Coral Spawning Observed on JFE's Steel Slag Blocks -- Paving the Way for Coral Reef Restoration

JFE Steel Co., a major steel manufacturer in Japan, announced on September 12, 2011, that it had confirmed coral spawning on carbonated slag blocks called marine blocks which were produced by injecting carbon dioxide into steel slag, a steelmaking byproduct.

The major substance comprising marine blocks is the same as corals and seashells, allowing marine plants and corals to settle on its surface. Developed by JFE Steel in 1998 as the world's first artificial base for marine plants and coral reefs, marine blocks are now deployed at 33 locations in Japan including ongoing experiment sites, and one location abroad.

JFE Steel launched a coral reef restoration experiment in 2005 at Toriver district, Hirara port on Miyako Island. The company settled larvae developed from eggs released in May 2005, and transplanted juvenile corals to marine blocks in October 2005. On May 17, 2011, one of the coral colonies on the blocks, the Acropora nasuta colony, now measuring 30 centimeters in diameter, released eggs. For about 10 minutes from around 10:50 PM, an underwater automatic camera set up on the sea floor successfully captured the release of bundles (egg and sperm) from the colony.

JFE Steel hopes that this marine block method will help restore coral reefs.

Warming Seawater around Japan Causes Rapid Northward Expansion of Coral Distribution (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/030848.html
First Spawning of Transplanted Coral Confirmed in Sekisei Lagoon (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/030222.html
New Technology Helping Restore Coral Reefs in Okinawa's Sekisei Lagoon (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029256.html

Posted: 2011/11/30 06:00:15 AM