“Growing” Low Cost Engineered Barrier Reefs for Coastal Protection and Beach Restoration & Erosion Control

Coral reefs protect against natural hazards by reducing wave energy by an average of 97%. Reef crests alone dissipate up to 86% of this energy. Mineral Accretion Technology, which is more than 40 years old, can be used to grow protective barrier reefs using pre-fabricated steel structures and low-voltage electricity (similar to that used for charging mobile phones) to grow CaCO3 (limestone) using minerals dissolved in seawater. These living breakwaters can be seeded with corals, shellfish and other native calcium carbonate secreting organisms, to create permanent “living breakwaters” that protect coastlines and increase bio-diversity in local marine eco-systems.

Living breakwaters are substantially lower cost than any other form of shore protection and powered entirely with renewable energy, have a very low total carbon footprint. In addition to the scalable climate change adaptation and mitigation benefits, these engineered reefs also provide new opportunities for mariculture on a commercial basis.