reef in Gili
Trawangan,
Lombok,
Indonesia
E. Woollacott, 2006 1.5 year old
reef in Gili
Trawangan,
Lombok,
Indonesia
1.5 year old reef in Gili Trawangan,
Lombok, Indonesia
E. Woollacott, 2006
3 year old Biorock reef, Ibu Karang,
Pemuteran,Bali, Indonesia
J. Cervino 2004
 How a Biorock® Reef works
When
When aa positively
positively charged
charged anode
anode and
and Power can be solar, wind, tidal,
aa negatively
negatively charged
charged cathode
cathode are
are or AC powered chargers
suspended
suspended in in sea
sea water
water with
with an
an
electric
electric current
current flowing
flowing between
between them,
them,
calcium
calcium ions
ions combine
combine with
with carbonate
carbonate Solar collector
ions
ions and
and adhere
adhere toto the
the structure
structure
(cathode).
or other power
(cathode).
The
The result
result is
is calcium
calcium carbonate.
carbonate. supply
Corals
Corals adhere
adhere to to CaCO3
CaCO3 andand grow
grow
quickly.
quickly.
Cathode (-)
Anode (+) Conductive
(CaCO3) Structure
Coral
Fragments
Biorock®/ Mineral Accretion
• On underwater, conductive structures we
assemble a positively charged anode and a
negatively charged cathode (structure)
• Apply a low voltage electric current between
them
– Safe for swimmers
• Which causes minerals to crystallize from
seawater onto structures
• Calcium carbonate, white limestone (CaCO3)
is formed-Similar to natural coral reefs and
tropical white sand
• Corals adhere to limestone and grow quickly
Biorock
Scanning Electron
Microscope
Noreen Buster
J. Cervino 2004
4 year old
Biorock reef,
Goa Karang,
Pemuteran, Bali,
Indonesia
J. Cervino 2004 3 year old Biorock
reef, Pemuteran,
Bali,
Indonesia
3 year old Biorock reef, Nautilus, Pemuteran,
Bali, Indonesia
J. Cervino 2004
 How to build an electric reef
• Design the structure
• Assemble the structure from conductive materials
• Submerge the structure
• Attach anode material
• Attach wires from solar panel or
power supply W. Hilbertz, 2001
• Turn on current
• Watch for bubbles
– Signifies limestone forming
• Attach coral fragments
• Watch the coral grow
• See the fish and all other forms
of reef life attracted
2 year old Biorock reef, Karang Lestari,
Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia
J. Cervino 2004
 Designing a structure
• Designs take into account depth, wave action,
ocean bottom characteristics and aesthetics
• Structures are easily built with locally available
conductive material (usually rebar)
• NO LIMITATIONS OF SIZE OR SHAPE
Rebar can be welded in any shape

W. Hilbertz, 2002
 Considerations for building
a Biorock Reef
• Depth of water
• Type of ocean bottom
• Distance from shore
• Availability of electric power
• Availability of broken coral fragments
• Dedication to maintaining reef
operation
• Funding
1 year old Biorock reef, Karang Lestari,
Pemuteran,Bali, Indonesia J. Cervino 2004
3 year old Biorock reef, Karang Lestari,
Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia
J. Cervino 2004
Typical costs
• Design —
• Rebar —
• Cables —
• Solar collectors —
• Voltage generators —
• Labor —
• Travel —
• Licensing fees —
• Consulting fees —
3 year old biorock reef, Karang Lestari,
Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia
J. Cervino 2004
3 year old Biorock reef, Karang Lestari,
Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia
J. Cervino 2004
3 year old Biorock reef, Karang Lestari,
Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia
J. Cervino 2004
 BIOROCK CORALS

• Grow 3-5 times faster

• Heal more than 20 times faster
• Survive high temperatures 16-50
times more than adjacent reefs
• Have hundreds of times higher
baby coral settlement
• Attract incredible numbers of fish
4 year old Biorock reef, Karang Lestari,
Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia
W. Hilbertz, 2004
4 year old Biorock reef, Karang Lestari,
Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia
W. Hilbertz, 2004
• Corals can survive under lethal conditions
• Reefs can be quickly restored where they
can’t recover naturally
• Fishermen can grow reefs and greatly
increase fish and shellfish populations and
catches, becoming farmers instead of
hunters
• Breakwaters can be built for a fraction of the
price of concrete or stone, with vastly
greater environmental benefits
• Winner of many international environmental
and ecotourism prizes
BIOROCK REEFS CAN BE BUILT IN
FORMS THAT GREATLY INCREASE
HABITAT FOR AND POPULATIONS OF
FISH, LOBSTERS, AND OYSTERS

GROW ENTIRE COMPLEX ECOYSTEMS

WITHOUT ADDITION OF FOOD, AND SO
AVOID THE GENETIC
IMPOVERISHMENT, DISEASE,
PARASITE, AND POLLUTION
PROBLEMS CAUSED BY
CONVENTIONAL MARICULTURE
FISHING COMMUNITIES ARE HUNTERS,
DESTROYING WILD ANIMALS AND THEIR
HABITAT IN ORDER TO SURVIVE

USING BIOROCK THEY CAN BECOME

SEA FARMERS, WHO RESTORE AND
IMPROVE THEIR HABITAT IN ORDER TO
PRODUCE MORE

THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION REACHES

THE SEA 10,000 YEARS AFTER LAND
Biorock is the cheapest and most
cost effective solution for:
• Coral reef restoration
• Fisheries restoration
• Shellfish restoration
• Shore protection
• Mariculture
• Building stone and aggregate
• Protecting reefs from global warming
• Ecotourism
GCRA has built more than a hundred Biorock
reefs in more than 20 island nations, and
trained more than a hundred local people. We
have had NO funding from any government or
major funding agency, using only small in-
kind local contributions. Local partners are
people who find us when they realize their
reefs are dying, and that they will lose them
all if they don’t start growing corals now.
Projects can be any size or shape, and range
up to 50 structures totaling half a kilometer of
reef in the Pemuteran Village Protected Area,
Bali, using power equal to ten 200 watt bulbs.
Global Coral Reef Alliance
A tax exempt non-profit organization for coral reef protection,
sustainable management, and restoration, based on a
worldwide network of volunteers divers, scientists, fishing
villages, officials, and others who care about the future of our
coral reefs

Dr. Thomas J. Goreau

President
Global Coral Reef Alliance
37 Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Telephone: 617-864-4226, 617-864-0433
E-mail: goreau@bestweb.net
Web site: http://www.globalcoral.org