New Initiative by American Scientists: Harnessing Ocean Waves to Create New Islands in the Maldives

As coastlines around the world face increasing threats from erosion and rising sea levels, a group of scientists at the Self-Assembly Laboratory at MIT in the United States is working on a 'relatively natural' solution to prevent coastal erosion, particularly in areas at risk of rising sea levels. Self-assembly is a process in which pre-formed components of a system, through interactions without external influence, form a structured or orderly pattern. Rising sea levels pose an 'unimaginable disaster' for the world. Scientists hope to utilize this process and marine structures to harness ocean forces to collect sand at pre-selected locations, thereby protecting islands and potentially creating new ones. Since 2019, several experiments have been conducted in the Maldives. In one experiment, a structure made of knotted ropes was used to collect sand in shallow, rocky areas. In another experiment, a fabric material that turns into hard concrete when mixed with water was used to create barriers on the seabed to aid in sand accumulation. Skyler Tibbits, founder and one of the directors of the Self-Assembly Laboratory at MIT, told CNN that the goal is to work with natural forces rather than against them to find simpler, more economical, and sustainable methods for sand accumulation. Field test results in the Maldives have shown that these methods can effectively aid in beach restoration and island preservation. Specifically, the second experiment, which began in 2019 using biological sand-filled bags, was able to collect about half a meter of sand in an area measuring 20 by 30 meters within four months. The long-term goal of these efforts is to create artificial islands that can serve as a long-term solution to coastal erosion problems. In this regard, larger-scale experiments are underway, and their results are set to be evaluated in November. The Maldives, with an average height of only one meter above sea level, is the lowest country in the world, and scientists have repeatedly warned about the complete submersion of this country due to rising ocean levels caused by climate change. The UN Secretary-General recently warned at a meeting of Pacific Island Forum leaders that rising sea levels threaten the world. This crisis, which according to Antonio Guterres, is 'entirely human-made,' requires a global response to prevent an unimaginable disaster.