Patterns of Oil-Sediment rejection in corals

The patterns of oil-sediment rejection of 19 Caribbean hermatypic corals are identical to theri patterns of rejection of clean sediments. The rejection pattern is typical for coral species, and displays maximum and minimum rates dependent on the size and density of the oil-sediment particles. The viscosity of the oil determines the size of the oil-sediment particles. A coral's efficiency of rejection of sediment depends on the size and amount of the sediment particles. Oil drops 0.06 mm are removed by the coral's tissues. Physical contact with oil-sediment particles appears to be less harmful to corals than the toxic effects of oils.     

Reviewing biomimicry design case studies as a solution to sustainable design

There have been many studies on bio-inspired research, where biomimicry capabilities facilitating sustainable designs are in dearth. For a sustainable design, it is necessary to consider water efficiency, zero waste, thermal environment, and energy supply. This paper investigates how biomimicry is adopted in the sustainable design of buildings. A thorough content analysis of eight case studies focused on the built environment and how biomimicry integrated with the design of a building was executed. The selection of cases study was based on the concept of biomimicry by taking inspiration from nature and applying them in the everyday built environment. Thus, the building designs are more ecologically sustainable than conventional ones, where biomimicry approaches and principles are adopted. The findings suggest that the design of a building can inspire society with new ecological morals, where understanding of biological morphogenesis can inspire design to resolve challenges and essentially help create a healthy environment. Biomimicry harnesses and replicates the principles found in nature to create a built environment that benefits people and other living creatures and safeguards biodiversity. Thus, adopting biomimicry in designing a building will help to develop a culture of active environmental design.