My Science School

Grooming (also called preening) among animals is the art of cleaning and maintaining parts of the body. It is a species-typical behaviour.

Animals groom themselves in many ways – rats lick their bodies, zebras take dust baths, birds preen their feathers, monkeys pick lice from their fur and insects rub their antennae to keep them clean and functional.

Individual animals regularly clean themselves and put their fur, feathers or other skin coverings in good order. This activity is known as personal grooming, a form of hygiene.

Extracting foreign objects such as insects, leaves, dirt, twigs and parasites are all forms of grooming. Among animals, birds spend considerable time preening their feathers. This is done to remove ectoparasites, keep the feathers in good aerodynamic condition, and waterproof them. To do that, they use the preen oil secreted by the uropygial gland, the dust of down feathers, or other means such as dust-bathing or anting. During oil spills, animal conservationists that rescue penguins sometimes dress the in knitted sweaters to stop them from preening and thereby ingesting the mineral oil, which is poisonous.

Cats are well known for their extensive grooming. Cats groom so often that they often produce hairballs from the fur they ingest.

Animals also groom other members of their species (social grooming). The manner of grooming is so typical of a species that it can be used to distinguish it from a closely related one.

Grooming is pre-wired in the brain. If a mouse that is grooming its face with its paw is interrupted in the act, it ‘automatically’ begins to rub the air in front of its face with the other paw! Animals use their head, paws, claws, beak, tongue, etc. for grooming.

Some animals like the starfish have special, pincer-shaped organs called pedicillariae to remove debris from the body surface.

It was earlier believed that animals groomed themselves to maintain hygiene but now it is known that grooming serves many purposes – signaling, courtship, coalition-building and appeasement.

When two mountain rams fight for dominance, the one who loses licks the neck and shoulders of the victor to appease him. The winner may even kneel down to receive he apparent salute.

In a beehive it is essential for all the worker bees to recognize the queen bee’s scent, which assures them of her presence and vitality. A few worker bees pick up the queen’s scent when they groom her by licking her. The workers then move through the nest and contact other workers with their legs, tongues and antennae. Bee-to-bee grooming spreads the queen’s scent quickly and thoroughly.

Many social animals adapt preening and grooming behaviours for other social purposes such as bonding and the strengthening of social structures. Grooming plays a particularly important role in forming social bonds in many primate species, such as chacma baboons and wedge-capped capuchins. Among primates such as chimps, close relations groom one another loyally. This is called allogrooming. On the other hand, outsiders tend to groom members higher up on the social structure.

Grooming apparently gives an animal an advantage that helps in obtaining privileges at a later date.

 

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Almost every article on Joyce Carol Oates begins with the astounding number of books the veteran writer has written. So far there are about 100 titles, including novels, plays, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. What’s the secret of her success? Her work is ethic. At 81, Oates zealously writes for at least seven hours daily and regularly tweets on social media on issues close to her heart. It’s the love of writing that drives her.

A child prodigy

Born on June 16, 1963, Oates was the first in her family to graduate from high school. Growing up on a small farm outside the town of Millersport in New York, she attended a one-room school, where all the students studied in a single classroom irrespective of their age. Even in such a dismal setting, Oates shone. Recognising her talent, she was transferred to bigger suburban schools. In 1956, she graduated from Williamsville South High School, making her family proud.

Grandmother’s gifts

Oates’ grandmother played a special role in her life. She encouraged her to read from a young age. Oates’ foray into reading was Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which was a gift from her grandmother and she considers it one of her childhood treasures. Her love for books blossomed over time and she fervently devoured books by Emily Bronte, William Faulkner and even the complicated tomes of Dostoevsky.

Reading inspired her to try her hand at writing. When she turned 14, her grandmother yet again steered her in the right direction by giving her a typewriter. And there was no looking back after that. She churned out one story after the other and soon, won the Scholastic Art and Writing award.

She later published The Gravedigger’s Daughter based on her grandmother’s life.

Milestones ahead

Oates won a scholarship to attend Syracuse University, where she honed her writing skills further. She was introduced to more complex writers such as Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka and D. H. Lawrence. Her writing improved and she bagged a college short story award at 19.

