Scientists in Taiwan are saving local sea life and habitats with artificial reefs made with marine debris processed into "biochar," a special material that absorbs excess carbon.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00With trash bags and tongs in hand,
00:02these people are carrying out a special ocean cleaning operation.
00:06They're gathering materials for a larger project
00:09to restore the habitat for local sea life.
00:11The group from Taiwan's National Donghua University
00:14has scooped up more than 420 kilograms of garbage
00:17from the ocean's seafloor.
00:19It's a waste of seawater.
00:21It's a waste of seawater.
00:25We found a lot of fish nets and tires.
00:30We found a lot of fish nets and tires.
00:33We found a lot of fish nets and tires.
00:39With their new technology,
00:40these scientists are using a high-temperature gasifying process
00:44to turn marine waste into a charcoal-like material called biochar.
00:49When made into artificial reefs,
00:50they say its properties make it a perfect home for marine life
00:54and offer additional benefits for the environment.
00:57Biochar has been released into the air
01:01for 20 to 50 years.
01:04So we thought of a way
01:08to store the biochar in artificial reefs
01:12and seal it under the sea bed.
01:16to store the biochar in artificial reefs and seal it under the sea bed.
01:20Biochar is known for its ability to absorb net carbon in the environment
01:24and has had other applications on land,
01:27such as improving soil quality in farmlands.
01:30Though human activity continues to produce pollution
01:33and endanger the environment,
01:35the team at Donghua University is a small example
01:38of how scientists here and around the world
01:40are finding ever more creative ways to protect local ecosystems.
01:44Yi-Sen Chen and Nai-Ring Lin for Taiwan Plus.
01:50For more UN videos visit www.un.org