To keep coral reefs from dying and to bring them back to life, experts in South Florida have spent a lot of time. The use of recyclable straws, which will help the coral reefs grow back, is a new way they might be able to do this.
For years, scientists have been looking into this to find a way to save these coral reefs and stop them from dying. As part of their work toward this goal, they’ve helped protect corals from rising ocean temperatures and grown corals in the lab so that they can be put back into the water and help the coral population grow.
The experts are having trouble keeping the fish from eating the new corals that they have put in place. Unfortunately, these moved corals have less than a 40% chance of making it because other fish eat a lot of them.
Marine scientists Kyle Pisano and Kirk Dotson have made what they call a “coral fort.” It looks like a biodegradable cage and would protect coral, giving it a better than 90% chance of life.
“Parrot fish on the reef really, really enjoy biting a newly transplanted coral,” says Pisano.It’s treated like popcorn by them.
After a while, fish will leave the coral alone, but they’ve been looking for something to keep it safe until then. They’ve also used PVC lines and other things to make a barrier, but those hold algae and need to be taken out of the ocean eventually.
The biodegradable straws will break down over time, just like everything else. They won’t hold algae that needs to be cleaned often. Scientists tested this and now it’s the newest way to try to protect the corals that were moved to other parts of the ocean.