After becoming a Phi Beta Kappa, the top honours at Syracuse University, she went on to pursue her post-graduation in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a doctorate from the Rice University. She decided to become a full-time writer.

Fresh out of college, Vanguard Press published Oates’ first book, the short-story collection By the North Gate, in 1963, and later, her first novel, With Shuddering Fall, when she was 26.

An all-rounder

A multi-talented Oates is lauded for her ability to write across different formats and genres on any topic, from powerful human emotions and inner lives of celebrities to the realities of the working class to semi-biographical works and even a fictional, but unerringly accurate, account of the lives of boxers.

Oates also loves writing for young adults and children because it gives her a chance to write happy endings and positive resolutions. Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You, After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread my Wings, and Flew Away, Freaky Green Eyes and Big Mouth & Ugly Girl are some of her popular young adult books dealing with topics such as teenage friendships, loss and addiction, and school violence.

Her writing style is quite unique, a blend of colloquial language and contemporary cultural and political references. In 1998, Oates received the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Achievement in American Literature.

The mystery lady

Oates ventured into mystery writing under the veil of anonymity. She wrote several books, mostly suspense novels, under the pen names Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly. However, her cover was blown in the late 1980s when her publisher and agents found out that Rosamond Smith, who wrote Lives of the Twins, a short psychological thriller, was not a first-time author as she claimed.

Disappointed at being found Oates swore not to write under pseudonyms again. But she soon broke her promise, publishing a total of eight books under the Rosamond Smith moniker as well as another three novels as Lauren Kelly. Eventually, it was revelaed that Rosamond Smith wasn’t her first pseudonym. She had also published several stories under the name Rae Jolene Smith.

From writer to publisher

Distressed by the Detroit race riots and the U.S. waging war on Vietnam, Oates took the bold step of moving to Canada. With considerable writing experience under her belt, Oates along with her husband forayed into publishing. In 1974, she founded a literary magazine (as the assisstent editor) called Ontario Review in Canada. The idea was to provide a platform to showcase literature from the U.S. and Canada. Later, the duo set up a publishing house, Ontario Review Books.

A gifted teacher

Oates was also an exceptional teacher. She has taught creative writing at the University of Detroit and at Princeton. She is currently visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she teaches short fiction. Countless young writers in the U.S. credit Oates with shaping their writing. Jonathan Safron Foer, the bestselling author of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, who took an introductory writing course with Oates in 1995 is one of them. Oates helped him find his voice as a writer.

Goldmine of stories

It’s no wonder that Oates has been frequently nominated for the Pulitzer Prize; and is one of the crowd favourites for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her storytelling has won many awards including the National Book Award and the prestigious O. Henry Award twice. She is also the recipient of the National Humanities Medal and the Jerusalem Prize. So if you haven’t read any of her books yet, just grab a copy and start reading.

 

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“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” – Greg Child, mountaineer.

Shrouded in mists and mysteries, the 6,960-meter-high majestic summit of Mount Aconcagua beckons one and all. Only a few dare to answer its siren call. Fewer still are capable of scaling its seemingly infinite peaks. But Kaamya Karthikeyan is no stranger to its heights. On February 1, 2019, she became the youngest in the world to scale the highest peak Argentina, South America.

At 12, the young daredevil has reached the top of Europe – Mount Elbrus (5,642 metres) – and even walked on the roof of Africa – Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 metres). Here’s an account of how she got started in mountaineering and some of the hair-raising moments from her latest expedition.

The making of a champion

Mountaineering comes naturally to Kaamya. Sitting snugly in her baby sling, she accompanied her parents, Indian Navy Commander S. Karthikeyan and Lavanaya, who is an early childhood teacher, on numerous treks even before she started to walk. By the time she turned three, she was used to basic treks to the Sahyadris in Lonavala; and at seven, she mastered high-altitude Himalayan treks to Chandrashila and Roopkund. Later, she reached the Everest Base Camp in Nepal (5,346 metres) and in 2017, became the youngest mountaineer to conquer Mt. Stok Kangri (6,153 metres) in Ladakh.

