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The reef diaries
This corrosion
You never know when you’re going to need an underwater burglar alarm, but how to stop it from rusting? Discover how you can rely on sacrificial metals.
Mike Bullivant's diary about the challenge for the Reef programme, part of the fifth BBC/OU TV series Rough Science, based in Zanzibar
Day 3
I'd been worried overnight by the thought of how our system will cope with the environment out at sea. A marine atmosphere is particularly corrosive; many of our workshop tools rusted after only two days in the moist, salty air. I'll set up a little experiment today to show on camera just how corrosive the atmosphere is, and what we can do about it.
Day 4
“the solution to our corrosion problem is provided by a pencil sharpener”
The day starts well, as I discover that the experiment I left going overnight, has worked perfectly. It's going to provide a great explanation of what rusting is, and one way in which we can prevent it. In true Rough Science tradition, the solution to our corrosion problem is provided by a pencil sharpener. There's little else for me to be getting on with today, which is just as well as we're to leave for Chumbe Island at noon. Take out all the travelling time for this challenge, and you're left with fewer than three days. I can see that the resultant stress is getting to Jonathan.
I have enough time to pay a short visit to the local school at Chuini, where our workshop's based. Claire, Jonathan and I had been there a few days earlier to see what it was like. We also wanted to find out how we could help. The visit was inspirational, seeing committed teachers with few resources and so many pupils that they have to offer lessons in two sessions (8am till 1pm, and 1pm till 6pm).
I just have to return to this place in the very near future. I'm taking early retirement from the Open University at the end of 2004, and I'll be back…………………… Zanzibar hasn't seen the last of me.
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Content last updated: 26/01/2005
