Electricity Revives Coral Reefs Off Bali

PEMUTERAN BAY, Indonesia – A few years ago, the lush coral reefs off Bali island were dying out, bleached by rising temperatures, blasted by dynamite fishing and poisoned by cyanide. Now they are coming back, thanks to an unlikely remedy: electricity.

The coral is thriving on dozens of metal structures submerged in the bay and fed by cables that send out low-voltage electricity, which conservationists say is reviving the coral and spurring greater growth.

As thousands of delegates, experts and activists debate climate at a conference that opened this week on Bali, the coral restoration project illustrates the creative ways scientists are trying to fight the ill-effects of global warming.

The project – dubbed Bio-Rock – is the brainchild of scientist Thomas Goreau and the late architect Wolf Hilbertz.

The two set up similar structures in about 20 countries, but the Bali experiment is the most extensive.

Originally published by Associated Press.

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