Zeolite-microfragmenting Media: A Potential Strategy to Accelerate Coral Growth

¹ Faculty of Biotechnology, Sumbawa University of Technology. Jl. Raya Olat Maras Batu Alang, Sumbawa 84371, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
² Department of Fish Health Management and Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine, Airlangga University, Jl. Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, East Java, Indonesia
³ Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science and Engineering, Chaoyang University of Technology, Wufeng District, 413310, Taichung, Taiwan
⁴ Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, NCB Building, 45320 Islamabad, Pakistan
⁵ Pakistan Academy of Sciences, 3 Constitution Ave, G-5/2, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan

^* Corresponding author: izzul.islam@uts.ac.id

Abstract

Coral reef is a critical underwater ecosystem that is rich in biodiversity. Coral growth has decreased drastically due to physical and chemical threats, such as the effect of warming seawater, fish bombing activities, and the effects of wastewater. The efficiency level of coral transplantation is determined by many factors, including the stability of the environment physical condition, the level of coral diversity, and the method of transplantation. The influence of the planting medium can also be a key factor in succeeding the coral transplantation process. The use of stable and natural growing media can be a solution to replace conventional growing media that have been used. Zeolite material is a medium that has many advantages such as amending the trace elemental contents of saltwater such as carbon absorbents, detoxifiers, ammonia remover, catalysts, promoting marine micro-algal growth, become a media for bacterial growth, etc. This review discusses the possibility of zeolites as the candidate media that can be used as a new medium in coral transplantation process to accelerate coral growth and maintain coral health by increasing the adaptation of corals to the effects of global climate change.