Home - website of Professor Wolf Hilbertz

Wolf Hilbertz died of cancer in Munich,
Germany August 11th, 2007.
The Fourth Biorock Workshop
will take place on November 13-20, 2006,
and be held on Gili Trawangan,
Lombok, Indonesia.

Sponsered by:
The Global Coral Reef Alliance
Sun And Sea E.V.
Vila Ombak Diving Academy
Gili Trawangan
Vila Ombak Resort

Workshop Theme:

The Biorock Process or mineral accretion is a revolutionary technology used to grow structures and marine ecosystems in seawater. It provides a cost-effective and sustainable method to accelerate coral growth and increase coral survival particularly in areas where environmental stress has affected existing reefs. Biorock methods can help restore damaged coral reefs and provide building materials from sustainable energy resources for mariculture of corals, oysters, clams, lobsters and fish. When mixed with aggregates, accreted minerals can be used as building components on the sea bottom or on land.

Workshop participants will experience hands-on training in the simple techniques needed to design, construct, maintain and monitor Biorock coral nurseries for reef restoration and will be introduced to basic Biorock technologies useful in the emerging discipline of seascape architecture.

The workshop will be conducted by Dr. Tom Goreau, President, Global Coral Reef Alliance: Professor Wolf Hilbertz, President of Sun and Sea e.V. as well as several Biorock project managers and staff. The workshop will be held on Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia. In 2005 Biorock projects won the Association of South East Asian Nations Tourism Agencies Award for Excellence and the Pacific Asia Travel Association Gold Award for best environmental effort, adding to a long list of awards received previously. Participants in this years’ workshop will contribute to a documentary being filmed by a joint French-German TV production crew.

What is a Biorock Reef:

Biorock technology applies a safe low-voltage electrical current through seawater, causing dissolved minerals to precipitate onto cathodic surfaces growing into white limestone/brucite structures similar to those that make up coral reefs and nourish tropical white sand beaches. Biorock methods speed up coral growth even where excessive temperatures, pollution, sedimentation and other stress-inducing factors have damaged reefs and other marine habitats.

New Biorock structures are soon populated by a full range of coral reef organisms, including fish, crabs, clams octopus, lobster, sea urchins and barnacles.

For more information on the Biorock process and bios of the workshop organizers please see the Global Coral Reef Alliance website: www.globalcoral.org.

Who should attend:

Dive shop operators, hotel and resort managers, conservation groups, coastal zone managers, fishing communities, marine scientists, mariculturists, tourism agencies, seascape and landscape architects, engineers, artists, government fisheries, environmental, and tourism policy makers, and others who seek the training necessary to design, construct and operate their own Biorock structures for reef restoration, erosion control, tourism, mariculture, remediation or marine science.

Since hands-on, in the water instruction is part of the workshop program, we recommend that participants interested in that portion be experienced, certified divers.

We anticipate attendance from Indonesia, many Asian countries and from around the world, making this workshop a unique experience for participants to learn from one another about coral reef problems and solutions.

What You will Learn:

The workshop will be comprised of lectures, slides and videos on the theory and practice of current and past mineral accretion projects and Biorock coral nurseries in Indonesia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Maldives, Mexico, Panama, US Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Palau, Seychelles, Saya de Malha, India, Cuba the United States and many other locations.

Participants will receive practical training in design, construction and maintenance of coral nurseries. They will work with local welders, dive shops, fishermen and Pemuteran villagers to construct, deploy and install new coral and fish nurseries. After the workshop there will be an opportunity for participants to apply their knowledge and skills in starting new projects in other parts of Bali, other islands of Indonesia including Lombok and Flores (near the Komodo National Park), or to start projects in their own home sites.

Workshop Highlights:

- November 13, 2006

12: 00pm: Registration, Orientation pack, required reading list, Afternoon Tea
Speakers and Guests: Dr Jamaluddin Jompa, director, Coral Reef Research Center, Hasannuddin University, Makassar

Buffet Dinner
Screening of video “Reef Reborn” an internationally acclaimed documentary on the Pemuteran project directed by Michael Balson produced by New Zealand Natural History Films.