Not old enough to enrol in training schools, Kaamya trains with her father, from whom she caught the mountaineering bug. “My father led expeditions for the Navy and used to go away for really long periods. So I wanted to know what there was in the mountains that kept calling him again and again,”Kaamya, who is studying in Class 7 at Navy Children School in Mumbai, tells The Hindu In School.

To build her endurance and stamina, she climbs up the stairs of her 15-storey high-rise building saddled with an eight kilogramme backpack. She does this not once or twice, but at least 16 times. Alternatively, the workouts are mixed with either a 10-km run or 20-km cycling. Weekends are relatively easier, with the family going out for treks.

But the grit and confidence are her own doing. “I admire all mountaineers. Going to the mountains is hard and after you have done it once and then to do it again and again takes a lot of courage. My role model has always been my dad,”she says.

On top of the world

Kaamya’s momentous expedition to Mount Aconcagua got off to a rocky start. She required a special permission from a judge in Mendonza to climb the mountain because of her young age. Despite carrying medical certificates from India, Kaamya was asked to take some more medical examinations and psychological assessments in Argentina. The delay set her back by about 10 days; finally she embarked on her adventure on January 17, 2019.

The sheer height along with extremely cold temperatures makes Aconcagua a challenging ascent even for the most accomplished mountaineers. For Kaamya, who has climbed the mountains of Ladakh, it was familiar territory, but the harsh winds threw her off.

Dressed in a padded jacket, she pushed past the howling winds. She climbed about 400 to 500 metres daily. “No other mountain in the ranges around Aconcagua is taller than 500 metres, so that makes it very windy. There is a traverse of two hours on the way to the summit when we are thrashed by winds,” she adds. “This made the expedition more difficult and challenging from my previous experiences.”

To make matters worse, when she reached close to the summit she was forced to turn back because of the inclement weather. “It was a windy day and my fingers were cold. The guides thought I was showing symptoms of acute mountain sickness. So they decided to turn me around and come back down. That was emotionally challenging and that drained me out a lot,” she recounts.

Not one to give up, she repeated the long and arduous, 19-hour-long steep climb again. “The company we climbed with was very helpful. They gave us a personal guide to climb the mountain second time,” she adds.

As she made her way to the top, everything else became a blur. She reached the highest point on the mountain and unfurled the Indian Tricolour. It took her about 18 days to complete the expedition.

“When you reach the top, you don’t feel like you have conquered something great. Instead, when you look at how big and majestic the mountains are it only makes you more humble. That’s what I have learnt from mountaineering,” says the gritty traveller.

Mountaineering has also helped her overcome her deep-rooted fear of the dark. “After all my expeditions, I have learnt that if there is dark then light will follow. And it has helped me overcome my fear. Apart from that there is no other fear,” she adds.

Kaamya aspires to become a forest officer. For now, she has set forest officer. For now, she has set her eyes on completing the Explorer’s Grand Slam, which involves climbing the highest mountains in all the seven continents – she has only three more to go – and skiing to the north and south pole. Stay tuned for her next adventure.

 

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It was 1996 when this then aspiring author sent a story to the Annual All India Tinkle Short Story Competition for adult writers of children’s fiction. That won her the first prize, but for the next seven years she won the first prize for her stories. And though the protagonist of the first story was named Butterfingers, Khyrunnisa didn’t let any opportunity slip through her fingers! With her 13-years-old protagonist Amar Kishan aka Butterfingers, she has created a smashing seven-book series, including one on the way.

The Thiruvananthapuram based author who was born and brought up in that city, says she started writing quite by chance. “I’m a chronic reader and a huge lover of books and English literature, but it had never been my ambition to become a writer, although, when it happened, I was delighted and am totally enjoying it now,” she says.

The making of a writer

Khyrunnisa confesses that the story of how she began writing is a rather long one. The author and her husband used to subscribe to the Mumbai-based magazine “Tinkle” for their son. The magazine had announced a competition for adult writers of children’s fiction and on a whim, she decided to send an entry. The story she wrote was “Butterfingers. “It won the second prize and I was very pleased. My story as a writer would have ended there had it not been for a visit to my house by two strangers – a lady and her husband. The lady was Prabha Nair, the then assistant editor of ‘Tinkle’. She had come to Trivandrum from Mumbai on a personal trip and when the staff at ‘Tinkle’ got to know about this, they had given her my address and asked her to look me up to find out if I was as bubbly as my story. I don’t know what she found out, but I was pretty thrilled to have an editor visit me on the basis of one story,” she laughs.

