WO2018178871A1

WO2018178871A1 - Submersible nursery device for artificial cultivation of coral in shallow reefs

Info

Publication number: WO2018178871A1
Application number: PCT/IB2018/052095
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fernando Alberto ALVAREZ ROMERO; Leonardo VASQUEZ MIRANDA
Original assignee: Fundacion Universidad De Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano
Priority date: 2017-03-31
Filing date: 2018-03-27
Publication date: 2018-10-04
Also published as: CR20190359A; CO2017003194A1; MX2019009814A

Abstract

The invention relates to a submersible nursery device for artificial cultivation of coral in shallow reefs, comprising two washing-line configurations, one forming a square and the other a cross, made up of vertical ropes anchored at the bottom to the seabed and tensed at the top by floating buoys; said ropes pass through cylindrical polypropylene tubes; said tubes are interconnected to the closest tubes by horizontal ropes, including one upper, one lower and one central rope, to form three horizontal planes, for installing respective meshes containing substrates or wafers for coral larvae to settle; each tube comprises on the inside an electromechanical mechanism with pinions that grip the vertical rope, and makes it possible to raise or lower the horizontal planes; said mechanism is driven manually or powered by a battery or solar panel. A submerged temperature sensor uses a control card for raising or lowering the mechanism to the required temperature.

Description

DEVICE FOR SUBMERSIBLE CULTIVATION FOR ARTIFICIAL CULTURE OF

CORALS IN SOMEROS REEFS.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION.

The present invention is related to the field of marine biology, particularly it is related to the development of a submersible nursery for the artificial cultivation of corals in shallow reefs.

STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE.

Corals, by secreting and depositing calcium carbonate, provide the three-dimensional structure to these ecosystems and the habitat for millions of associated species (Hoegh-Guldberg, 201 1). Recent studies suggest that reef-building corals will not be able to adapt to changing environmental conditions, which can lead to coral reefs in the middle of this century changing from being dominant to rare ecosystems (Hoegh-Guldberg, 1999); settlement, recruitment and survival of the recruits in the laboratory and the subsequent survival of these juveniles in the marine environment (success of the transplant). Considering the situation related to coral reefs in which it is clear that the effort to create artificial reefs through the sinking of metallic material results in the long run to the detriment of marine life. Such a situation leads to consideration of design alternatives to achieve a dual purpose. With this panorama, the role of the present invention is aimed at developing alternatives for the restoration of reefs and sustainability by the communities involved, which would imply the use of materials that allow the establishment of coral life.

Finally, it should be considered that these design intentions for the development of structures that serve as a substrate for artificial reefs also involve oceanographic studies (study of marine currents, orientation, position, depth and other hydrodynamic conditions that ensure an adequate fixation of the nurseries and artificial reefs); and engineering that guarantee long duration of the artificial reef (structural and dynamic structural calculations of structural parts, anchors, joints and others that ensure the fixation and stability of the structure. and structural simulation caused by the weight of the coral either in nurseries or in support of submerged structures. Calculate and estimate the moorings of said structures).

In the development of the structure of an artificial reef, it is essential to take into account the advantages or disadvantages that come with the use of the materials that will make it up. The properties such as the structure's resistance, the life time, the type of fauna and flora that will grow or will be concentrated in this space and the compatibility of the reef with the ecosystem will be determined by the characteristics that the material presents under the environment Marine. Artificial reefs are built since ancient times and have used a great diversity of materials and combinations of these, among the most used are concrete, rock, stone, platforms and structures of ships, airplanes or cars out of use, vehicle rims, wood and PVC (Baine, 2001). However, in recent years the diversity of materials has been restricted through guidelines and guidelines in order that the structures do not prove to be a risk and damage ecosystems, example of these documents are the London Convention and protocol / UNEP. (London Convention and Protocol / UNEP, 2006) and the guide for marine artificial reef materials (Lukens & Selberg, 2004) The materials used in an artificial reef can be natural, recycled or prefabricated, a mixture of these types of materials contributes to a diversity in species within the reef. According to the London Convention and Protocol / UNEP it is necessary to use natural and inert materials which should not generate contamination by leaching or erosion in contact with seawater; The selection of suitable material depends on the location of the reef, the protection of the environment and the biological communities that are desired to colonize the reef. The selection of materials is a stage of vital importance because the success or failure of the reef depends on them. "If the intention is to create an ecosystem with a wide diversity of organisms, the structures must be as complex as possible, since there is a direct relationship between complexity and diversity Depending on its shape, size and dimensions, an artificial reef can be visually attractive and serve as a spatial reference for certain species "(Collins, 2002). For the present invention the analysis of the toxicity of a series of materials was carried out to establish if they will present risks when being in a structure in a marine environment, taking into account their composition and other substances that comprise it. The selection was based on the application of these materials for construction of the structures for the nurseries, where fragments of coral detached from natural reefs will be arranged, which propagate creating new colonies.

