Photoshoot at the beach
(APRIL 2024) 1st LAUNCH
I experimented with the placement of the arches and located them in a shallow tidepool for easy monitoring.
ATTRACTING SNAILS... Is it because of the calcium carbonate? It was too early to grow algae then...
(MAY 2024) 2ND LAUNCH. In hopes of more growth and a different result, I decided to launch the arch in a fully submerged position.
IN IT GOES
(JUNE 19TH 2024) ONE MONTH LATER WE CAN NOTICE SOME FORMING LIMESTONE ON THE ARCH...
(AUGUST 2024) 3 MONTHS LATER... MUCH MORE GROWTH
3 month milestone... An array of shellfish species and calcium carbonate reliant species have been colonizing the arch...
JUNE 2024..... LAUNCH IN GREECE
5 MONTH UPDATE...
JAM PACKED WITH SHELLFISH
5TH MONTH IN THE OCEAN! There is more growth than our 3 month milestone.
5TH MONTH... An Asian mussel (Arcuatula senhousia)
Next to a stunning colony of Aplysina aerophoba
An green Mediterranean ornate wrasse (Thalassoma pavo) as well as other species of fish has been displaying fascinating behavior. I have observed the fish swarming near the arch and occasionally pecking at it with their mouths.
We can see 2 individuals of 2 identical fish species somewhat mirroring each other.
(JUNE 2025) ONE YEAR ANNIVERSAY... ASTOUNDING GROWTH.
It seems as if the arch has increased in size due to all the species piling on top of each other.
A WIDE VARIETY OF ORGANISMS
NURSERY FOR FISH
Rock goby (Gobius paganellus)
1 YEAR...
1 YEAR IN THE OCEAN
1 YEAR IN THE OCEAN
OYSTER GROWTH
THANK YOU TO PROFESSOR JAMES HERBERT-READ OF THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY FOR SUGGESTING THIS EXPERIMENT INVOLVING THE USE OF A CEMENT AS A CONTROLLED.
THANK YOU PROFESSOR DAVID BAKER OF HKU FOR ALLOWING THE LAUNCH OF 2 ARCHES IN THE SWIRE FACILITY OF MARINE SCIENCE (S.W.I.M.S)
Experimenting with different water parameters on the other side of Hong Kong!
GETTING READY FOR MORE LAUNCHES