When Prabha Nair asked her if she was sending an entry for the following year’s competition and Khyrunnisa replied in the negative claiming she had already won a prize, the former suggested she send an entry since she wrote very well. Happy with this encouragement, Khyrunnisa did send in an entry that went on to win the first prize. That winning streak continued for seven consecutive years. “The writing bug bit me and very soon I was writing for other publications, had a column in ‘The New Indian Express’, won the 2007 Unisun Children’s Fiction Award, and got several other prizes. And when I was asked by ‘Tinkle’ to create a regular character for the magazine, I brought back Butterfingers. It was just a matter of time before the ‘Butterfingers’ series of books was published by Penguin Random House,” says the prolific writer.

Khyrunnisa loves humour writing, and is sure it must be the influence of her favourite writer, P.G. Wodehouse.

Writing like Khyrunnisa A.

Reading is quintessential to writing, says Khyrunnisa, listing out her tips for budding writers.

1. Be a reader first. Writing happens on the solid foundation of reading. Read extensively, both fiction and non-fiction, for that familiarises you with different kinds of books, plots, characters, ideas and writing styles. Meanwhile, keep writing, but don’t aim to be a published author the moment you start writing. The more you read, the better your writing style gets, for you keep revising what you have written.

2. Have a notebook where you jot down ideas that you get at odd places, or exciting incidents you read or hear about and wonderful sentences that come to your mind suddenly and then disappear.

3. Writing is hard work; be persistent. Don’t allow rejection to lead to dejection. Find the genre you are comfortable writing and eventually you will attain your goal of becoming a published author.

Khyrunnisa’s books

• Lost in Ooty and other Adventure Stories


• Howzzat Butterfingers!


• Goal, Butterfingers!


• Clean Bowled, Butterfingers!


• The Misadventures of Butterfingers


• Run, It’s Butterfingers Again!


• Of course It’s Butterfingers!


• The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories


• “Smash It, Butterfingers!”, the seventh book in the “Butterfingers” series, is due later this year and is going to be a badminton-based novel

The writer’s routine

“I am not a disciplined writer who puts in a certain numbers of words every day nor am I too organised in my writing,” she confesses, adding that almost all her writing has been deadline writing – whether it is the Butterfingers stories for “Tinkle” or the stories for other magazines or the regular columns in “The New Indian Express” or articles for other publications. “My ‘Butterfingers’ books have all been written against contracts. So I am always conscious of the deadline and plan my writing accordingly. I am most inspired and write at a frenetic pace when the deadline approaches; that’s also when I write best,” she says.

 

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Rafael Nadal was the first tennis player to win eight Grand Slam titles at the same tournament. He did it way back in 2013 and his in fact added a ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth title at the same tournament since then. No prizes for guessing where the King of Clay has achieved this feat. He has, no doubt, won these at the French Open. In fact, since 2005, he has won the tournament on 12 of the 15 occasions. Nadal has won 19 Grand Slam singles titles so far. Apart from his 12 French Open wins, he has won the Australian Open once, Wimbledon twice and the US Open four times.

Roger Federer became the second person to win eight or more titles at the same Grand Slam tournament. He did this at Wimbledon, winning the title in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017. As you can see, he had to wait for five years to get his eighth. With 20 Grand Slam titles to his name, Federer has also won six Australian Open titles, one French Open title and five US Open titles to go along with his eight titles in the grass courts of Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic became the latest entrant to the list of people who have won eight or more titles at the same Grand Slam event. He added his 2020 Australian Open victory to titles won at the year’s opening Grand Slam in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019. Almost half of his 17 Grand Slam singles titles won so far has thus come here. The remaining includes one French Open title, five Wimbledon titles and three US Open titles.