The criteria of mechanical strength, resistance to corrosion, ease of union, availability and cost were analyzed and the best structural element recommended for such work was decided. In a typical structure we have columns and beams distributed that seek to support the weight and other loads providing the designed geometry with the minimum necessary weight and the adequate resistance so that the structure supports the load within its useful life in a reliable way and without allowing a deformation such that it exempts her from her purpose. The structural design considered the load caused by its own weight, the weight of the elements to be supported, the hydrostatic force, the thrust force and the forces due to the waves that are dynamic, as well as its structural rigidity and the resistance to corrosion. From the static point of view in a structure we must determine the external loads that act on it as well as those that hold its parts together, consists of straight elements, nodes and supports and in general the articulated structure provides practical and economic solutions to many problems ( Beer SJohnston, 1990, page 224).

Three types of structures were considered: Articulated structures, those that are designed to support loads and are usually fixed and stable structures; Fabrics are also fixed and stable structures, but contain at least one element subjected to various forces; and Machines that are designed to transmit and modify forces and are structures that contain moving parts. For the present invention, the first ones were chosen, since they solve the problem of supporting the coral reef beds, the machines will have problems in the elements that are mobile, because additional wear and pollution is generated because the reliable materials used for this As well as the lubricants used for the reduction of friction as bearings (bronzes), bearings (fats and oils) Babbit metal are contaminants unless they are encapsulated and do not come in contact with the sea. Normally the elements of an articulated structure are thin and bear little lateral load; therefore the load must be applied on the nodes and not directly on the elements. When a concentrated load is to be applied between two nodes or a distributed load it must be supported by the articulated structure a floor system is provided that transmits the load to the nodes by means of beams (Beer & Johnston, 1990, page 224).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

From a search of background on substrates for the settlement of coral larvae, some antecedents were found, whose most relevant results are the following:

Japanese Patent No. JP4125221 B2, the summary of which is as follows: "The method for the marine culture of the coral is carried out by composing cultivation tools as follows: the one or two or more adhesion beds in which the planar larvae are fixed The resulting culture tools are mounted on a floating flotation agent on the sea surface of the natural marine area and are maintained in positions at a prescribed height from the bottom of the sea. Adhesion and metamorossification beds of planar larvae are cultured in the natural sea area while protected by a means of protection of the polyp until the young polyps become the young coral that has the hard tissue and are transferred to the seabed. natural sea The apparatus for the marine culture of the coral is equipped with the tools of culture, the buoyancy transmitter and the means of protection polyps. COPYRIGHT: (C) 2005, JPO & NCIPf. Although both inventions propose floating nurseries, their means of control and movement in the water are different, particularly the most relevant difference is that the present invention has two ways of moving vertically from the seabed, either manually raising it by means of ropes tied to the Polypropylene parales or by means of an autonomous device that has as possible sources of energy a chemical battery or a solar panel of 10w. To operate this mechanism there is a submerged temperature sensor, a controller and a 0.2w motor with reduction motor.

Japanese Patent No. JP2007159525 (A), which summary is as follows: "To provide a device for the growth of corals SOLUTION: This coral growth device 10 is characterized in that it comprises a cathode 12 disposed in the sea water, and an anode 11 which is also arranged in the sea water, these are electrically interconnected through an electrical conductor, and the anode 11 has a lower potential than the cathode 12 in this way the particles are attracted to the cathode 12. The coral growth device 10 has a plurality of cathodes 12, and these are electrically connected to each other through an auxiliary grain member as the cathode 14. The cathodes 12 are electrically connected to the anodes 11 through the auxiliary cathode member 14; Copyright: (c) 2007, JPO and INPIT. "Although both inventions are nursery devices for the cultivation of corals, the elements involved in their development are totally different, the antecedent uses electrical elements while the invention uses electro-mechanical elements and through a floating clothesline, with temperature sensors that keep the coral larvae at the most suitable temperature.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device of the present invention consists structurally of parales in polypropylene tube of 7.62 cm (3 inches) in diameter and a length of 80 centimeters, these are constituted in the pillars on which the rest of the elements are going to be arranged of the structure.

