This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
News
PVC Pipe: The Key Component to Saving Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. With reefs being around for 500 million years, it’s concerning that we could lose all shallow-water coral reefs by the end of the century. Over the last 30 years, the world has lost over half of its coral reefs. Losing coral reefs will severely damage the marine life ecosystem, causing more damage to coastlines and the buildings close to them, as well as an economic consequence due to a decrease in fishing and tourism, which brings in around $9.9 trillion globally. This plays into one of the Vinyl Institutes Megatrends from 2021. Climate change is a large factor as to why the coral reefs’ ecosystem is depleting.
Coral reefs support more than a million different marine species. They serve as a food source for predatory animals such as sharks, while other species such as eels and turtles use them for protection against predators. Not only are coral reefs an integral part of marine life, but they also serve as a source of protection to us humans on land. Coral reefs provide coastal protection which allows other marine ecosystems such as seagrass beds and mangrove estuaries to thrive. They can reduce the energy of a wave by 97%. This slows down hurricane speeds, protecting us from coastal erosion, and turbulent stores that can damage homes and businesses.
Foundations located in the United States as well as globally are working to fight the rapid decline of coral reefs. One group, the Coral restoration foundation, is using a cost-effective and scalable method to help with the production of coral. PVC was the chosen material to use for their coral restoration project. They have created what is called Coral Trees. This Coral Tree is a simple PVC design that allows them to grow large numbers of coral fragments in offshore nurseries. Once these fragments have reached a reasonable size, they are then outplanted to a local coral reef. Their largest nursery, located in South Florida, covers an acre-and-a-half of space. With their PVC Coral Trees, the Coral Restoration Foundation has outplanted more than 120,000 corals in 2021.
To read more about coral restoration and farming, click here.