Climate change damages coral reefs. In a video filmed in the Maldives in April 2023, an Italian research team demonstrates the properties of a new biodegradable and hardening material designed for underwater reef restoration work.
This new material was developed by the Italian Institute of Technology and the University of Milano-Bicocca, in collaboration with the Acquario di Genova, and described in the journal Advanced Sustainable Systems in June 2024.
Active reef restoration involves growing new coral colonies in protected environments, usually underwater nurseries, and then transplanting them back to the damaged parts of the reef. To carry out this transplantation, materials are usually used that allow the coral to adhere to the underwater surface, while ensuring optimal execution times. The products currently on the market are often derived from the oil industry and can therefore be toxic to the environment. In addition, they can take a long time to cure, from an hour to a full day, during which time the coral has to hold itself in place against sea currents that could displace it and reduce the success of the transplant.
The new material is biodegradable and non-polluting because it consists of two components of plant origin. Once the two parts are bonded, the curing time is only 20-25 minutes, increasing the success of the transplant and speeding up the restoration of coral reefs.
The material's performance has been verified in tests carried out at the Acquario di Genova and in the Maldives at the MaRHE Centre (Marine Research and Higher Education Centre) - directed by Prof. Paolo Galli - where the corals grew without any signs of stress during the observation period.
In addition to the very important work of restoring corals in the wild, the research for the new material also stems from the desire of institutions such as the Acquario di Genova to introduce techniques and procedures for maintaining species in a controlled environment and for use in research and conservation projects that are increasingly sustainable and environmentally friendly.
The material is the subject of a patent application and was also developed thanks to funding from the PNRR 'Future National Biodiversity Centre' project.
For more information: online article.