Ecosystems under threat - 14th May 2021

From the Caribbean to the South China Sea to the Mediterranean, new technologies are being harnessed in an attempt to halt the ever-increasing degradation of a vital part of our ecosystem – coral reefs.

One novel method on trial in Panama, a country whose coastline of well over 2000 km boasts an abundance of coral reefs - all under threat - is the installation of these peculiar contraptions. Deposited on the seabed, they provide a safe haven for potential coral growth.

Budding scientists, keen to increase their ecological knowledge and gain hands-on experience, assist researchers by tracking coral growth and gathering data.

Over in Hong Kong, home to a host of coral types, 3D printed clay tiles are being installed on the ground deep in the sea to provide a productive environment for new coral to flourish.

PhD student Vriko Yu is amazed by the proliferation of sea life settling on the tiles.

Vriko Yu: "I still remember the first time we put down the tiles. There were a few fishes around the tiles and it was making me really excited. But this time, or even last time that we revisited the tiles, we can see there are a lot more groups of fishes, and different kinds of fishes.’’

Local academic David Baker has high hopes for the restoration of coral in Hong Kong.

David Baker: "In my imagination, we think about climate change is happening, it's going to warm our waters considerably, but as we start to clean up the waters as well through various government initiatives, we might actually be creating a new potential home for corals as they try to escape climate change from equatorial regions."

Cypriot conservationist Louis Hadjioannou sees the connection between climate change and the coral reef crisis.

Louis Hadjioannou: "In the year 2015 when we had an anomaly of I think it was one temperature higher [degree Celsius] than the maximum normal one, we got more than 20 to 30 percent of corals dying.”

Although the battle against climate change requires a united approach, Louis views education as the key to safeguarding the future of coral reefs.

Louis Hadjioannou: "Our aim is to primarily educate children, they are the future. They are the ones who are going to become the future conservationists, the future government, the future users of this island and the coastal area.”