GOOD NEWS, Sponges are flourishing around ALL of the Caribbean Deployments
Of Reef Life Foundation, whose Oceanite Inventions Are Saving MORE than CORALS
“Nature gives us hundreds of services for free." Naturalist, Edward O. Wilson, American biologist, repeatedly quoted, letting “this fast human world” know that Ecology means Economy, ---Sponges on Coral Reefs work for free, filtering water surrounding reefs which attract Nurse Sharks and thousands of other fish species to thrive!~
Nurse sharks are an important species for research, primarily in the area of shark physiology. The species is fished for food and leather, building local economic growth to islands where Reef Life Foundation works. Because of their docile nature, nurse sharks are popular with divers and ecotourists, and are drawn to Healthy Reefs,
Sponges Build Oxygen in Ocean "Oasis" on Reef Life Projects! (reeflifefoundation.org)
Sponges are not casual components of the fauna in coral reefs worldwide. From fringing coral reefs, atolls, and patch reefs, to deeper reef escarpments, reef walls, or mesophotic reefs (50-150 m deep), sponges surpass any animal phyla in terms of species richness and living biomass in most tropical coral reefs (Diaz and Rützler, 2001; Reed et al., 2018). In the Caribbean, the number of different sponge species at any reef ranges from 50-300 species, and a large difference on species composition can be found among reefs within “15 km” (Hooper, 2018).
Figure 2. An IntelliReef prototype in Sint. Martin after 20 months underwater. The massive ramose salmon sponge, Desmapsanma anchorata, cradling a recruit of a coral Millepora species. Photo by: The Nature Foundation
Sea sponges off New Zealand’s southern coastline have been found bleached bone-white for the first time, following extreme ocean temperatures,
OUR IntelliReefs have continued, HEALTHY Sponge and Species Growth!
WATER FILTRATION is a SPONGE Species Daily REEF WORK!
Either as emergent species with bodies built onto the water column as tubes, barrels, branches, and balls, or as thin extensive crusts that thrive on cryptic habitats (crevices, or caverns), sponges play a significant role in the quality of water surrounding a reef. Sponges filter large amounts (up to 1 l per cm3 per hour, sensu Reiswig, 1976) of sea water with the help of the myriad of microbes inhabiting their bodies. With an almost continued movement and transformation of the water processed by these organisms, sponges are known to be major players in the processing of main nutrients like Nitrogen (a major compound for proteins), building healthier, expanded species oceanic communities.
GOOD NEWS, Sponges are flourishing in on and around ALL of the Caribbean Deployments
Of Reef Life Foundation, whose Oceanite Inventions Are Saving MORE than CORALS
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IntelliReefs has been officially endorsed for their coral restoration "Decade Action" project under the UN Decade of Ocean Science.
As the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration take off, IntelliReefs US and Canadian offices are ramping up to answer the global call for innovative ocean solutions. Earlier this year, IntelliReefs submitted a "Decade Action" for the Ocean Decade, detailing the expansion of their large research and coral reef restoration project in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten with the local Nature Foundation. The team received news this week that IntelliReefs' Decade Action has been officially endorsed by the UN in a letter from the Executive Secretary of IOC-UNESCO.
Reef Life Foundation, was recently nominated for the "Ocean Tribute" Award by boot Düsseldorfand their partners the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco and German Ocean Foundation. The award will be given 5th April 2022 Stay Tuned!
We won an Energy Globe Award, and many others in 2021 as our science proof points are globally accepted, and monitoring is ongoing!
Stay Tuned for latest videos!
Our Everlasting Gratitude to you-- our GlobalGiving team for your continued Generosity, this brings Life Back to Oceans-- A Measurable part of Planetary Health-- Thank you!!
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Following the success found during second year of monitoring of the "Homes for the Ocean's Homeless" project in Sint Maarten, we have been designing our next phase of research and restoration.
The IntelliReefs artificial reefs off the coast of Philipsburg have been found to enhance biodiversity, increase coral settlement, feed fish 4x higher than other artificial reef materials, and accelerate the regrowing of a healthy reef community.
With these results, we are moving forward with Phase 4 of the project to scale up our restoration work. Working with the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten and IntelliReefs, we have designed a large scale habitat restoration system called "ReefShip". This modular system integrates within the existing natural reef system and provides additional, bio mimicking habitat for fish, corals, and bio diverse reef species where it is needed the most.
