Biorock, also known as Seacrete, Seament and Sea Cement, is a substance formed by electro-accumulation of minerals dissolved in seawater.
This process grows cement-like engineering structures and marine ecosystems, often for mariculture of corals, oysters, clams, lobsters and fish in salt water. It works by passing a small electrical current through electrodes in the water. Biorock grows more or less without limit as long as current flows.
Biorock accelerates coral growth by as much as five-fold and increases coral survival. Biorock can enable coral growth and regrowth even in the presence of environmental stress, such as warming water temperatures. When mixed with aggregates, it can build components on the sea bottom or on land. Biorock represents the only known method that can sustain and grow natural coral species using only basic conducting elements, typically of a common metal such as steel.
Applying a low voltage electrical current (completely safe for swimmers and marine life) to a submerged conductive structure causes dissolved minerals in seawater to precipitate and adhere to that structure. The result is a composite of limestone and brucite with mechanical strength similar to concrete. Derived from seawater, this material is similar to the composition of natural coral reefs and tropical sand beaches.
Biorock structures can be built in any size or shape depending only on the physical makeup of the sea bottom, wave, current energies and construction materials. They are well suited for remote, third world sites where exotic building materials, construction equipment and highly skilled labor are non-existent.
Source: Wikipedia
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