Coral reefs are the “rainforests of the sea”, home to nearly ¼ of the ocean’s marine species. In the calm, crystal clear waters off the north coast of Bali, miles of elaborate coral reefs once teemed with vibrant and colorful marine life. Most of Bali’s coral reefs were destroyed by a deadly combination of coral bleaching, partly from global warming, and fishing with explosives and cyanide.
But thanks to revolutionary new technology called ‘mineral accretion’, the dream of the local community to once again have their reefs teeming with exotic marine life could soon become reality.
Reef Reborn travels to the magnificent island of Bali to follow the work of two marine scientists endeavoring to reconstruct the precious underwater ecosystems. The scientists’ miraculous mineral accretion structures build reefs up to five times faster than they would naturally occur. They do this by passing an electric current through the metal framework, in turn causing an accumulation of limestone, that encourages living coral to thrive.
Like a drop of water in a pond, the humble efforts of the scientists and community begin to ripple outwards. A sea-change takes place in the village; recognition and pride unite disparate factions of the fishing community, which asks for more accretion structures to help build fish stocks in the Bay.
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