Project

Biobased adhesives for coral reef restoration

Depletion of coral reefs, both because of natural and man-made causes, have significantly disrupted marine ecological balance. Developing strategies for coral reef restoration has, therefore, become a major task for the material science community. Currently, concrete structures are mostly being used to provide a base for coral growth. However, accumulation of concrete waste in the marine environment have other negative consequences. We have adopted the strategy of using an underwater adhesive to plant oyster larva thus developing a natural base for coral growth. My research, in PCC, focuses on the design of such biobased adhesives and investigating their properties in seawater.