The entire clothesline can be arranged on the seabed so that the sea currents do not drag it and it can be at a fixed point. Possibilities for the construction of the drying rack according to the submarine terrain and the need for plans required for the crops are contemplated.

To fix the corals you can use meshes and cookies or nylon lines. These devices can be incorporated into the clothesline through the use of sailboat belts or plastic straps. With them you can cultivate certain types of coral species that require fixation to a substrate (biscuits) through an epoxy weld. These fixing biscuits are installed in a 15 mm polypropylene mesh. of cell and cut to the measure of the clothes line since it comes in commercial footage.

As for the mesh in horizontal position it can be cut into sections of 2 meters by one meter to leave space for the diver to navigate on one side. And if required to put the mesh on the sides of the clothesline will cut 80 cm. by 2 meters. The proposal of a clothesline has two ways of moving vertically from the seabed, either manually raising it by means of ropes tied to the polypropylene parales or by means of an autonomous device that has as possible sources of energy a chemical battery or a solar panel of 10w. To operate this mechanism there is a submerged temperature sensor, a controller and a 0.2w motor with reduction motor.

The mechanism is fixed internally to the parales crossing the rope that is held by the buoys. In this way when the temperature is cool or hot in a range between 1 1 to 17 degrees the thermometer sends the signal to the controller and this causes the motor to turn in one direction or another to move the clothesline to an appropriate water temperature inside the range.

The gearmotors in turn have a gear system in order to move the entire device according to a temperature sensor. To energize the system, chemical batteries are used as the first alternative, taking advantage of the presence of seawater as an electrolytic medium. You can choose two types of batteries altering the dimensions in order to obtain voltages that may be sufficient to move the entire system.

As a way to illustrate the present invention in its most relevant characteristics and as an explanatory and non-limiting example, the most representative figures of the embodiment of the invention are annexed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIGURE 1: It is an isometry of the structure of a clothesline or nursery configured in the form of a quadrilateral.

FIGURE 2: It is an isometry of the structure of a drying rack or crèche configured in the shape of a cross.

FIGURE 3: There are two planar views (lateral and frontal) and one isometric of the anchoring element.

Figure 4: It is an isometric view representative of one of the parales with all its components buoy - rope - elevator - anchor and with an enlarged detail of the Hermetic mechanism inside the cylinder to fulfill the functions of ascent and descent.

Figure 5: It is a top view of the mechanism of ascent and descent.

Figure 6: It is an illustrative isometry of a mesh with two substrates to be installed in each of the three levels formed by the structure of the nursery.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES.

FIGURE 1: Isometric view of a clothesline in a quadrilateral configuration that forms a nursery structure (clothesline), included in each of its vertices because they are composed of the following elements: the buoy (1), the rope (4) , polypropylene cylinder (2) and the anchor hook (3); the parales are interconnected by the ropes (8) forming three horizontal planes when fixing each section of rope (8) in the polypropylene cylinders (2) upper, central and lower.

FIGURE 2: It is an isometric view of a drying rack in a cross configuration that forms a nursery structure (clothesline) with five parales, each of its parales is composed of the following elements: the buoy (1), the rope (4) , polypropylene cylinder (2) and the anchor hook (3); the parales are interconnected by the ropes (8) forming three horizontal planes when fixing each section of rope (8) in the polypropylene cylinders (2) upper, central and lower, all the parales are interconnected with a central paral, by means of the ropes (8)

FIGURE 3: Samples three views of the anchoring element (3), a frontal 3A, a lateral 3B and an isometric 3C. Said element is comprised superiorly by an eyelet (5) for fixing the rope (4), this anchor has a straight extension towards the top forming a handle (6) to manually rotate it in a horizontal plane and thus generate a drill effect , on the vertical body (3) having at its lower end a sharp plate in helical form (7), which through the drill effect penetrates towards the seabed and in this way, achieving tension in the rope (4) towards the buoy (one ).

