CorMat (Bio-interactive support materials for coral restoration)

The post-doctoral project was initially submitted to the H2020-MSCA-IF-2020 call and later funded by ARIS through Načrt za okrevanje in odpornost (NOO) initiative (»krepitev mednarodne mobilnosti slovenskih raziskovalcev in raziskovalnih organizacij ter za spodbujanje mednarodne vpetosti slovenskih prijaviteljev« (C3.K8.IC)). The mobility is planned to last between December 1, 2023 - November 30, 2025 (24 months) at the Politecnico di Torino and Jozef Stefan Institute.

Scope of the project

The CorMat project will create novel bio-interactive materials for marine sciences, in particular coral restoration (CR). The world’s coral reefs are dying due to the increased frequency of bleaching effects, a direct consequence of global warming. These “ocean rainforests” are home to at least 25% of all marine species, although they occupy less than 0.1% of the world’s oceanic area. Several CR initiatives are employing sexual and asexual propagation to replant healthy corals in the dying reefs, but they all use rudimentary materials like cement, kaolin clay tiles and PVC. The CorMat project proposes to introduce innovative structures for which the chemical and surface properties of ceramic materials will be matched to the adherence and growth rates of marine corals and algae. A set of bioinert and biodegradable materials will be used to prepare 3D support habitats for CR that have surface and structural properties favourable to coral-larvae attachment, coral growth, the calcification dynamics of the coral’s outer skeleton and the survivability rate of out-planted corals.

Duration

December 1, 2023 - June 30, 2026