We are currently speaking with private funders interested in a participatory conservation experience in Sint Maarten. We have designed an ecotourism experience with local tourism companies for our funders to witness and participate in our next phase of deployment and research. The story will be documented with an international film crew.
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After just over 2 years underwater (28 months) off the coast of Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, the world’s first biomimicking nanotechnology artificial reefs are thriving. Since IntelliReefs' last monitoring round in January 2020, the world first nanotechnology artificial reefs have continued to attract and grow large stony and soft corals, fire corals, sponges, tubeworms, and a wide variety of other reef-building species.
We feed FISH every 15 seconds!!
In January 2020, IntelliReefs' divers found 6 small coral recruits from one species (Porites asteroides) on their artificial reef in the MPA off the coast of Philipsburg. This March, divers found 24 different corals on the structure from three different species (Porites asteroides, Agaricia agaricites, and Favia fragrum) - a 400% increase in visible coral recruitment. This kind of biodiversity in restoration initiatives helps provide resilience in the face of climate upcoming stressors. These key reef species provide habitat and food for other fish and invertebrates, as well as perform important ecosystem functions - such as nutrient cycling. IntelliReefs, Reef Life Foundation, and the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation are currently gearing up to dive into the next round of sampling this July to further assess this ongoing study.
IntelliReefs is designing "Blue Barriers" to help build future food and economic security in the ocean. Climate change is causing oceans to rise quicker than scientists’ most pessimistic forecasts, resulting in earlier flood risks to coastal economies already struggling to adapt. IntelliReefs has developed biomimicking, self-healing coastal defense systems that protect shoreline properties and restore coral reefs at the same time.
Nature is essential for sustainably and quickly addressing the impacts of climate change. Researchers have found that healthy reefs with live corals and biodiverse reef life dissipate wave force by nearly 97% (Ferrario et al. 2014). Traditional man-made breakwaters and jetties can actually erode the seafloor by reflecting wave force instead of absorbing it, creating sinkholes and interrupting beach formation.
A recent publication in Ocean Science has revised earlier estimates, projecting that rapid sea level rise will now impact the two-fifths of the Earth’s population who live near coastlines. Insured property worth trillions of dollars could face even greater danger from floods, superstorms and tidal surges. This research suggests that countries will have to rein in their greenhouse gas emissions even more than expected to keep sea levels in check.
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We are dedicated to protecting coastlines, conserving ocean species, and creating food and economic security for future generations of global islands and coastal nations. We provide nature-based offsets and risk mitigation for our clients by providing defenses against coastal property loss and increasing sustainable business opportunities. United Nations Update:
https://www.reeflifefoundation.org/post/reef-life-un-ocean-action-sdg14
Specifically, immediate funding would be used to implement Phases 3 and 4 of our ongoing research project in Sint Maarten, for which we have a 5-year
research and deployment permit. This will mark the completion of ongoing R&D for our coastal protection product line.
Phase 3 Will Include:
1. Biological and oceanographic site surveys for additional, large-scale IntelliReefs deployments (e.g. ReefShip)
2. Biological analysis of current underwater IntelliReefs,
3. A 12 minute environmental documentary for international film festivals
(e.g. UNAFF, Sundance, Jackson Wild, and EarthX),
4. AND dive and logistical support for our local partner, the Nature Foundation St.
Maarten, local island marine studies, and education for youth to better understand a healthy oceanic community, underwater.
Phase 4 includes the installation of coastal protection IntelliReefs for applied research, morphological and bio-physical analysis that will ground truth next-phase product designs in preparation for our global launch.
Nanotechnology Building Healthy Reefs Scientific Analysis
Build A Reef Coral City Video Game
The success of Phase One of the Prototype, is shown by the analysis presented February 3-4th 2021 at the National Academy of Science for the Lunch of the US Global Ocean Scientific Innovations, which we were on of a very select few scientists chosen, whose oceanic progress can measurably save coral reefs.
With gratitude for your kind and generous donations, you are absolutely creating a stronger, healthier ocean, which translates to each of the people on the planet, holding a healthy future. Keep in Touch! Join the BLUE Future Teams!
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