10 ways tech is rescuing coral

divers on reef
Divers on a reef in Indonesia (Neil Andrea / PADI)

While this World Reef Day (1 June) is no time for complacency, PADI is at least able to offer divers two handfuls of scientific reasons to be cheerful – and to underline that every conservation initiative really is worth the effort

“We’re often overwhelmed with bad news, especially when it comes to reefs,” says international training agency PADI. “The once-colourful and healthy ecosystems that support a quarter of all marine species are quickly dwindling because of increasing planetary temperatures, ocean acidification, and water pollution.” 

Also read: Spread hope to earn free Indonesia trip

“As of 2021, half of the world’s coral coverage had been lost just since the 1950s – and a 2.7°C temperature rise could boost that figure to a catastrophic 70% to 90%.”

Not very cheerful at all, and yet scientists have discovered 15 geographical “bright spots” in which coral ecosystems are flourishing against the odds – and are examining them closely in the hope that they hold the key to better protection of corals everywhere. 

Meanwhile, a variety of innovative technologies are being developed that could proved to be a lifeline for the reefs divers would hate to lose…

diver over reef
Diver over healthy reef in Raja Ampat (Neil Andrea / PADI)

1 Shade: Cloud Brightening

Researchers in Australia have developed a “cloud-brightening” process, using a turbine to spray microscopic sea particles into the sky and creating clouds that ultimately cast a shadow over coral reefs. This can cool the water during heatwaves to prevent coral bleaching. It’s still experimental at this stage, but the scientists are trialling larger clouds over the next few years.

2 Sound: Acoustic Enrichment

Healthy reefs are noisy places but, when damaged, they go silent. Scientists have started playing the sounds of a healthy reef over a speaker in an unhealthy reef environment to see how the ecosystem would respond. In a recent “acoustic enrichment” experiment, the number of fish on a degraded section of the northern Great Barrier Reef doubled – and the number of species increased by 50%.

3 Assisted Evolution

Scientists are accelerating corals’ naturally occurring evolution, to prepare them for hotter and more acidic conditions. Two methods of “assisted evolution” are being evaluated. 

In the first, “stress conditioning”, corals are increasingly exposed to such conditions until they become more tolerant, and it’s hoped that they will pass their adaptations on to their offspring. In the second method, Australian scientists are crossbreeding coral species to cultivate hybrids better equipped to survive future conditions.

man and woman topside attaching coral fragments
Attaching coral fragments to frames (Sheraton Maldives / PADI)
diver and propagated coral
Coral propagation (Sheraton Maldives / PADI)

4 Gardening: Coral Replanting

Around the world, divers, scientists and activists have been collaborating to breed new corals from healthy corals using in-water propagation. Fragments trimmed from healthy colonies are set in underwater “nurseries”, where they can grow safely and be closely monitored. 

More cuttings are eventually taken from these corals to grow more clones until pieces are eventually replanted at damaged reef sites, and the hope is that they will then be able to colonise the reef on their own. PADI Aware Foundation says it is actively supporting several local initiatives around the globe, from Indonesia to Florida.

5 Electricity: Biorock Technology

“Biorocks” use electricity to restore coral by creating chemical reactions that mimic its natural defence mechanisms. These steel-framed structures send a low voltage through sea water, leading to a chemical reaction that coats the coral with limestone minerals similar to a young coral’s natural coating. The current is safe for humans and animals, and the electrified structures help to speed coral growth and make it more resistant to temperature spikes and acidity.

One of the more successful trials has been around Vabbinfaru island in the Maldives. A 12m steel cage called Lotus is now so densely covered with coral that it is difficult to distinguish from the seabed.

dangling corals
One day these fragments could be part of a new reef (PADI)

6 Preservation: IVF & Gene Storage Banks

If the world were to lose many or all of its corals, a repository of their genetic information would be the only chance of eventual restoration. To achieve this, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute has pioneered the “cryopreservation” process.

By freezing coral sperm in this way, scientists can also migrate coral species that would otherwise remain both geographically and genetically isolated. Genes from different populations are mixed to make hybrids more resistant to bleaching. In 2021 the team reported that new coral bred from a Caribbean species had been thriving for two years in Florida under human care.

And, for the first time, a coral grown in the lab has reproduced in the wild. Elkhorn coral was grown in a laboratory from cell samples collected in Curaçao and then replanted on the reef a year later. The coral has now grown to the size of a basketball, reproducing naturally.

7 Mimickry: 3D Printing

Ocean conservationist Fabien Cousteau has been working in the southern Caribbean using 3D printing to create, expand and restore coral reefs, in a partnership with PADI 5* dive centre and resort Harbour Village Bonaire

Scientists are using 3D printing to help create fake reefs that mimic the texture and structure of natural reefs. They provide not only new habitats for marine fauna and flora but a place for baby coral polyps to attach themselves and multiply to create new structures faster.

diver in Bonaire
Regenerating corals in Bonaire (PADI)

8 Pyramid Scheme: Breeze-Blocks

Breeze-block pyramids are being placed on the seabed to encourage reef life to use their surfaces to create new ecosystems, as part of a programme developed and funded by PADI 5* centre Dive Grenada. Each structure is around 2m tall and weighs around 500kg. The breeze-block reefs can be used for training new divers – reducing the risk of inadvertent damage to natural reefs.

9 Execution: Robo-Starfish Killer

Crown-of-thorns starfish are destroying coral on the Great Barrier Reef and, with vinegar the new chosen poison to kill them, an autonomous robot has been developed to administer the injections. COTSbot uses GPS to cruise around the seabed, and once it spots a victim it uses an extended arm to deliver the lethal shot. 

Researchers at Queensland University of Technology hope to have the robot fully operational on the GBR next year, capable of administering 200 injections in an eight-hour period.

diver on reef in Raja Ampat
Diver examines coral coverage (Neil Andrea / PADI)

10 Recycling: Beer & Wine Bottles

A new technology developed to create sand from glass waste is being used to rid islands of rubbish while providing a key component to the cement structures serving as artificial reefs for grafted elkhorn coral. In both Puerto Rico and Fiji, innovative researchers are solving multiple issues facing the local communities with much success, says PADI.

World Reef Day was introduced by a US natural sunscreen manufacturer in 2019. PADI’s guide to how divers can help coral reefs can be found here.

Also on Divernet: What Will It Take For Coral To Survive? and UK Corals Will Be Climate-Change Winners

How Do You Attach a Jon Line? @BrentHollett #askmark #scuba

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