FAQ

Many factors can negatively affect coral reefs such as over-fishing, coastal pollution, ocean acidification, habitat destruction, and ocean warming. Conservation organisations around the world are racing against time, trying to combat declining biological populations and the loss of healthy ecosystems that provide services to coastal communities and island nations.

By 2050 half of the world’s coral reefs will have already been lost or severely damaged. If nothing is done, coral reefs will be the first large scale ecosystem on Earth to entirely collapse, dragging with it the loss of 25% of marine life that rely on them.

Nurtured.Co reefs creates bio-enhancing substrates that mimic natural reef development and foster growth on a large scale over a very short amount of time. The race against climate change and reef degradation calls for a scalable, natural solution to ensure that resources are spent on solutions that will produce results and achieve global conservation imperatives for reefs.

Thriving ocean systems demand a diverse set of habitat requirements, and the physical properties of regular cement substrates cannot accommodate these marine organism needs. Nurtured.Co reefs form over time with a complex matrix of minerals, developed specifically for diverse animal growth and immediate integration within local ecosystems. The artificial Nurtured.Co reef behaves like a battery in the seawater inducing a miniscule electric current through the structure. This electric current promotes the build-up of a calcium carbonate coating on the structure.

Simply put, Nurtured.Co artificial reefs are designed to promote coral settlement and deter algae growth. Providing coral with strong, mineral rich foundation allows it to grow faster and more resilient. Studies have shown that corals grown on such structures can grow several times faster and survive in more difficult environmental conditions.

No, the chemical reaction releases natural compounds found abundantly in marine ecosystems. The low voltage supplied to a Nurtured.Co reef is extremely miniscule and has no effect on wildlife and it cannot even be felt by touch. 

Nurtured.Co reefs are designed to stay as a permanent habitat and foundation for coral reefs to continue to grow on for hundreds of years. Our reefs use electrically conductive materials, e.g. steel rebar, the cheapest and most widely used construction material, to build reefs of any size or shape. The steel is completely protected from corrosion as naturally dissolved components (principally calcium carbonate) in seawater grows over the structure, producing a continually growing limestone coating. This material can become three times stronger than concrete, creating the only marine construction material that gets stronger and harder with age and is self-repairing. All other marine construction materials deteriorate with age and eventually need to be removed and replaced.

Due to the adaptable nature of the design, a Nurtured.Co reef can be placed just about anywhere and in extremely remote areas as no external power sources are needed.

Our initial reefs have been based in the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Future projects and sites are in discussion, but some contenders include Lizard Island, Bribie island and Moreton Bay.

Each certificate corresponds to a certain segment of reef, that we will build on your behalf. This reef will be used to continue our research - allowing us the chance to refine the technology over a period of time.

We aim to reduce carbon emissions and waste by emailing you a digital certificate and receipt of purchase. We encourage you to share this certificate on social media to help grow the awareness of Nurtured.Co.

Any contribution to Nurtured.Co goes directly to funding the research by providing for the construction material, installation, overheads and manufacturing costs for the reef projects. As a Social Enterprise we must follow strict accounting guidelines.