Skip to main content
NCS’s ‘Inventing Tomorrow’ meets the pioneers charting a new course for the ocean economy

In the murky waters off the coast of Hong Kong, coral has endured in opposition to the odds. Vriko Yu has labored with scientists from The University of Hong Kong to develop 3D-printed clay tiles that present a secure basis for reefs to develop. Yu and Associate Professor David Baker have based startup archiREEF, in the hopes of attracting capital to fund future analysis and assist regrow coral in areas the place it has disappeared. 

Just over 20 p.c of the ocean ground is mapped immediately. U.S.-based startup Bedrock Ocean Exploration hopes to alter that with its new breed of ocean know-how: a seven-foot-long electrical submarine geared up with sonars, cameras and lasers to assist it navigate and catalogue the marine atmosphere. NCS hears from the firm’s co-founder and CEO Anthony DiMare about how a fuller image of the seabed might assist marine industries construct infrastructure with out harming ocean life. Meanwhile, oceanographer Yi Chao has developed a option to energy data-gathering machines renewably, harnessing power from the ocean itself. He based startup Seatrec in California to scale up the know-how.  

When people construct on coastlines, they typically destroy the ecosystems sea creatures rely upon. Marine biologist Ido Sella co-founded the Israel-based startup ECOncrete, which develops concrete blocks for coastal building that match the impartial pH of seawater and mimic the form and texture of pure rock formations, serving to marine life to thrive. The firm has installations throughout the world, together with in Hong Kong, the place marine air pollution researcher Juan Carlos has helped set up ECOncrete’s tidal pool blocks as a part of a trial to spice up biodiversity on synthetic shorelines.

Finally, NCS learns how Philippines-based startup Fortuna Cools developed a longer-lasting eco-friendly different to polystyrene coolers – utilizing discarded coconut husks. The startup partnered with Justino Arboleda, a professor-turned-manufacturer who created know-how to make insulation out of coconut husks as a approach to supply further revenue to native coconut farmers and cut back plastic air pollution in the ocean.

Watch the full feature on 2020 UNDP Ocean Innovator Fortuna Cools here: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/28/asia/philippines-coconuts-plastic-alternative-climate-spc-intl-hnk/index.html