Biorock

Biorock is an innovative technology by Gili Eco Trust to create an artificial coral reef. The organization has been working to protect coral reefs around the Gili Islands from destructive fishing.

Gili Eco Trust works for reef restoration, waste management, animal welfare, and ecotourism. They envision sustainable islands and a better environment through innovative and effective approaches.

The organization has developed a technology that will create an artificial coral reef. It helps in restoring the coral reefs around the Gili Islands.

Apart from providing reef restoration solutions, they offer a range of ecotourism information and tours. They also manage the waste collection and recycling in Gili Trawangan.

They help protect the turtle population and support projects related to animal welfare.

With Biorock technology, the Gili Eco Trust has been building steel structures and attaching a low voltage of direct current through when installed to create accelerated growth of corals, with increased resistance to climate change, coral bleaching, and increased storm activity. Reef gardeners and Biorock students carefully replant corals that have been knocked off the reef by storms, anchor damage, or careless tourists on the structures.

The low voltage current creates an electrolytic reaction and a stable substrate of calcium carbonate accretes onto the rebar causing the structure to grow in size and become heavier and anchor itself to the reef. Calcium carbonate is deposited in layers on the structures, giving corals a stable and ideal surface to cement.

The low electric current also promotes the coral to grow faster and stronger than on the natural reef.