Artificial Reefs:
India’s second-ever installation of artificial reefs (after Pondicherry) to boost marine life is being deployed near Worli Koliwada, Mumbai.
- 210 reef units made from recycled concrete and steel are installed 500 meters offshore, and it will take 3 months to show initial signs of a thriving ecosystem.
- Artificial Reefs are structures built by humans through biorock technology and placed on the seabed in freshwater or saltwater environments.
- Biorock technology was invented by Wolf Hilbertz. In this technology, a low electrical current is passed through the water using electrodes placed near a steel structure.
- This current acts like a magnet, attracting dissolved minerals, particularly calcium and carbonate ions, forming a calcium carbonate (CaCO3) layer similar to natural coral reefs.
- These reefs offer crucial hard surfaces to which algae, barnacles, corals, and oysters can firmly attach themselves.
- These reefs will create habitats for fish, absorb carbon dioxide, and benefit local fishing communities.
