In an attempt to recreate what some refer to as the “rainforest of the sea,” researchers from South Florida are clinging to biodegradable straws to stop predatory fish from consuming lab-grown coral.
For years, researchers from all around the world have been attempting to address the decrease in coral reef populations. Reef rescue organizations in the Florida Keys and South Florida were attempting to save coral from increasing sea temperatures only last summer. In addition to attempting to preserve the coral that already exists, scientists have begun cultivating new coral in laboratories before releasing it into the ocean.
However, safeguarding the submerged ecology that sustains more than 25% of all marine species is a challenging task. Making sure that lab-grown coral that is released into the water doesn’t end up as pricey fish food is even more difficult.
One issue, according to marine researcher Kyle Pisano, is that in places like South Florida, predators like parrot fish try to eat and kill the just transplanted coral, giving it a survival rate of less than 40%. Coral fragments may cost more than $100 apiece, so when projects need planting thousands of coral over the course of the following year and tens of thousands over the course of the following ten years, the losses mount up.
The Coral Fort is a biodegradable cage that Pisano and his collaborator Kirk Dotson created. They say that the compact cage, which is partially built of drinking straws, increases the survival rate of transplanted coral to over 90%.
“Parrot fish on the reef really, really enjoy biting a newly transplanted coral,” stated Pisano. They handle it quite similarly to popcorn.
Fortunately, when the coral ages and loses its appeal to the fish, scientists must take immediate action to safeguard it. Barriers made of PVC pipe and stainless steel had been erected around transplanted coral in the past, but they eventually needed to be taken down because of algae development.
Pisano came up with the concept of making a barrier of protection that would ultimately vanish and not need to be maintained or taken down.
He started working with biodegradable coral cages in offshore tests as a part of Nova Southeastern University’s master’s programme. He made use of a biopolymer known as polyhydroxyalkanoate, which is produced by the fermentation of canola oil. In the ocean, PHA biodegrades to produce carbon dioxide and water. His research was made public a year ago.
WinCup Inc., an Atlanta-based company, manufactures eight vertical phade brand drinking straws that encircle a limestone disc that serves as the coral cage. According to Pisano, the reason the device doesn’t have a top is that the young coral requires sunlight, and parrot fish don’t usually prefer to face down to feed.
Retired aerospace engineer Dotson and Pisano founded Reef Fortify Inc. to further the development and commercialization of the patent-pending Coral Fort. Dotson met Pisano through his professor at Nova Southeastern. Although the initial batch of cages cost $12 apiece, Pisano and Dotson think that may alter when manufacturing gets larger.
Early iterations of the cage, constructed from Phade’s regular drinking straws, were able to keep the coral safe for around two months before dissolving in the water, but not long enough to withstand parrot fish’s curiosity. Phade promised Pisano and Dotson that it could create almost any bespoke form using their biodegradable PHA material when they contacted them for assistance.
“However, it appears that the boba straws function perfectly right out of the package,” Dotson said.
Compared to standard drinking straws, boba straws are bigger and broader. They are used to make a tea-based beverage with tapioca balls at the base of the glass. Because of their increased thickness, Pisano and Dotson believe the straws endure long enough to shield the developing coral before innocuously disintegrating.
Reef Fortify aspires to collaborate on reef restoration initiatives globally. Researchers from the University of Miami, Hawaii’s Division of Aquatic Resources, and Nova Southeastern University have already begun using the Coral Forts.
The Coral Forts have been in use for almost a month, according to Rich Karp, a coral researcher at the University of Miami. He made the argument that since working underwater requires a lot of time and energy, having a protective cage that dissolves when not in use essentially reduces their workload in half.
“Simply caging corals and then removing the cages later, that’s two times the amount of work, two times the amount of bottom time,” Karp stated. Furthermore, it isn’t very scalable.
According to experts, coral reefs play a vital role in the ecosystem of the ocean. Although they make up less than 1% of the ocean overall, they are home and sustenance to around 25% of marine species. During storms, coral reefs also aid in shielding people and their coastal properties from storm surges.
-Raja Aditya