In pilot installations in Mexico, Panama, Indonesia, Maldives, Thailand,
and Papua New Guinea, we have built artificial reefs where corals grow
rapidly even in stressed environments.
Applying a low voltage electrical current (completely safe for swimmers
and marine life) to a submerged conductive structure causes dissolved
mineral crystals in seawater to precipitate and adhere to that
structure. The result is a composite of limestone and brucite with
mechanical strength similar to concrete. Derived from seawater, this
material is similar to the composition of natural coral reefs and
tropical sand beaches.
Biorock structures can be built in any size or shape depending only on
the physical makeup of the sea bottom, wave and current energies and
construction materials. They are well suited for remote, third world
sites where exotic building materials, construction equipment and highly
skilled labor are non-existent.
GCRA methods provide a cost-effective way to increase coral survival
from bleaching and disease, while restoring damaged reefs. In time,
these structures cement themselves to the ocean bottom, providing a
physical barrier that can protect coastlines from waves and currents
that cause erosion.