HOW AIR COMPRESSORS COULD STOP THE MED SEEING RED

The Mediterranean Sea could find itself given a suit of armour, thanks to air compressors installed into the Suez Canal to protect against invading marine species from the Red Sea. As yet, the proposal is just one potential solution to concerns about invading aquatic life making its way along the canal. Three invasive species have already done just that, including poisonous pufferfish, stinging jellyfish and ravenous rabbitfish, reports the Economist. With plans to widen the Suez Canal to make it more navigable for ships, there are worries that the same could be said for unwelcome migrating marine species. And that raises the need for a method of defence – for example, in the Mississippi River basin, stretches of water are electrified to as much as 2,000 volts. But for an estimated $1 million or less, the Economist reports that air compressors could be installed to create a curtain of bubbles, and act as a physical barrier against aquatic life. Even more than this, for species not directly dissuaded by bubbles alone, there is the potential to pipe irritating sounds and reflect lights from the bubbles – a kind of underwater disco designed to annoy unwelcome fish, and turn them back towards the Red Sea once and for all.

For more information on HOW AIR COMPRESSORS COULD STOP THE MED SEEING RED talk to Associated Compressor Engineers