Coral Adhesive

Texas Research Institute Austin (TRI Austin) will develop a fast acting, strong, tough, adhesive that will bond underwater without extensive surface preparations. TRI Austin will formulate the adhesive to optimize setup time, establish charge weight for the adhesive to reduce adhesive underwater preparation time, and develop the procedures for using the adhesive to bond coral to reef substrates. An appropriate dispensing system will be developed that allows the full charge to be expended from the dispenser when used with procedures that account for the fast setup time for the resin. Tensile and shear strength of the adhesive will be measured. A toxicology study will be conducted on the adhesive components and the cured adhesive to determine the toxicity to coral. The toxicity study will also evaluate the ability of the tack to hold the coral in position before the adhesive cures and whether the adhesive is detrimental to the coral when in direct tissue contact. The optimized resin formulation, optimal dispensing equipment, and ecologically sound bonding procedures will be demonstrated in setting up the toxicology study. A program plan for the further development and qualification of the proposed adhesive will be developed as part of the Phase I effort.