Why are there so few biorocks then?

Biorocks need electric current to function. So they have to be installed close to the seashore. And more electricity means more coal and oil. These are not environment-friendly. The team has experimented with powering biorocks with solar energy from a solar panel on a barge above the structure. Ha, but the panels are quickly stolen.

The latest method to get power is to harness the energy from the waves. A marine turbine installed underwater will act like a wind turbine. It will have three blades rotating in a cylinder. The spinning of the blades will generate electricity and this will be connected to a generator on the top. Biorocks need only small amounts of electricity so the power provided by the tidal waves is enough to run them.

The country’s first biorocks have been set up in the coastal area of Gujarat in Kutch, under the aegis of the Zoological Survey of India. Scientists reported that calcium carbonate flakes started appearing on the structure the very next day. This is proof of the success of the project.

The ZSI is taking the help of Thomas Goreau, who with Wolf Hilbert, developed and patented the Biorock method. The coral reefs in the Kutch area are endangered, with only 30% of the coral still alive. The plan is to first conserve some 50 species of the total 600 species with the help of Biorocks.

 

Picture Credit : Google