Seabro update: Cheap, clean energy from the sea and artifical coral restoration

[Mad Scientist !!Q11PG81nz2n No.4300839]

http://inhabitat.com/ecotricitys-searaser-tidal-power-generator-could-be-the-worlds-cheapest-method-
of-producing-electricity/

http://www.shef.ac.uk/mediacentre/2012/microbubbles-boost-biofuel-production.html

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/958753974/living-sea-sculpture-contemporary-art-as-coral-ref

Microbubble production makes carbon neutral algae biofuels economically competitive, and a new type of tidal generator eliminates the primary expenses of maintinence, undercutting fossil fuels in terms of dollar per kilowatt hour. On top of that, the ideal use for this clean energy; Artificially accelerated coral growth via electrified steel skeletons, 'biorock accretion', rapidly growing new coral reefs as refuge for displaced reef species fleeing their dying natural reef homes. It's a human solution to a human problem, breaking even by way of technology, certainly better than no solution at all. It's a method that can be employed on a larger scale to restore the reefs we have left and even expand them, but I doubt funding for such efforts will materialize until people of wealth go to live in the sea and want beautiful coral reefs in their back yard. NIMBYs, saving the planet? Stranger things have happened.

[Mad Scientist !!Q11PG81nz2n No.4300846]

Biorock accretion really is a cool technology, but to work it needs a very low maintinence on-site power source that doesn't pollute (as coral is extremely sensitive to contaminants) and until now no viable candidate existed. The Searaser system seems to fit the bill however, and while filling the sea with cybernetic coral reefs on life support isn't an ideal solution to the problem, we need any solution we can get at this point.

[Anonymous No.4300849]

Oh gosh, I love these threads.

[Anonymous No.4300853]

How exactly is it a problem for humans if all the corals die?

[Mad Scientist !!Q11PG81nz2n No.4300870]

>>4300853

Most of the species that we harvest as food rely on coral reef for their survival. A single reef can sustain 1,500 to 2,00 unique species, and 30 species of marine mammal rely on visits to reefs to fill up on the fish that live there. Even if you personally don't eat much seafood, most in the third world rely disproportionately on seafood in their diets, especially in asian countries.

Creating even a single relatively modest reef provides a refuge for thousands of reef organisms. Even sinking old ships helps, as they provide hiding places, although no place for reef plants to gain purchase. Biorock reefs are pretty much the ideal method assuming we can't get people to reign in CO2 emissions for fear of socialism.

[Anonymous No.4300876]

>>4300853
fishes need habitat and shit. coral is a main one.

[Anonymous No.4300880]

That's nice but for what it would cost we could build two thirds of an aircraft carrier and bomb even more brown people, request denied

[Anonymous No.4300887]

>>4300880

The more brown people we bomb, the less third worlders eating seafood, the less coral reefs we need. It all balances out. Helping the environment in different ways.

[Anonymous No.4300900]

Where the fuck have you been, /sci/ has gone to shit

[Mad Scientist !!Q11PG81nz2n No.4300921]

>>4300900

I generally only post when there's something to report. Also sci has become really unpleasant in recent months with trips like Carl Sagan adopting Violent Simians' schtick.

[Anonymous No.4300942]

>>4300846
>cybernetic coral reefs
Isn't it just an electrified metal structure? I mean technically yes, it is part machine and part biological, but it doesn't have any capacity for data.

Although it would be pretty sweet to put some cameras on there with wireless signals and make a time-lapse.

[Anonymous No.4300945]

>>4300921
>I generally only post when there's something to report
please post more. /sci/ is utter shit, when EK left there were 10 more trolls to replace her.

[Anonymous No.4300949]

>>4300945
plus EK still trolls. you just can't filter her anymore

[Mad Scientist !!Q11PG81nz2n No.4300953]

>>4300942

Metal endoskeleton surrounded by biomass and sustained by electricity. It's a primitive cybernetic organism, although it won't be traveling back in time to kill Sarah Connor any time soon. But yeah totally, we need time lapse footage og biorock accretion in progress if only to have something to show congress and potential investors.

>>4300945

Quality over quantity. Better to post only when there's something worth discussing. But yeah, certain trips have really brought this place down.

[Anonymous No.4301172]

Mah brah, but the problem is that there is a metric fuckton of money behind extraction of fossil fuels - thus no serious alternative is being funded (well, they are, but it's a pittance not allowing any progress). Even if there are some good alternatives, most big companies are lobbying extremely hard to stop all progress in such areas (it's actually quite similar to buying tons of patents that would be able to endanger certain company's profits, even though said company won't be using then for years, if ever - add to this ACTA and you're fucked).


A bit off-topic - how are the reefs near Australia from the tourist side? Should I hurry up to see them first-hand or can I wait a few years and there won't be much of a difference?


captcha - cotton fieldnegr

[Mad Scientist !!Q11PG81nz2n No.4301234]

>>4301172
>how are the reefs near Australia from the tourist side? Should I hurry up to see them first-hand or can I wait a few years and there won't be much of a difference?

If you're looking for an affordable reef dive, go to Cozmuel. Pretty sure most of the GBR is protected.