A startup founded on research from The Ohio State University is advancing a promising new approach to coral reef restoration. UZELA, a company built around technology developed by Andrea Grottoli, Distinguished Professor in the School of Earth Sciences, has received $200,000 from the Ohio Third Frontier Technology Validation and Start-up Fund to support commercialization of its coral restoration technology.

UZELA, short for Underwater Zooplankton Enhancement Light Array, is an autonomous underwater lighting system designed to increase the natural food available to corals. By attracting zooplankton to coral nurseries during nighttime feeding periods, the technology helps improve coral growth, health, and survival. The company will use the new funding to manufacture approximately 100 devices and deploy them in pilot projects with coral restoration organizations.

“Coral feeding is a critical part of coral health, nutrition and survivorship,” said Andrea Grottoli, inventor of the technology and UZELA’s chief technology officer. The technology has the potential to help restoration groups grow healthier corals more efficiently before they are transplanted onto reefs.

Upcoming pilot deployments are planned with the Coral Restoration Foundation in Florida and collaborators at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. These projects will help evaluate the technology's performance at larger scales and move it closer to widespread use in coral restoration efforts worldwide.

This milestone highlights how research and innovation from the School of Earth Sciences are contributing solutions to some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges.