Revive corals with ... electricity

Just a few years ago, lush coral reefs off the island of Bali were dying, whitened by fishing mines and cyanide poison. But now, they are reviving, thanks to an incredible solution: using electricity.

These coral bodies cling to dozens of metal frames sunk into the sea, and fed by cables that emit low voltage electrical current. Conservationists argue that weak currents will help restore and increase the speed of corals.

The project (called Bio-Rock, or Artificial Stone) is the discovery of Thomas Goreau and architect Wolf Hilbertz. Two people have placed similar structures in about 20 other countries, but the experiment in Bali is the most effective.

Goreau said the Pemuteran Bay coral reef off the coast of northwestern Bali was severely devastated in 1998, a victim of destructive fishing methods and rising sea temperatures."Under these conditions, traditional recovery methods fail. Our way is the only way to help corals grow ."

In the project, Goreau and his colleagues built metal frames, usually dome-shaped or greenhouse, and sank into the bay. When a low voltage electric current is passed, the limestone (the basic component of the coral) will gather on the metal frame. Workers will then collect broken coral reefs from old coral reefs and attach it to the upper frame.

Coral is the shelter of many species. Therefore, its resurrection will also help restore one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. However, the difficulty of this solution is the cost to maintain and operate the system.

A journalist is examining coral growth on a metal frame sunk by conservationists into the sea of ​​Pemuteran Bay, Bali, Indonesia.(Photo: AP)

T. An