IDEAS
Kanie Lab, Inst Glycosci

Home Engl / Jpn

 

Floating Coral Reef Project


Global warming has impact to our civilization. The warming is thought to be caused by the green house effect. Although there are several theories regarding the cause of warming, one of the reasons is considered to be increased amount of gaseous carbon dioxide that is related to our life-style itself after industrialization.


The polyp creates outer skeletal  coral leaf by fixing carbonate ion in sea water. This may affect global equilibrium of CO2 between air and water. However, their territory is in competition with ours.


Coral leaf is created at the bottom of warm few to 30 m deep seashore. This area apparently overlaps with our civilization, which destroys their place of living.


We may be able to create a half-floating and anchored “buoy” in the sea. The location of the buoy is determined based on the requirement for the survival of polyp. When coral leaf grows exceeding the weight that the float can support, which is a fortunate situation, the floating coral leaf sink to deep ocean. In this manner, CO2 can be fixed. We then create another.


Such a “project” can be linked with the tourism industry. Thus, a company can start such a project by advertising their future vision.


Possible problems would be a regulations and competition with oceanic transportations. But these can be addressed by conversation, changing regulations, pursuing a project as a government driven project, and creating special area for the project.


Osamu

October 1, 2009.