WO2019038704A4 - Artificial reef made from dead hard coral debris - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns an artificial reef made from dead hard coral debris. It is characterised by modular concrete slabs provided with holes (7), in the form of a pyramid, complemented with dead hard coral debris (4), manufactured manually using conventional masonry equipment. It is designed to ecologically repair the reef environment and to attract reef species (8, 9, 10, 11, 12). Faced with unrelenting coral decline, as evidenced by the accumulation of dead coral debris, the marine environment is becoming hostile, in bioecological terms. Manufacturing the artificial reef made from dead hard coral is one technique for restoring destroyed reef biotopes. Owing to its resilience, this artificial reef protects the functioning of the reef ecosystem and allows it to adapt to the effects of climate change. It is a fishery management tool because it provides a new fishing area as a result of being biologically colonised very quickly.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 12 February 2019 (12.02.2019) Claims

 [Claim 1] [modified] Artificial reef made from dead hard corals to attract marine animal and plant species, characterized by modular concrete slabs, with rounded holes 0.08 to 0.12m in diameter, having 0, 04 m to 0.08 m thick, arranged with debris of dead hard corals, in the form of a truncated pyramid, whose handling is manually transportable and the logistics of immersion are feasible by the traditional unmotorized canoe,

 [Claim 2] [modified] Artificial reef according to claim 1, characterized by the use of dead hard coral debris which is only a component of living coral, allowing the repair of reef habitats in the coral reef ecosystem.

 [Claim 3] Artificial reef according to claim 2, characterized by the provision of pores on dead hard coral debris for rapid biological colonization.

 [Claim 4] [added] Artificial reef according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said artificial reef creates a new habitat in a coral reef destroyed to maintain the functioning of the coral ecosystem and offers a technique of adaptation to change climate in relation to coral bleaching.

 [Claim 5] [deleted] Artificial reef according to claims 1, 2 and 4, characterized in that said artificial reef provides a technique for adapting to climate change, in relation to coral bleaching, in order to maintain the roles and functions of the coral reef ecosystem.

DECLARATION UNDER ARTICLE 19 (1)

Faced with the 02documents members of the patent family:

 D1: WO 2007/123429 A2 (LEMUEL ALFECHE R [PH]; PELAEZ ERNESTO F [PH]; YAP SEVERO EDUARDO M [PH] November 1, 2007 (2007-11-01)

 -The artificial reef made from dead (hard) coral debris is the result of an ecological technology that values and uses only dead coral debris (scleractiniaria *) due to coral bleaching or destructive fishing. While the Dl mentions the use of living coral colony generally of the family Acroporidae .... and make the planting of coral clones on the substrate after. Indeed, the artificial reef made from hard corals (dead *) differs from the method used in the Dl where this mentions the planting process through the nursery.

 -The artificial reef made from dead (hard) coral debris uses 04 thin concrete modular plates 0.04 to 0.08 m thick, with rounded holes 0.08 to 0.12 m in diameter for the circulation of water and living beings . While Dl mentions the use of 02 large feet connecting a beam where all are provided with orifices to stabilize the structure and pockets to place the coral clones to plant.

* In taxonomy, coral (scleractinia order) is commonly referred to as hard coral which is the bio-constructing animal of coral reef.

D2: US 2016/044899 Al (BARTKOWSKI MICHAEL SCOTT [US]) February 18, 2016 (2016-02-18)

 - By assembling the 4 modular plates, the artificial reef made from dead (hard) corals gives a pyramid shape with a square base; whereas the shape in D2 is of triangle-based tetrahedron or pyramid. So there is a difference in design and description between these two inventions.

-The artificial reef based on dead (hard) coral debris uses a partition in the form of a square used as a separation to have two compartments (upper and lower), while D2 mentions the use of a triangular shelf that follows the shape general structure.