- November 14 (Guest Speakers TBA)

Morning 9am:
Lecture: Global Warming and Coral Reefs. Bottom-Up Community-Based Coral Reef and Fisheries Restoration. Current Coral Reef Restoration technologies.

Introduction of Biorock. Dr. Tom Goreau

Coffee Break 10:30-12:00

Snorkeling/Diving of Trawangan Biorock Structures. Discussion of form and function in reef restoration.

Lunch Break 12:00-2:00

Lecture: 2:00-3:00pm. Biorock Theory: Slide and film presentations on the theory of mineral accretion, reef construction, mariculture, seascaping, shore protection, architectural applications. Hands-on methods for reef construction, coral transplantation, and marine pest control. - Professor Wolf Hilbertz
3:00-4:00 - Introduction of next days activities ie. group formation to develop coral reef restoration project(s). Project choices Biorock, FAD, aquarium fish, erosion protection etc.
4:00-5:00 - Free time for snorkeling and diving project.

Dinner 6-8pm

- November 15

Morning 9am:
Form into groups to develop coral reef restoration project(s). Group(s) consult with advisors.

Coffee Break: 10:30-11:00

Finalizing concept, materials of group(s) restoration projects with Advisors.

Lunch Break: 12:00-2:00

Introduction of construction techniques, handling of materials and tools. Organizing materials for project(s).
Commencement of project(s).

Dinner: 6-8pm

- November 15th - 19th

Reef construction, deployment, connection of electrodes to power supplies, coral transplantation. Construction documentation on land and underwater. Discussions, screening of videos and still photography. Excursions to points of interest.

- November 19

Question and answer session, final discussions, problems encountered in reef restoration and solutions. Future directions.

Buffet Dinner, Farewell address

- November 20

Check out and transfer to next destination.


Workshop Fees (USD)

Individuals: $500
Students: $250
Corporate and Institutional: $1500

Regional students and faculty should inquire about reduced rates/waivers and stipends

Fees cover boat use, dive tanks, workshop materials

Wetsuits, BCs, regulators, fins and masks will be available for rent but may be limited. Please bring your own equipment where possible. (Some international airlines flying to Indonesia will provide an additional baggage allowance for SCUBA Diving equipment if advised upon booking of ticket.)


Accommodation
Hotel Vila Ombak Resort and Spa. www.hotelombak.com

Prices are US $ per person per night, twin share / double, tax and service, inclusive daily buffet breakfast and buffet dinner.
(Lunch and Drinks are not included)

Superior Lumbung with free upgrade to Deluxe Lumbung subject to availability:

Twin Share Double US $45 per person
Single Occupancy US $ 80.00 per person

Deluxe Family Bungalow with free upgrade to Deluxe Ombak Room subject to availability:

Twin Share Double US 55.00 per person
Single Occupancy US $ 100.00 per person
Extra Bed and meals package: Add US $ 30.00 per night. Maximum 1 Extra Bed per room in this category.

Details on budget accommodation options on Gili Trawangan, transfers ex Bali, including budget options, will be available soon on www.biorockworkshop.org


Registration and Accommodations Contact:

Mr. I. G. Beratha
Email: reefreborn@yahoo.com
Telephone: 62 361 742 1165 or 62 361 261 240

Payment: All Major credit cards accepted

Bank: TBA.

A deposit of 20% of the workshop fee is required by August 31, 2006 to ensure participation.

Full payment of workshop fee and accommodation / meals package by August 31, 2006 will attract a five (5) percent discount.


The Global Coral Reef Alliance (GCRA)

The Global Coral Reef Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to growing, protecting and managing the most threatened of all marine ecosystems-coral reefs. GCRA has pioneered methodologies to help reefs survive and recover from diseases and anthropogenic damage caused by excessive nutrients, climate change and physical destruction.

BiorockTM is a trademark of Biorock, Inc. The BiorockTM Process is owned by BiorockTM, Inc.

For more information please check:

www.globalcoral.org
www.biorock.net
www.wolfhilbertz.com (this site)
www.biorock-workshop.org

or please contact:

Tom Goreau goreau@bestweb.net
Wolf Hilbertz hilbertz@emirates.net.ae