"Rapid Recovery: Seeding Steel Frames Restores Coral Reefs in Just Four Years"

Dr. Timothy Lamont and his team at Lancaster University found that planting corals on sand-coated steel frames brought a completely dead reef back to life in just four years, as part of the MARS Coral Reef Restoration Program in Indonesia. The program stabilized rubble fields with sand-coated steel structures called Reef Stars, allowing coral larvae to grow and thrive. While the restored reef showed positive growth, questions remain about the sacrifice of biodiversity for faster-growing coral species.