Odisha got it’s First Artificial Reefs and Ocean Forest to combat Climate Change

Balugaon:16/2/24:   Increasing levels of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are causing Climate Change. The result is Increasing temperature, frequent cyclonic storms in coastal areas, acidification of the ocean, loss of biodiversity, bleaching of corals, decreased fisheries productivity, rapid degradation of ecosystems, and many more. To address some of these challenges, Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo a marine scientist and Senior Professor at Delhi University has devised unique methods and implemented them at the grassroots level in remote coastal villages of Odisha. Sahoo along with his collaborator Dr Sanjukta Sahoo, a Civil Engineering Faculty at KIIT, Bhubaneswar, Odisha designed several types of Artificial Reefs in the laboratory. After several months of experiments, the duo finally deployed many Artificial reefs in the coastal waters of Odisha which is First of its kind in the state.  Artificial Reefs will not only increase the fisheries’ productivity but also help in restoration of degraded marine ecosystems and will increase biodiversity., said Prof. Dinabandhu Sahoo, who served as the Vice Chancellor of FM University at Odisha.

Artificial reef construction and deployment is a multi-billion-dollar industry and countries like USA, France, Japan, China, Korea, Australia, etc have deployed millions of such reefs on their sea coasts to boost their economy and enjoy rich returns. Around the world, approximately 500,000 Reef Balls have been deployed in 3,400 artificial reef and beach restoration projects in more than 70 countries. Odisha has about 480km coast coastline and stands as a potential site to explore the viability. Artificial Reefs with specific designs and materials will not only provide habitat to several marine species, it will also reduce the wave action protecting the coast against cyclonic storms. In addition, it is a good substrate for the seaweeds and some specific types of aquatic plants that can sequester carbon dioxide from water in a faster way, said, Dr Sanjukta Sahoo. It will create more jobs for the coastal communities through enhanced fisheries production and plan of marine ecotourism for better livelihood creation.

Prof Sahoo simultaneously has been creating underwater forests in coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal through seaweed farming as seaweeds can sequester 4-5 times more carbon dioxide than land plants. An “Indian Seaweed Wheel” of 24 feet diameter with 24 spokes which resembles Ashok Chakra has been designed and submerged in the coastal water to absorb Carbon dioxide to fight Climate Change. Both Artificial Reefs and seaweed farming are going to be the game changers soon. They are now planning to design more colorful artificial corals that can imitate natural coral reefs to boost marine eco-tourism. Sahoos’ efforts are very much synchronizing with Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMSY) which aims to transform India’s fisheries and aquaculture sector. The 2024 interim budget gives a lot of Push to fisheries and aquaculture sector that aims to generate 50 lakh jobs and contribute to Blue Economy.  Thus, our efforts will contribute a lot towards the Blue Economy of the country. Many people from government, academics, industries, and also local people and fishermen have participated.