Ocean Caraibes is confident that electric coral reefs, created and produced by BIOROCK® MARINE CONSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS, is an environmentally friendly, reliable and proven method of creating artificial coral reefs.
BIOROCK’s construction and scientific approach exceeds expectations in creating habitat for fish and marine life, providing world-class snorkeling & dive sites, while actually supporting beach development, and the reduction of swell waves & storm surges along coastlines. Learn More At The Biorock YouTube Channel Environmentally friendly, reliable
-- proven successful. Cost Factor: generally the cost of a Biorock Structure is between 50% and 70% less than using rock armour (large boulders) and concrete.
More Information ► Biorock for Ecotourism Diving (PDF) |
Artificial Reef Creation
and Deployment Ocean Caraibes staff will be responsible for acquiring all the necessary equipment, 90% of which can be sourced locally. We will also train your staff and / or hire local staff for the construction and deployment of the Biorock structures. We can also develop a monitoring program to analyze the new reef's condition including fish and marine life census, status report and underwater photos/video. |
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Basic Principles
The Biorock method uses low voltage direct currents (above 1.2 Volts) to grow solid limestone minerals on conductive substrates. The minerals grown are naturally present in large amounts in seawater, but will not crystallize out by themselves. The electrical current used is safe to humans and all marine organisms, all of which are seen to be attracted, and none repelled. The low current also completely prevents rusting of steel substrates, indeed it reverses any rusting that had previously occurred. The strength of Biorock materials is an inverse function of growth rate, but is typically around 3 times the compressive strength of ordinary Portland cement concrete if grown at less than 1-2 centimeters per year. |
Biorock construction materials are the only known marine construction materials that are growing, get constantly stronger with age (while all others deteriorate), and are unique in being self-repairing, since any physically damaged areas grow back preferentially. There is no limit in principle to the size or shape of Biorock structures, they could be grown hundreds of miles long if funding allowed.
Repair and Strengthening of... Reinforced Concrete Piers - Docks - Breakwaters - Seawalls - Wharves
Reinforced concrete quickly deteriorates in the marine environment as the internal steel reinforcing bars rust and expands, cracking off the concrete, with the structures eventually crumbling and collapsing.
Using Biorock, the rusting is reversed, and all cracks
in the concrete are filled in with hard limestone rock. Protection of Steel Pilings and other Structures Against Rusting
As toxic chemicals used to protect wood pilings against marine boring organisms are being banned, construction managers are increasingly relying on steel pilings for marine related projects. But, steel pilings rust and eventually collapse, causing pilings and piers to be periodically rebuilt at great cost. The Biorock process reverses rusting on steel pilings, turning red iron oxide (“rust”) back into iron, and then coating it in a protective limestone rock coating that attracts oysters, mussels, corals, fish, and crabs, turning it into productive habitat. |
Marine concrete structures can therefore maintain their strength, and the cost of rebuilding them eliminated. Structures built of rock armor or concrete tetrapods move in heavy wave action, falling apart and needing to be rebuilt. Biorock can armor such structures, cementing the rocks and tetrapods in place, eliminating the need for costly rebuilding.