Photo: Phil Mercurio Australian Institute of Marine Science
What if there was a way to stop damaging levels of heat and light penetrating water and adversely affecting the Reef?
Scientists are testing biodegradable surface films, just one molecule thick (that's 50,000 times thinner than one human hair), to do just this!
This 'reef sun shield' represents an innovative solution to combat coral bleaching at a local scale.
The project set out to investigate whether a novel technology being used to minimise evaporation in dams could be also used to protect coral reefs from bleaching.
This technology involves applying a very thin, biodegradable film to the surface of a water body.
Scientists tested the impact of the surface film on different coral species at the Australian Institute of Marine Science's National Sea Simulator (SeaSim).
The film reduced light by up to 30% and provided protection and reduced the level of bleaching in most species.
reduced light
