Project BioRocks is an unorthodox approach to address our worldwide problem with the coral diminution making our oceans healthier. We are building bridges between the tourism industry whilst creating new coral gardens. We are adopting the biorock technique founded in 1979 by Dr. Tom Goreau and the late scientist Wolf Hilbertz. Working alongside the doctor and his Globalcoral.org we can use this scientific approach of actually building coral sculptures with their decades of knowledge.
Jumpstarting new coral reefs
We build metal sculptures with a story to tell becoming an underwater gallery or museum. These sculptures are part of an electrolyte system, placing them under a low voltage current as explained below. The tourists are invited to come and witness this spectacle happen + while we educate the snorkelers / divers they participate in the maintenance, making them official eco-tourist warriors!
The biorock technique
As mentioned the biorock technique is founded in 1979 by the late future scientist Wolf Hilbertz who joined forces with Dr. Tom Goreau. The technique is an electrolyte system where we place a titanium mesh (anode) close to the metal structure (cathode) under a low voltage current provided by solar or main power line, indeed easier said than done.
The electrolyte system attracts the minerals from the ocean creating limestone around the the metal structure and stopping the corrosion. This limestone is the base for the coral to grow on (polyp + algae = coral). Marine biologists say that we basically help evolution by building their skeleton for them so they can put their energy into growth, making them grow up to 5 x faster and 20 x more resilient to natural and human stress impact. Over the years the technique has been fine tuned and given its success in Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives, Mexico, Jamaica, St Barth and the list goes on. Making it the perfect tool for us to adopt and creating Art That Matters.
Multiple functions
Biodiversity
All of us humans + over 25% of alle marine life is dependent on the corals. The fish seeking for shelter to give birth, grow or for food and us humans need it more than we think for oxygen (carbon offset), coastal protection and of course as a source for food. The sculptures can be placed where normally coral won’t grow because of sandy bottoms or rocky shifting surfaces giving an area a perfect habitat for new biodiversity to come and thrive.
Coastal protection
Preventing coastal erosion in a natural way like normal reefs would do. This is way more cost effective than building machine based sand dunes or walls that will deteriorate over time, since water is likely to dig under the wall forcing it collapse. A biorock structure in the shore line also functions as a barrier that absorbs most impact of the waves like all natural reefs do.
Eco tourism
Tourism is a billion dollar industry and our most beautiful locations of this blue planet are quite often dependent on it. But tourism is mostly consumerism based and transportation such as cruizeliners / airplanes pollute as well on top of the waste tourist create. Eco tourism is on demand and expected to grow another 17% this year. Therefore we combine these two elements making it a win/ win, ying/ yan Feng Shui situation.
“Let’s Rock!”
Enjoy our Blue²
