Recreating Coral Reefs in Bali
by Monica
Coral reefs are found in about 100 countries. They are home to over 25 percent of all marine life and they are among the world’s most endangered ecosystems. In the last few decades over 35 million acres of Coral Reefs have been destroyed. Bali’s coral reefs had been destroyed by rising temperatures, horrible fishing methods and poisoned by cyanide. But now, thanks to new studies made by a team of scientists and experts, they have been able to develop a new method to recreate Bali’s destroyed coral.
What the Bali project does is that it constructs metal frames, they are usually in the shape of greenhouses, and then they are placed under water in the bay. When they are hooked up to a low-voltage energy source limestone gathers on the metal. Workers then save the coral that has been broken from damaged reefs and attach it to the structure.
This project shows the creative ways that scientists are trying to fight the negative effects of global warming. Even though this method may be really great in bringing small areas of damaged coral back to life, it is not able to bring big areas protection. Perhaps in the future, we will develop better ideas that can help both small areas and large areas of damaged coral reefs.
Do you think that this way of bringing back coral is an improvement to the environment?
What are other ways we help the Coral Reefs?
December 11th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
This is great news for the environment. Coral reefs have been disapearing and in part with over fishing it has made the fish population go way down. With this discovery fish will have more places to live and escape from predators. Other ways we can help the reefs is to stop pollution and oil spills, also stop emiting so much carbon and speeding up global warming. good post
December 11th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
I do think bringing back the coral reefs is a HUGE improvement to the enviroment. One time I was watching a show on discovery channel called “Dirty Jobs.” On this show they had him, Mike Rowe, make Coral reef balls. The coral reef balls are concrete structures that look almost like a bee hive or a soccer ball. This site shows more about them
http://www.reefball.org/index.html
December 11th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
That is terrible, i never really thought much about global warming and its effects. But now i see the effects happening all around us. Is the reason we have 70 degree weather in the middle of December global warming???
But that is great how they are restoring the reefs bit by bit.
December 11th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
This is a great idea that scientists have come up with! They have really found an amazing way to help out the environment! Some other ways we could protect coral reefs is to be careful where you fish, not duping any toxic waste into the oceans and making sure that we prevent as much global warming as we can!
December 11th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
I thinks this is a very creative method that is effective enough, for now. But I think we should definitely start working on ways that we can protect the whole ocean environment. Some ways that YOU can help coral reefs include:
- Don’t use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers (this is because they eventually end up in watershed and impact the coral water)
- Volunteer for reef clean up. OK, I know we don’t exactly live next to a coral reef, but next time you go on vacation to the beach make sure to!!!
-Become a member of the zoo or aquarium and ask what they are doing to help (then donate!!!)
December 11th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
I have been lucky enough to see a few coral reefs so far through scubsdiving and snorkeling and they truly are amazing. Unfortunately I have also seen dead and broken off pieces of the coral and it is truly heart breaking how people treat our environment. It is truly great to hear what they are doing to rebuild coral reefs I think it is a great idea but I also believe we still need to come up with ways to preserve the coral that are still living.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
I think that this will be able to help our ecosystems a lot. Even if they can’t do it on large scales it still will be able to help bring back endangered species that live in that area that were being affected by the decline of their home. One way we can help bring back coral reefs is by stop polluting the waters that coral reefs are in.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
this is so interesting. i think the coral definitely help to improve the enviroment.every animal have their own work to do for the enviroment. this coral probably ahve their own job to do. this is so great story.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
This is a really informing article! I once went scuba diving and looked at the coral reef in Mexico and it was so pretty! I didnt know how much in danger that it is. I think that that is a really creative idea even though im sure we can think of even more ideas in the future. I agree with Kt to not use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers.
December 11th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
This is a great way to help out the fish population. Human interference is greatly decreasing the amount of fish that we have. I was just wondering, in aquariums and some zoos they have coral reefs. Are these coral reefs made the same way that these scientists are making them in the ocean or are they simply fake reefs painted to look real?
December 11th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
i remember when i was little about 7 or 8 and i went to hawaii for the first time and we went snorkling around a coral reef and i remember seeing how everything was so pretty with bright colors and alot of fish! and then we went back about 3 years ago and we went out to the same reef and it wasnt at all like i remembered. there was hardly any fish and all the beautiful plants i once saw just dissapeared. i always wondered why and now i hope that this method they are using will just help more then just global warming.
December 12th, 2007 at 12:19 am
I think it’s extemely sad that one of the most colorful ecosystems in the world is dying. I mean endangered species we’ve been very used to hearing about. But endangered ecosystems? A coral reef ecosystems provide a home for sea stars, and urchins, and so many other species to interact with eachother. I think that what the scientists and researchers of the Bali project are doing is GREAT, but I find it more sad that they have to even do it in the first place, expecially when it’s a mass problem and there is large ecosystems to “fix”. Not only are the coral reefs destoryed by fishing and global warming, but also directly from humans. If you step foot in the Georgia Aquarium, you see the magnificent ecosystems there, because they are being used and are very popular in saltwater aquariums!
