Global Coral Reef Alliance A non-profit corporation dedicated to growing, protecting and managing the most threatened of all marine ecosystems

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Global Coral Reef AllianceA non-profit
corporation dedicated to growing, protecting and
managing the most threatened of all marine
ecosystems Coral Reefs
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Coral Reefs Support, Nurture, Protect, Provide
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Reefs are dying all over the world
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Today, 65 of the worlds reefs are dying (US
Coral Reef Task Force, NOAA)
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Why are reefs dying?

• Rising water temperatures
• Sewage flows
• Eutrophication
• Disease
• Dredging
• Dynamite
• Cyanide fishing
• Bleaching
• Physical damage

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Consider Cancun

• Only 12 families lived on this forested island
  until the 1970s
• Then the tourist industry arrived
• Today, 2.6 million people visit Cancun each year
• The island is bare, its forests long gone
• Sewage facilities process only one-quarter of the
  daily flow
• The rest goes straight into the sea

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Reefs are often covered with algae
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Algae comes in green, brown and redBay Islands,
Honduras, 2000
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It smothers and kills healthy coral
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Algae growth is often followed by Yellow-band
disease
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Bleaching is usually caused by rising ocean
temperatures
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Tissue is visible in the absence of symbiotic
algae
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Corals worldwide suffer from bleachingBonaire,
2001
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BLEACHED CORALNEW GUINEA
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Physical damage is everywhereBay Islands,
Honduras, 2003
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Cyanide fishing kills coral
Healthy
After cyanide exposure
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Elkhorn and anchors dont mix Bay Islands,
Honduras, 2003
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When reefs die

• Fish populations disappear
• Fishermen lose their livelihood
• Beaches and shorelines wash away
• Land areas erode from waves
• Tourists find somewhere else to dive
• Local economies can be devastated

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A solution for corals in peril

• Biorock Process

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The Biorock ProcessCorals thrive. Even where
water quality is poor
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Biorock/ Mineral Accretion

• On underwater, conductive structures we assemble
  a positively charged anode and a negatively
  charged cathode (structure)
• Apply a low voltage electric current between them
• Safe for swimmers
• Which causes minerals to crystallize from
  seawater onto structures
• Calcium carbonate, white limestone (CaCO3) is
  formed
• Similar to natural coral reefs and tropical white
  sand
• Corals adhere to limestone and grow quickly

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How a Biorock Reef works
When a positively charged anode and a negatively
charged cathode are suspended in sea water with
an electric current flowing between them, calcium
ions combine with carbonate ions and adhere to
the structure (cathode).The result is calcium
carbonate.Corals adhere to CaCO3 and grow
quickly.
Solar collector or other power supply
Cathode (-)Conductive Structure
Anode ()
Coral Fragments
(CaCO3)
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Rebar can be welded in any shape
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When the materials are fully assembled
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We float it into position
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We attach the electric cables
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Calcium carbonate quickly forms on the structure
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We make the frame ready for coral
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We wire naturally broken pieces of coral to the
structure
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Coral fragments soon cover the frame
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We monitor coral growth
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Barnacle Reef, Maldives, 1997
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Barnacle Reef A year later, 1998
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Barnacle Reef, 3 years growth
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Corals are robust and healthy
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Fish populations move in
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The new marine ecosystem is both balanced and
healthy
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Biorock Reefs attract divers
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Biorock Reefs around the world

• Indonesia, Bali and Komodo
• Jamaica
• Maldives, Ihuru and Vabbinfaru
• Mexico, Yucatan
• Panama, San Blas Islands
• Papua New Guinea
• Saya de Malha
• Seychelles
• Thailand, Phuket
• Palau

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GCRA Projects have won international awards

• The SKAL award for the best Underwater Ecotourism
  project worldwide.
• KONAS Indonesian National Award for best
  community-based coastal zone management
• Theodore Sperry Award, the top prize of the
  Society for Ecological Restoration
• Maldives Environment Award

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Biorock Press
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GCRA projects

• Build, restore and maintain coral reefs in
  communities worst affected by loss of reefs
• Build reefs for tourism
• Breakwaters for shore protection
• MaricultureOysters
• ConsultationDiseases, conservation,
  rehabilitation

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Funding
To date.
Small cash donations from private individuals and
businesses
Valuable in-kind donations from the communities
with which the GCRA has worked.
No Salaries are drawn from GCRA funding
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Global Coral Reef Alliance Associates

• Jon Allen, GCRA Board of Directors, research
  engineer and instrumentation designer
• Yos Amerta, Bali programs
• Max Benjamin, Papua New Guinea programs
• Jude Bijoux, Seychelles programs
• James Cervino, Coral physiologist, field and
  laboratory analysis
• Dan Stefanie Clark, Florida programs
• Gabriel Despaigne, Panama programs
• Gerardo Garcia, Mexico programs
• Marina Goreau, Children's program
• Tom Goreau, GCRA President
• Azeez. A. Hakeem, Maldives programs
• Ray Hayes, GCRA Board of Advisors, coral health
• Wolf Hilbertz, Reef Restoration
• Jeff Houdret, GCRA Board of Advisors, marketing
  advisor, web issues
• Narayana, Bali programs
• Dr. Steven Orzack, GCRA Board of Directors,
  Director of the Fresh Pond Research Institute
• Niphon Phongsuwan, Thailand programs
• Cody Shwaiko, Komodo programs
• Roque Solis, Panama programs