 

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Burp is nothing but your body’s way of releasing the excess air in your body. When you eat or drink, you don’t just swallow food but also some air. The gases build up in your stomach as you continue to eat and drink. This excess air comes out of your system in the form of burp. The air from your stomach travels back up your food tube – called the oesophagus – to your mouth to be released. Burping is important. If you don’t let the air in your stomach out, it heads down deeper into your digestive system and can cause bloating and discomfort.

Common causes of burping are drinking or eating too fast, talking while eating or chewing gum. You will probably burp more if you drink fizzy drinks as they contain a lot of gas (dissolved carbon dioxide). Burping is also linked to lactose intolerance, acid reflux and ulcer.

Now, you may wonder why burps make noise! The answer is: As the burp travels up the oesophagus, it hits up against a closed, valve-like structure called a sphincter. When it finally forces its way through, the pressure makes the sphincter and the back of the throat to vibrate, causing the burp sound.

 

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Chikki, an Indian battle, has a significant role to play in most Indian States. In the northern region, chikkis are synonymous with winter snacking. Festivals such as Lohri and Makar Sankranti would be incomplete without the preparation of chikkis.

All the way from Lonavala

The origin of the popular chikki can be traced back to Lonavala in Maharashtra. In the late 1800s, when the first train tracks were being laid in Lonavala, several hundred workers were involved in strenuous physical work. Bhimraj Agaewal, a confectioner, made a dish he called gud dani, which comprised jiggery and peanuts to satisfy the hunger of the workers. He also made another variant with puffed rice instead of peanuts. This snack was easy to prepare and also gave the workers enough energy to work.

Soon, gud dani became popular among the workers and also the train services began, several people visited Agarwal for the confection.

Agarwal’s son Maganlal is said to have popularized the sweet treat. Maganlal opened several sweet shops across the region and they are extremely popular even today.

What’s in a name?

There are no evidences of how the snack came to be known as chikki. However, some food experts believe the word ‘chikki’ could be an adaptation of “chikat”, Marathi word for sticky”.

 Chikki is also known by different names across the country. In Tamil Nadu, it is known as kadalai mittai and ellurundai, and in Kerala, it is famously known as kapilandi mittai, ellunda and abhayaarthi katta. In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, it is called palli patti. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, this sweet is called layiya patti. In several northern States, apart from being known as chikki, it is also called gajak or maroonda.

Exciting flavours

Chikkis can be mad with a wide variety of ingredients ssuch as peanuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, sesame, dates, dry figs, coconuts, hazelnuts, macadamia, pistachios and dried rose petals. There are also several new flavours such as chocolate, peanut butter, berries and orange, being prepared in the last few years.

Chikkis are versatile and can be consumed by people with a wide variety of dietary preferences. Chikkis are also a healthy option for those who keep a count on their calorific intake because ingredients such as oats, sunflower and pumpkin seeds can be used instead of peanuts and cashews.

 

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Species loss

Wildlife trafficking threatens the survival of some of the Earth’s most iconic species. For instance, between 2014 and 2017, more than 1,00,000 African elephants were killed for ivory. In 2011, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the Western black rhinoceros extinct and cited poaching as the primary reason. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), wildlife crime is second only to habitat destruction in overall threats against species survival.

Biodiversity loss

Wildlife trade affects food chain and threatens the local ecosystem. For instance, the loss of a predator species can results in the overpopulation of the prey species, leading to disruption in the ecological balance.

Poor conditions of animals kept for trade

Animals captured for pet trade are transported in poor conditions. They are stuffed into boxes, suitcases, or sacks. Even if they survive the transport, they often suffer in their new, unnatural surroundings. Many animals are kept in markets for months, waiting to be sold, with even their basic needs unattended to.

Impact on humans

As we saw earlier, poached animals can spread diseases, such as Ebola and SARS. Poaching also puts local people and officials at risk. In Africa, nearly 600 rangers in charge of protecting wildlife were gunned down by poachers between 2009 and 2016 while in the line of duty.

Different countries employ different methods to curb poaching. Though some efforts have borne fruit, illegal wildlife trade continues unabated.

