Lighten the clouds to repair the Great Barrier Reef

Sydney (AFP) – Lightening the Clouds to Better Reflect on the Sun or Overlook the Sea 'a protective film are among the tracks studied by the Australian government to protect the Great Barrier Reef, jewel of the heritage of humanity threatened by climate change.

The huge reef that is the size of Japan or Japan. Italy experienced two severe bleaching episodes in 2016 and 2017 due to rising water temperatures

Experts estimate that an area 2,300 kilometers long may have suffered irreparable damage.

The government has pledged to fight climate change in general, but also to study shorter-term measures to give some relief to the world's largest coral ensemble.

In January, Canberra appealed to researchers, unblocking two million Australian dollars to fund innovative ideas to save the site.

It is also threatened by industrial and agricultural activities, as well as by the purple acanthaster , an invasive coral-eating starfish.

Six projects selected out of a total of 69 proposals will be tested for feasibility, the government announced on Friday.

One of them plans to clear up the clouds by injecting sea salt crystals, which increases their reflective abilities.

David Mead, researcher at the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, said the proposal had real potential even though it might appear at first sight far-fetched

"Our team is studying the use of a very fine nozzle to inject small droplets of seawater at a rate of several millia rds per second. The water vaporizes and there are still particles of salt that will float in the air. If we can inject them into the system, we can increase the amount of sunlight that is reflected, "he told the ABC media group.

Another idea, an ultra-thin biodegradable film containing reflective particles and that would come to cover some of the reefs to protect them from the heat.

"What's good with this film is that it's just the thickness of a molecule, you can swim through it and it's will reform on its own, "said Andrew Negri, another scientist at the Institute, on ABC.

Among other selected tracks, the mbadive production of coral larvae through 3D printing of surfaces to support their growth, or harvesting and relocation of larvae

© AFP