Researchers are creating congenial homes for corals

The growth and development of coral reefs is a laboriously slow process, impeded by harsh environment and competitors at every stage. Researchers at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology seek to speed up the rate of coral regeneration by providing them with a congenial environment that inhibits competitors from flourishing.

The idea, borrowed from recent works in the field of tissue engineering, involves creating artificial structures to which coral larvae can cling and expand their settlement, notes Phys.org. The approach will require a “cross-fertilization” between the disciplines of culturing coral larvae, fluid mechanics, material science and engineering principles to aide and bolster coral regeneration.

In a separate effort, bullet-shaped reef balls are being tossed out in the waters of Port Barrera off the shores of Tigbao village in Masbate, to hasten coral regeneration, writes Rappler. These reef balls are artificial structures with a coarse texture and perforated design, ideal for coral settlement.