 

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• Wildlife trade is a big business, run by international networks. Animals and birds are trafficked across the globe for meat, skin, bone, fur and other body parts. In addition, many species are sold as pets. Experts at TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, estimate that the illegal wildlife commerce runs into billions of dollars.


• Not all wildlife trade is illegal. The sale or exchange of wild animals and plant resources are done legally for various purposes. Regulated by the United Nations’ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), it is done in a sustainable manner. Wild plants and animals from tens of thousands of species are caught from the wild and then sold legitimately as food, pets, ornamental plants, leather, ornaments and medicine.


• A trade becomes illegal when wildlife listed as protected under domestic or international law is hunted. Fishing and hunting without a licence and capturing wildlife from protected areas and during certain seasons also amount to wildlife crimes.

Did you know?

• Elephants are poached for their tusk, skin and meat. Ivory is used to make billiards balls, piano keys, art objects and jewellery.


• Rhinoceros are killed for their horn, which is predominately used in traditional Chinese medicine.


• While freshwater turtles and pangolins are hunted for their meat, their body parts namely, carapace and scales, respectively, are used in Chinese medicine.


• Tigers and leopards are killed for their skin.


• Snakes, ape and monitor lizards are consumed as meat.


• Song birds, finches, macaws, weavers, cockatoos, geckos, aquarium fish, turtles are captured alive so that they can be kept or sold as exotic pets.

 

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In the wake of the corona virus epidemic, China has temporarily banned the sale of wildlife in markets, restaurants and over e-commerce as part of efforts to contain the outbreak. While welcoming the move, conservationists are calling for a permanent ban as it will contribute to the recovery of wildlife populations worldwide, besides saving human lives.

The corona virus, which results in a zoonotic disease, is thought to have originated in a “seafood” market in Wuhan that sold much more than fish. Chinese authorities found everything from hedgehogs and wild boars to crocodiles for sale there, providing ideal conditions for viruses to jump to new hosts and ultimately, to people. (Zoonotic diseases spread from animals to humans.) Consumption of several vulnerable species – for example, pangolins, rhinos, elephants – is common in China. There is another theory that believes that pangolin may have passed the virus from bats to humans. Pangolin is imported in huge numbers to Chinese markets for food and medicine.

A host of other animals too are important to China for meat, medicine etc. through illegal wildlife trade. China may be the world’s largest market for wildlife products, but wildlife trade is rampant throughout the world. Wildlife trafficking puts many animals and birds at risk of extinction. A study published last year estimated that one in every four bird or mammal species on earth is caught in the wildlife trade.

 

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Biorocks need electric current to function. So they have to be installed close to the seashore. And more electricity means more coal and oil. These are not environment-friendly. The team has experimented with powering biorocks with solar energy from a solar panel on a barge above the structure. Ha, but the panels are quickly stolen.

The latest method to get power is to harness the energy from the waves. A marine turbine installed underwater will act like a wind turbine. It will have three blades rotating in a cylinder. The spinning of the blades will generate electricity and this will be connected to a generator on the top. Biorocks need only small amounts of electricity so the power provided by the tidal waves is enough to run them.

The country’s first biorocks have been set up in the coastal area of Gujarat in Kutch, under the aegis of the Zoological Survey of India. Scientists reported that calcium carbonate flakes started appearing on the structure the very next day. This is proof of the success of the project.

The ZSI is taking the help of Thomas Goreau, who with Wolf Hilbert, developed and patented the Biorock method. The coral reefs in the Kutch area are endangered, with only 30% of the coral still alive. The plan is to first conserve some 50 species of the total 600 species with the help of Biorocks.

 

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Once a natural coral reef is disturbed due to human activity like shipping, whaling, diving and warming of water, it lies in rubble at the bottom of the sea. Locals and tourists use heavy nets, dive and walk on the seabed, and fishermen use dynamite to bring out the fish. Indonesia has banned all these activities but people do not bother about the ban. The seabed is disturbed by strong storms and waves, and the coral rubble is shifted about, making regeneration impossible.

Biorocks help fishermen

And it’s not just coral that improves: the biorocks have helped the fish populations as well, particularly lobster and juvenile fish which take shelter in the structures.