December 12th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Growing up i went to wisconsin to visit my grandparents and when ever i would go to the shore there would always be these little organisms that fascinated me. So to me if i could be one place it would probably be in a coral reef. i mean there are millions upon millions of organisms in the reefs.
December 12th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
I agree with everybody- it’s incredibly sad that these gorgeous and wonderfully diverse ecosystems are being worn down and killed becasue of the human races’ negative impact on the environment. But things like the Bali project really show that some people have enough concern to turn things around. It’s a great idea and I think that it will work out wonderfully! Even if they might not produce quite as much splendor and diversity as a natural reef might (simply becasue ti’s partially synthetic) they still are a wonder to behold and will help mantain the . I know that anyone else who has seen a coral reef can attest: it’s absolutely breath taking and one of the most beautiful things you will ever see! Other ways we as individuals can look out for corals reefs is just to conserve all we can, use organic products, and support foundations that do things like the Bali project.
December 12th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
I can definetely see the effect of global warming on the coral reefs. I remember when I was younger, I would go snorkling and see magnificent fish and reefs, but now it isn’t so great because of us. People are helping though and that is good to know, because we want our kids to be able to say if they ever went snorkling that they saw the coral reefs. The reefs will not be the same if we do not do something. Some ways to help are to conserve water, help reduce pollution, use organic fertilizers, dispose of trash properly, and simply spread the word about the issues with the coral reefs.
http://www.nature.org/joinanddonate/rescuereef/explore/help.html
December 12th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
I love seeing coral and the different types of fish that live in that environment. It kills me to see all of the corals dying out. On animal planet it said that in The Great Barrier Reef there are also some types of star fish that are wiping out the coral. When my family and I went to Hawaii we all went out snorkling and something caught my eye I showed my dad and saw that it was one of the star fish I was talking about so that also means that they are now migrating over here. But I am glad that we are trying to help these coral reefs that are being so damaged.
December 12th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
I think that coral reefs are beautiful. I wish that they could find a definate way to save all the coral reefs in the world. The only thing I could suggest is that we find all the coral reefs and put barriers around them. But then that would be very time consuming, and boats would have to go around them, and then when the coral kept growing they would have to remark all the boundries. So that would too difficult. Oh dear i just contradicted myself. SOMEONE COME UP WITH SOMEHTING BETTER!
December 12th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
I love this post. I’ve been snorkeling and saw a beautiful coral reef in the Virgin Islands. I think that what the scientists are doing is wonderful. Wev’e become extremely focused on what is happening around us that we forget to think about other ecosystems, like a coral reef. My question is that if scientists are putting forth so much effort to helping ocean ecosystems, why aren’t they trying that hard to save our trees and forests? Thousands of organisms are loosing homes and lives because of deforstation, are scientists doing anything to regrow trees on land??
December 13th, 2007 at 1:14 am
Issues dealing with environmentalism like conservation is outside the realm of science. Science is amoral (neither good nor bad) and therefore it is the political arena where conservation is decided. Scientists can only make recommendations and give warnings. It is up to the people and their elected leaders to listen or ignore.
December 13th, 2007 at 10:18 am
For a long time I have heard about the coral reefs being destroyed, and i think it is very sad that anyone could do such a thing to such beautiful pieces of nature. I think this is good yes, but since it only helps small areas of coral reefs i doubt that it will be able to keep up with the large amount of coral reefs getting killed and destoyed each year. So yes i do think this is a good thing, and it is good that they are taking into account that coral reefs nee dto be saved, but they are going to have to take larger methods if they want to actually start bringing back our ocean’s reefs.
December 13th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Corals are very interesting animals. Just one polyp can start an entire coral reef with time if we can find a way to bring healthy polyp to one of these frames and we provide it with a safe environment the coral reefs could grow to be quite large.
December 13th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I had no idea that coral reefs were in trouble! i think what these scientist have created is very intuitive way to save these reefs I think as the human mind evolves as it has been for centuries, scientists will come up with better and more efficient ways to stop this problem. I suppose the best way to stop this problem is to stop polluting and clean up our beaches. I go to the beach every year, and every year I find cans, toys, wrappers, and other trash dug into the sand that will eventually go out to sea.
December 13th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
That idea is pretty “extreme” i guess but im glad to hear that it will help preserve the reefs siince they are home to soo many species andi t would be terrible to see them disappear. Not only are the saving the reefs but the millions of species that live there. I think the new method is a bit colstly but its worth it. I dont know many other logical ways to help the reefs other than to slow global warming, which is near impossible i bet
December 13th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
Last spring break, I went to cancun and one of the days when me and my father were up there, we decided to go snorkling, thinking that it would be a fun experience. Well it was way more then a fun experience…I saw so much and came really close to some coral reefs. It is just really sad that it is going away and becoming well almost extinct. We need to do everything to keep them safe cause they are really cool and if you are like me and have ever seen them in person, you know that I am not lying about their beauty.
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Coral reef is a very beautiful animal and we should work hard on trying to save the coral . Coral is something that needs to be looked at for its beauty instead of its value. Many animals live within the coral and strive on it. I think that if people took the time to look at the facts and not be so hasty to harvest coral then maybe the coral could stand a chance. All coral are living creatures. They are just like us.