FIGURE 4: Is an illustrative isometric view of one of the parales with all its components, comprised of a buoy (1), fixed to the upper end of the rope (4) that descends and passes through the polypropylene cylinder (2) and is fixed to the anchor (3) by means of the eye (5) and by means of the manual rotation through the handle (6) it is fixed to the ocean floor by means of the spiral helical plate (7) tightening the rope (4) forming a rigid paral . Inside the polypropylene cylinder (2) in extended detail, the mechanism of ascent and descent that traps the rope (4) by means of the gears (12) and (13) which in turn receive a motor movement through a crown (15) activated by a motor (1 1) and controlled by a signal from a temperature sensor (14). It is noteworthy that this sensor, by allowing the reading of the temperature that must be in a range between 1 1 ° C and 17 ° C, makes the mechanism ascend or descend by means of a signal that reaches a control card and activates the motor ( 1 1) that is energized by a battery (9). The tightness of the polypropylene cylinder (2) is achieved through some estoperas (10) that are superior and inferior to the cylinder caps (2).

FIGURE 5: It is the top view of the polypropylene cylinder (2) where the motor housing (1 1) can be seen, also the barrel (10) around the rope (4) can be seen.

FIGURE 6: It is an illustrative isometry of a mesh (17) in whose cells the substrates (16) are housed to house the coral larvae. Said mesh is placed in each of the horizontal planes that are formed on the clothes line or nursery, which are shown in Figure 1 and 2.

Described as the present invention has been in its most relevant characteristics, the property and originality of the following are declared:

Claims

1- A submersible nursery device for the artificial cultivation of corals in shallow reefs is claimed, characterized in that it is comprised of two configurations of clotheslines, one in quadrilateral and the other in cross, comprised by vertical ropes (4), anchored inferiorly to the seabed by means of the anchorage (3) and superiorly tensioned by float buoys (1); said cords (4) pass through polypropylene cylindrical tubes (2); said tubes are interconnected to the closest tubes by horizontal ropes (8), one upper, one lower and one central, to form three horizontal planes, to install respective meshes (17) containing some substrates or biscuits (16) for the settlement of coral larvae; each tube internally has an electromechanical mechanism of ascent and descent with pinions that trap the vertical rope (4) and allows to raise or descend the horizontal planes; This mechanism is activated manually, by a battery (9) or a solar panel. A temperature sensor (14) having a range between 1 1 ° C and 17 ° C using a control card activates the mechanism for its rise or fall to the required temperature.

2- Submersible nursery device for the artificial cultivation of coral reefs in shallow reefs according to claim 1, characterized in that the anchoring element (3) is composed superiorly by an eyelet (5) where the rope (4) is fixed. the upper part a straight extension forming a handle (6), the vertical body (3) has at its lower end a sharp plate in helical form (7).

3- Submersible nursery device for the artificial cultivation of coral reefs in shallow reefs according to claim 1, characterized in that the parales are formed by tensioning the rope (4) towards the buoy (1), said rope (4) goes through the polypropylene cylinder (2) and fixed to the anchor (3) by means of the eyelet (5) and fixed to the ocean floor by means of the spiral helical plate (7).

4- A submersible nursery device for the artificial cultivation of corals in shallow reefs, according to claim 1, characterized in that, within the polypropylene cylinder (2) in each of the parales, the mechanism of ascent and descent that traps the rope (4) by means of the gears (12) and (13) which in turn receive a motor movement through a crown (15) activated by a motor (1 1) and controlled by a signal of a sensor temperature (14), further characterized in that said sensor by allowing the reading of the temperature that must be in a range between 1 1 ° C and 17 ° C sends a signal to a control card, which in turn activates the motor ( 1 1) that is energized by the battery (9) to raise or lower the mechanism to a temperature within the defined range. Said mechanism is also characterized in that it is hermetic inside the polypropylene cylinder (2) through some estoperas (10) that are upper and internally to the cylinder caps.

5- A submersible nursery device for the artificial cultivation of corals in shallow reefs, according to claim 1, characterized in that the clothesline has a quadrilateral configuration with parales in each of its vertices and the meshes (17) have 15 mm cell.

6- A submersible nursery device for the artificial cultivation of corals in shallow reefs, according to claim 1, characterized in that the clothesline has a cross configuration with five parales, the parales are interconnected with a central paral by means of ropes (8).