By Paolo von Schirach
President, Global Policy Institute; Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Bay Atlantic University, both in Washington, DC
Washington, DC – November 28, 2024 – We humans are (unfortunately) incredibly good at damaging or destroying the world we live in. The delicate and complex ecosystem which nature built over millennia has been compromised in almost no time by careless and damaging human activities resulting in pollution and often physical destruction.
Coral reefs
Coral reefs are among the notable victims of human actions. However, in this case human ingenuity may help repair some of the damage caused by human carelessness or utter stupidity. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect solution. Regarding reefs, not everything can be remedied via ad hoc human interventions. Larger issues like rising water temperatures which in turn severely damage marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, would require broader, longer term systemic interventions.
There have been many initiatives aimed at creating man-made new habitat for marine life, mostly by literally “throwing” into the oceans all sorts of discarded man-made objects, including old ships, with the hope that they would offer an appropriate habitat that will sustain marine life.
“Reef Balls”
But now we have something much better, and much more sophisticated. For example, consider the innovative invention by the Reef Ball Foundation, located in Athens, Georgia https://reefballfoundation.org As the name suggests, their work is all about man-made cement half “balls” with holes, to be deployed on the sea floor, so that they will help nature by offering eco-friendly “platforms” that will make it possible for coral to attach to its surface, this way allowing the creation of new coral reefs. The reefs, created by clustering many half balls in a particular area on the ocean’s floor, soon become an excellent habitat for fish and diverse marine life, this way enriching the ocean’s environment. The sturdy, cement made, reef balls will last at least five hundred years.
Amazingly, in just a few years (3 to 5) an almost complete replica of a natural reef is created, thanks to the attractiveness of the reef balls man-made habitat. And one can place as many “reef balls” as may be needed on the sea floor. Soon enough, these artificial yet eco-friendly structures will “come to life,” playing host to coral, algae, crustaceans, and fish.
Esay to make and deploy
The technology is simple. It is easy to make the reef balls on site, near the area where they will be deployed. This simplifies all logistical arrangements, considering the bulk and weight of large concrete structures. The reef ball molds can be shipped close to the shore.
Once the balls are made and ready, inflatable balloons are placed inside the hollow structures, so that they can easily float until they reach the designated deployment area on the sea floor. At that point, with the help of divers, the balls are guided down, as the balloons are deflated.
Once the reef balls have safely reached the bottom of the sea, that is it. No additional action or maintenance is required. They are designed to stay there –in perpetuity. The balls are heavy and stable, and so they will not be displaced by underwater currents, or other forces. The holes allow water to pass through them.
A new habitat for marine life is created
Their hollow interior almost immediately becomes a perfect habitat for fish and other marine creatures. The rugged exterior will allow coral to attach itself to its surface. This quasi-natural habitat will allow the replenishment of various species, contributing to the healing of many parts of our damaged, overfished oceans. Reef balls have already been placed in the waters of more than seventy countries.
This creation of additional reefs does not solve all the issues related to the survival of coral reefs. In many regions of the world there are serious sustainability issues regarding coral reefs –think of rising water temperatures mentioned above– that the reef balls “solution” cannot by itself address. Still, as far as low cost, man-made devices to create a new habitat for marine life, this is a surprisingly good one.
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