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  Channel NewsAsia 9 Feb 06
Japanese experts develop breakthrough method to help restore precious coral reefs
TOKYO : Global warming is rapidly destroying coral reefs which support marine life. To help save the reefs, a Japanese university is developing a breakthrough method to cultivate corals on a large scale.

Much of the beauty and colour found in the oceans come from corals. With some 70 percent of our planet covered by water, corals play an ecological role, just like rainforests. They absorb the sun's energy through photosynthesis and act as host to a vast variety of marine life forms.

But rising ocean temperatures due to global warming are killing off these delicate organisms. About 60 percent of the world's coral reefs are now in danger - and that is posing a serious threat to the environment.

In the far south of Japan, the Sekisei coral lagoon is home to more than half of the world's 700 coral species. There, a team from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology is developing the first open-water system that allows large scale cultivation of corals.

Coral eggs cannot be implanted on surfaces covered with algae or dirt. So ceramic plates are placed on the seabed to attract floating eggs, providing a clean and safe habitat for them.

And the best time to do this? Shortly before the night of the full moon, when corals simultaneously release their eggs. After three years, the plates would be covered with new coral growth. And these can then be carried to sites where corals need to be replaced.

Professor Mineo Okamoto, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, said: "We started this project because we realised that if we didn't, no one else would. Our goal is to help restore the coral reefs of the world to their natural condition."

The experts predict that at the current rate of depletion, corals may die out in less than 50 years. But with dedicated scientists like Professor Okamoto working hard to find solutions, there is hope yet for these endangered reefs. - CNA/de
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