Scientists have noted better biodiversity and improvement in water quality in places where biorocks have been installed. They have also helped turn the tide when it comes to severe erosion of beaches. Biorocks act as barriers to the fast incoming waves, and stop the waves from taking away the sand (erosion). The sand is deposited on the seashore because of the biorock barrier. Some parts of the beach in Indonesian islands have expanded by 15 metres in a few years. And biorocks have resisted damage by natural disasters such as the Asian Tsunami of 2004. This is because their open frameworks allow large waves to pass through.

 

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They speed up the natural process of coral formation. Corals on the biorocks survive better. When divers see injured coral, they bring it to these structures. The coral heals some 20 times faster, and has up to 50 times more chance of survival. What is even more surprising is that the newly-made coral is often more brilliant in colour and density. Once the coral is well enough, it is released into the open sea. The biorock “hospital” is ready for the next batch of coral patients.

Biorock accelerates growth on coral reefs by as much as fivefold and restoration of physical damage by as much as 20 times. The rate of growth can be varied by altering the amount of current flowing into the structure. Biorock can enable coral growth and regrowth even in the presence of environmental stress such as rising ocean temperatures, diseases, and nutrient, sediment, and other types of pollution. When mixed with construction aggregates, it can build components on the sea floor 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.

Electrolysis of biorock reefs enhances coral growth, reproduction and ability to resist environmental stress.[citation needed] Coral species typically found on healthy reefs gain a major advantage over the weedy organisms that often overgrow them on stressed reefs.

Biorock reefs grow rapidly and strengthen as they age. They thus have great potential for many applications, such as making breakwaters. If waves or colliding ships cause damage, renewed accretion makes them, to an extent, self-repairing.

Biorock is cost-effective, requiring only metal bars or equivalent and electricity. While electricity provided from fossil fuels generates CO2, biorock projects often use renewable solar power, wind power, tidal power, or wave power. The resulting material is cheaper than concrete blocks in many places, depending on electricity and cement transport costs.

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 appropriately skilled labor are not available.

 

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Once the biorock is well-installed, reef gardeners and biorock volunteers attach live coral to the steel structure. Now the low-voltage current starts an electrolytic rection, which in turn helps form a substance made of calcium carbonate around the metal. This provides a sturdy surface for corals to stick to. This low voltage also promotes the corals grow faster and stronger than on natural reefs.

In a successful application of this technique, Gili Eco Trust restored the beautiful coral reefs of Gili Trawangan in Indonesia in a short period. Biologists carrying out this experiment say that these man-made reefs resist bleaching of corals better than natural reefs. They give data from severe bleaching events of 2009, 2010 and 2016 as proof. More than 120 structures have been placed in the waters around the Gili Islands, promoting the growth of new corals and a vast array of fish life.

According to reports, the biorock looks like a speed-breaker. A big motorbike was left on top of one such biorock. This was soon covered in coral, with tropical fish moving in and out of the steel bars and in between the spokes of its wheels. The steel frame has a mild current passing through it and slowly leaves a coating of thin rock. This coating is the “nursery” for coral reefs “which have been damaged by human activity.”

All these electrically-charged biorock structures are in Gili Trawangan, one of three small islands northwest of Lombok in the Indonesian archipelago. Tourists found out about this unique experiment and in no time, this place has become a big tourist attraction. Tourists learn how smart technology may help safeguard some of the world’s natural wonders.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Biorocks are man-made rocks. The “rock” here is a steel structure that is installed in the seabed. It is connected to a power source – usually a solar panel that floats on the surface of the water.

Installing biorocks in the seabed is a novel technique to create artificial coral reefs. In this, biologists build a steel structure, sink it in the ocean and pass low voltage direct electricity through it. Biorock technology was originally developed by marine scientists Thomas Goreau and Wolf Hilbertz. The low-voltage direct current interacts with the minerals in the seawater and causes solid limestone to grow on a steel structure. It draws on a steel structure. It draws on the principles of electrolysis, where the electric current causes a chemical reaction to happen. Eventually, the limestone becomes solid, much in the same way that marine skeletons are formed. It is perfect breeding ground for aquatic life.

 

Picture Credit : Google