- The world’s beaches face a bleak future: by 2100, 50 percent of them could have disappeared due to erosion caused by climate change.
- A new study by scientists at Northwestern University suggests that applying mild stress to these ecosystems could stimulate the formation of “binding” materials that may make beaches more resistant to erosion.
- The idea was based on the biology of shell formation in mussels and mollusks. The approach would be less invasive and less costly than currently proposed beach protection methods.
As the world continues to warm, scientists, engineers and governments are considering more drastic measures to save precious ecosystems around the world. Marine experts are Coral farming to accelerate evolution To make them more heat resistant, test ways to brighten clouds to increase the Earth’s solar reflection, and some scientists believe floating “curtains” could block warm water from reaching ice shelves and glaciers.
Now scientists have a shocking Idea on how to protect the world’s beaches from coastal erosion. As sea levels rise, wind patterns change, and storms become more powerful, the places where land meets sea are among the most affected ecosystems – which is why some estimates say that half of the world’s beaches could be gone by 2100. To counteract this unstoppable coastal destruction, scientists at Northwestern University suggest that applying light stress to these ecosystems could strengthen coastlines for generations. The results of this study were published in the journal Communication Earth and Environment.
Current approaches to coastal protection involve building large infrastructure or injecting material underground, both of which have huge impacts on the surrounding environment (and are expensive). Alessandro Rotta Loria of Northwestern Engineering, lead author of the study, chose instead to work with the materials—more specifically, ions and dissolved minerals—that coastal habitats provide.
“My goal was to develop an approach that can change the status quo in coastal protection … and that can cement marine substrates without using real cement,” Rotta Loria said in a press release. “By subjecting seafloors to mild electrical stimulation, we have systematically and mechanistically demonstrated that it is possible to cement them by converting naturally dissolved minerals in seawater into solid mineral binders – a natural cement.”
The idea actually comes from shellfish, such as mollusks, which convert ions and dissolved minerals in the water into calcium carbonate, which is then used to build their shells. Of course, this process is driven by the energy in an animal’s metabolism, so to create a similar reaction throughout the ecosystem, you would need to apply a weak current of just 2 to 3 volts and some materials would convert into calcium carbonate. Turn the voltage up to 4 volts and the end result is magnesium hydroxide and hydromagnesite – both of which are common materials found in rocks. These substances form a kind of glue that holds sand particles together and makes the shoreline more resistant to the elements.
Applying electricity to a salty, watery environment sounds like bad news for the other organisms living in the area, but Rotta Loria stresses that these low voltages aren’t even detected by wildlife. Scientists have used a similar technique to stimulate coral growth and found no negative effects on surrounding wildlife. Oh, and another bonus? It’s completely reversible.
“The minerals form because we locally increase the pH of the seawater at the cathode interfaces,” Rotta Loria said in a press release. “When you swap the anode with the cathode, local pH reductions occur, which dissolve the previously precipitated minerals.”
This particular attenuation technique is currently only tested in the lab, so the next steps will be to test this electrifying idea in real coastal environments. Hopefully, a little electroshock therapy will ensure that people and animals can continue to enjoy their favorite beaches for generations to come.
Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about science fiction and how our world works. You can find his previous work at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.
