Can concrete molds revive reefs in Malaysia ruined by bombs and climate change?

Efforts to restore reefs in Malaysia are using a novel “concrete molds” approach near Pom Pom Island, aiming to bring life back to damaged seabeds. On a Thursday morning, near the northeastern coast of Borneo, divers assembled dozens of concrete blocks—each weighing about 60 pounds (27.2 kg)—into an artificial reef roughly three feet tall (0.9 m) and 10 feet (3.05 m) wide, after the pieces were tossed from a small boat. The installation, at the edge of the Coral Triangle, targeted an area heavily affected by illegal dynamite fishing that has long been used by fishermen to kill schools of fish, even though the practice is illegal. The Tropical Research and Conservation Center says it has installed more than 60 structures over two years, each about half a ton and costing around US$5,000 (RM20,330). Reef Check Malaysia reports increased sightings of damselfish and juvenile groupers, while warning concrete reefs are not a “silver bullet,” including that some species require natural reef surfaces.