Glue vs. Regular: Determining Which Cement Mix is Most Effective for Coral Restoration

Overview

Coral restoration has become a very prominent practice due to the decline of coral reefs worldwide. Coral restoration methods vary from asexual to sexual reproduction in either land-based or ocean-based sites. American Samoa - known for having generally ‘good’ reefs- has developed a territorial coral restoration plan to actively manage and encourage resilience within our local reefs. Restoration techniques are developed in a way to cater the natural shaping of individual reefs or revitalize certain sections within them. However, some of these methods have shown to be very time-consuming, tedious, and especially difficult without ideal weather and water conditions. In American Samoa, the cement method is the most utilized restoration technique, especially when dealing with direct transplantation, due to its accessibility and affordability. However, it has shown to be very time- consuming, specifically when coming up with the right cement mix. Within this study, I will be addressing the washout issue faced when carrying out the cement method by conducting both land-based and ocean-based trials. I hypothesize that by adding glue to the cement mixture, it will not only reduce the amount of washout in the water but increase stability in the coral fragments as well. To test this hypothesis, I will be performing three tank-based tests: washout, fluidity, and dry-time; and one ocean-based trial: cement block method. The weight, measurements, and images of the cement mixtures will be used to differentiate the effectiveness of the two mixtures. A Sustainable Alternative to Textile Dyes: Synthesizing and Applying PMMA Nanoparticles to Create Structural Coloration Yumi Mizobuchi ‘Iolani School, Honolulu, HI Mentor Ms. Jessica Lynn Saylors, ‘Iolani School Synthetic textile dyes have been one of the largest contributors to global pollution; uncontrolled discharge of textile dyeing wastewater negatively impacts public health and ecological balance. Toxic chemicals and metals in the wastewater are related to various cancers and skin problems and to lower levels of dissolved oxygen in bodies of water near textile factories. Structural coloration depends solely on the shape of an object, not any hazardous chemical components. The goal of this research is to sustainably colorize textiles by synthesizing and spray coating nanospheres onto fabrics. In this research, poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) nanospheres were synthesized by stirring distilled water, methyl methacrylate, 2,2-Azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride) initiator under an inert atmosphere. The method of preparing and spray coating the PMMA was optimized; after centrifugation, PMMA is prepared in a 100:1 ratio of PMMA/water solution and carbon black to spray coat onto fabric for 5 layers. The PMMA particles showed high durability on the fabric. By changing amounts of DW, MMA, and initiator, resulting colors included red-violet, violet, blue, turquoise, green, and yellow-green that can be created consistently. Applying practices and concepts learned from using PMMA, future research and ultimate goal consists of synthesizing and spray coating more sustainable nanospheres such as starch acetate nanospheres to apply onto textiles for structural coloration.

Competition history

• JSHS 2022 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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