The passing of electric current can turn metal into coral reefs. Thomas Goreau, president of the Global Coral Reef Alliance, a New York-based reef protection organisation, sparked off the idea of passing electric current through sea water and causing calcium and magnesium to accumulate at the metal cathode. The minerals then form a base on which the coral grows. The electrolysis not only speeds up accumulation of minerals but also prevents the production of toxins which hampers coral growth ( New Scientist , Vol 151, No 2047).