Artificial Reef

Artificial floating Reef.

The artificial Reef  will be constructed electrolytically. By applying a week electric current in seawater mineral material will build up on the cathode (negative pole). Chemically this material is equivalent to limestone or coral and will be an excellent host for catalyzing sea-life.

Using a wired steel mesh/es as cathode/s would simultaneously act as reinforcement for the structure. Zero weight (in water) can be achieved by enforcing  voids into the structure (could be made with a inflated carpet, light plastic material, natural waste material).

During the “growth process” hydrogen gas will be a chemical byproduct emerging around the cathodes. “Harvesting” this gas will be a way of  reducing the energy loss for building the reef. A strategy for optimal energy economy would be to power up the system at nights when the need of energy is low. The days would then be used to collect the gas (perhaps using gas-proof  covers over the structure), ad reinforcements/and voids and expand the cathodes to further grow the reef. As energy can not be stored with less than using a energy carrier such as h2 gas or electrochemically with a battery, this strategy – if successful, could actually be a way of storying energy that otherwise would be lost.

Designing the reef will be a successive process, as the reef grows slow. Starting the  reef growth from the two southern corners would initially create two independent structures with a void in between, leaving room for the fish/seaweed  farm. As the structure grows it starts to serve some of its biological purposes. Most of it’s structure will be underwater. Optimal operational depths is in the range of 10 to 30 m.  This is also convenient as the structure then will be less vulnerable to damages in storms. Should damage occur the structure will “heal” if electrical power is re-applied.

Shaping the structure to serve different purposes will be vital part of the construction. The first priority is as already mentioned the biologic-catalytic one. Having a structure that can span thousands  of meters could of cause also serve other means. A structure of this size and depth will for instance work as a wave breaker. This could be a potential for tourism, if you can guarantee waves of a certain size surfers from all over the world would be interested in this new attraction. A rich sea-life will also be a paradise for scuba divers. The structure will also be a physical guide for new boat-refuges. And as several of them travel without even the simplest instrument this structure could increase their chances of surviving.