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A new and unique method of coral propagation –
Eco-Coral™ Nurseries |
Current methods of coral
propagation are difficult, expensive and low in productivity. The methods are
well documented by Reef Ball Foundation and are based on transplantation of live coral fragments.
However, the transplant
method does not lead to extensive colonization as is the case of the unique
Eco-Coral™ nursery approach as shown below.
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Current
status of coral propagation techniques. Reef
Ball Foundation
leads the way in the current manual method of propagating coral. The system
used involves removing fragments of live coral and then cementing them with
an epoxy to a host reef ball. This is a labor intensive, expensive and low
productivity method. Below
images of Reef Ball units in the sea after coral implantation.
Below
some images of Eco-Coral™ after 3 months in the sea demonstrating rapid
colonization by reef organisms.
Conclusion. Eco-Coral™
clearly demonstrates several orders of magnitude greater colonization than
the current leader Reef Ball, without any labor input at all. The Reef
Nursery method of propagating corals and reef creatures and of providing fish
habitat is not only revolutionary but also shows that serious rehabilitation
can commence at once. |
With the introduction of Eco-Coral™ a new and highly productive
method of coral propagation has
become available due to the unique ability of Eco-Coral™ to be placed in
healthy reefs, become colonized and subsequently recovered and placed in the
target area.
Eco-Coral Corporation
based in
Experimental placements of
Eco-Coral™ units have been made in a reef system at
Because of the precise manufacturing
process Eco-Coral™ has a Ph almost the same as seawater; some components of the
material are only available in the
Pictorial progression over
a mere 14 weeks of exposure may be viewed below.
As a result of these first
trials, further development is being undertaken by Technostrat Corporation.
Establishment of a
small coral nursery at Capones Island.
The next stage is to
deploy 1,000 units of Eco-Coral™ at
Establishment of a major nursery and research project at
Tubbataha Reef off Palawan,
This project is described below.
The Coral Nursery
Project.
Overview
Until the invention and
production of Eco-Coral,Ó
methods of growing and transplanting corals have been interesting but not
effective for large-scale re-establishment of coral reef eco-systems.
Eco-CoralÓ has the unique capability, not shared by any other
artificial reef module, to be deployed and recovered. Due to its special
formulation and controlled manufacture it has a PH the same as that of sea
water which means that aquatic organisms readily colonize it, and its surface
structure and coloring further facilitates this process.
This capability of
Eco-CoralÓ makes it possible to establish nurseries of
Eco-CoralÓ modules within existing live coral reefs, permit
them to become colonized and then to recover them and re-deploy them in the
areas of remediation/re-establishment, thereby creating a ready made, live
coral reef whose base structure, Eco-CoralÓ, has been specially
designed to provide a safe habitat for small and juvenile fish whilst giving
adult fish a familiar environment.
This proposal sets out a
plan for the establishment of the first large scale Coral Nursery.
Host reef nursery.
The first Coral Nursery is
proposed for the Tubbataha
Reef located off the Philippine
Ten separate nursery beds
will be established, each containing 25,000 units of Eco-CoralÓ. These nursery sites will be selected to obtain an
optimum cross-section of the reefs’ coral species and other organisms.
Each site will have it’s
own mooring buoy with oilrig quality anchoring system.
It is estimated that it
will take two years to achieve colonization to a state where recovery and
transportation may be safely undertaken.
Management and monitoring
of the nursery will be effected by the crew and scientists aboard the research
and management vessel (described below).
Once the colonization
process timings are validated, harvesting and installation of replacement
Eco-CoralÓ units will be an ongoing process.
When re-establishing or
remediating reefs it is considered that a ratio of one (1) colonized unit to
eight (8) uncolonized units would be adequate but this will be validated by
research and observation.
Approximately 2,500
Eco-CoralÓ units cover an area of one hectare, implying that
277 colonized units per hectare. Thus, a nursery of 250,000 units can rebuild
900 hectares of reef per year. Bringing fish back to the reefs may necessitate
the deployment of submersed Fish Aggregation Devices in a “highway’
configuration from known resources with Eco-CoralÓ
units placed in between them to guide the fish.
The Research vessel.
The research vessel will
be a landing craft type with shallow draft less than 2 meters.
With deadweight of about
2,000 tonnes it will be a double-hulled vessel to protect against damage spills
of fuel and bilge contents.
To maintain a quiet and
vibration free environment for research the power will be by turbine driven
generators feeding electric motors, this configuration also minimizes the
production of bilge contaminants.
The vessel will have tanks
for transporting colonized Eco-CoralÓ units and upper deck
for new units.
A waste treatment plant
will be fitted and all effluents will be stored on board the vessel. Treated
waste will be discharged only in non-reef deep-water areas.
Optimum use of solar
lighting and water heating will be incorporated and all lights will be LED type
to minimize energy requirement. Communications and navigation equipment will be
capable of global operation.
Scientific equipment will
include a laboratory with it’s own study tanks so that units may be recovered for
analysis of development, enabling, for the first time observation of the
developments in colonization of substrates by reef organisms.
A full diving system will
be installed with it’s own compressor systems, re- breathers and de-compression
chamber. Two 7-meter RIB jet boats will be carried for diver support
operations. The vessel will be fitted with an in-water extensible conveyor to
deploy and retrieve Eco-CoralÓ units as well as a platform hoist system.
The vessel will have a
heli-pad for convenience and safety.
The scientific complement
of the Research Vessel will comprise representatives of the appropriate
Philippine institutions, representatives of the partner country institutions
and invited specialists from around the world, all of whom would typically
rotate tours of duty.
Costs.
The following are
estimates of the cost of establishing and running the Eco-CoralÓ nursery.
- Research vessel fitted out $4 million
- 250,000 units of Eco-CoralÓ $6.25
million
- Running costs 3 years $6 million
Total for project $16.25 million
Revenue
after initial 2 years.
Purchases $6.25 million
Provision
for operations $3.5 million
Buyers
cost per hectare rehabilitation reef:
400
colonized units $36,000
2000
standard units $50,000
Total cost per hectare $86,000
Economic value of rehabilitated reefs.
Nurseries of 250,000 units
of Eco-Coral™ can provide for 900 hectares of new reef annually with a
productive value of $US 5.4 million
annually (see below)
This indicates that 100
Large Scale Reef Nurseries in various parts of the world can supply, over 10
years, 900,000 hectares of reef with an annual economic output value of $US 5.4
billion.