Reefs die for many reasons: rising water temperatures, sewage, eutrophication, disease and negligence. A reef ecosystem that took hundreds of years to grow can be destroyed in a single afternoon by dredging, dynamite or cyanide fishing. Corals around the world have been severely affected by global warming. High temperatures cause corals to turn white (or "bleach"). If it remains too hot for too long, the corals die of heat shock.

There has been a recent surge of promotion selling "coral calcium pills". Selling ground up coral skeleton as a natural source of calcium is an endlessly recurring scam that hucksters pick up on every few years like clockwork. My colleague Wolf Hilbertz has a bottle of coral tablets someone was peddling in the 1960s. There are many natural sources of dietary calcium that don't require killing corals. It is important to keep a balance between your calcium and magnesium intake.

There are huge discrepancies surrounding this issue. The harvesting is strictly supervised by the Japanese government.

Typically vessel sewage impacts manifest themselves in the form of excess nutrients and pathogens in the water column. In poorly flushed areas, such as bays and inlets, this results in excess macro-algae growth that will smother corals and impede their growth. It will also result in an excess of micro-algae or phytoplankton growth. These phytoplankton blooms may pose a health risk to humans while also being toxic to other species.

Over 200 square miles of near virgin reef can be found in Bermuda. The warm, nutrient rich waters of the Gulf Stream pass through Bermuda and have led to the formation of the worlds most northerly coral reef. The reef is very healthy, and has not suffered the effects of Diver Damage like some Caribbean locations. Abundant hard corals and sea fans are to be seen, but less sponges than you'll see in the Caribbean.

Artificial reefs are typically made from manmade materials like sunken ships, planes, cars, concrete, rubber tires and trash. On land, this material might be called junk. Although fish will hide behind or within any structure that provides shelter and although certain sponges and soft organisms will sometimes settle on these materials, they never turn into a true coral reef.

ecosystem is a community of plants and animals living and interacting with one another sharing their available resources. An ecosystem encompasses all aspects and elements of this environment. It includes what we normally think of as the living, such as plants and animals, as well as more subtle components, such as air, water, and the sun's energy. Ponds are ecosystems because they host birds, fish, frogs, plants, and microscopic organisms.

To power the mineral accretion process, a low DC voltage is necessary. The source of this current generally depends upon the environment near the reef. If a ready supply of electricity is available, cables can be attached to the structure. In more remote areas, solar collectors are usually the energy source. These panels will generally be set up on the shore to feed current to the Biorock reef via submerged cables.

Just as a gardener pulls up weeds that would overgrow the flowers, undesirable weedy organisms and certain sponges and algae that could overgrow corals are periodically removed. Organisms that kill corals, such as the crown of thorns starfish and certain coral-eating snails are eliminated. Biorock reefs also need to be periodically checked to ensure that cables and connections are intact.

There are many requests for mineral accretion projects from marine conservation groups around the world, but unfortunately there is little funding available from governments, international philanthropic agencies or private foundations. a result, most mineral accretion reefs are pilot projects that demonstrate the process. The results are so unexpectedly spectacular that one must see them directly to appreciate their value.

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The Global Coral Reef Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to growing, protecting and managing the most threatened of all marine ecosystems-coral reefs. We primarily focus on coral reef restoration, marine diseases and other issues caused by global climate change, environmental stress and pollution.

Within days to weeks, as the mineral accretion grows around the attached coral fragments, corals begin to grow at accelerated rates. Their rapid growth is directly attributable to the electrical current in the underlying steel framework.

When restoring an ecosystem, we help the land to regain the balance of native plants that were originally found on the site prior to European settlement. With restoration, we are not expecting everything to be exactly as it was 150 years ago since we don't have all of the pieces. By removing exotic plants that have moved in and sometimes taken over an area, we allow for the conditions that let the variety of native plants, and the birds and animals which depend on them, flourish in balance.

Panama's ecosystem is very diverse, and a large number of plant, animal and bird species can be found. In fact, Panama is home to over 900 species of birds, making it a bird watcher's paradise, and there are numerous mammals, amphibians, reptiles and marine life to be found, not to mention its rainforests, that will be the delight for all nature lovers.

Global warming has caused significant reef mortality around the world. The prognosis is that oceans will continue to warm until world leaders recognize the long-term consequences of turning a blind eye to the problem. A few governments have tried to address the problem by building sea walls out of concrete, steel, coral rubble or sand bags. But these materials soon rust, corrode, collapse and need to be rebuilt.

Like an oasis in the desert, all forms of coral life are quickly attracted to Biorock reefs. Many forms of reef life have been observed to be attracted to the structures, and none repelled. However it is the organisms with limestone skeletons, such as corals, clams, oysters, barnacles, tube worms and sand-producing algae that are especially benefited, allowing them to outgrow weedy algae that often smothers and kills corals in polluted waters.

GCRA is a non-profit, all-volunteer, 501 (c)(3) corporation; donations to Global Coral Reef Alliance are fully tax-deductible. No salaries or board perks are ever taken out of any income raised-100% of funds raised goes directly to studying, building and restoring coral reefs around the world. If you would like to contribute to GCRA's program for saving reefs, please send your tax deductible contributions to: