Coral Reefs

The families and communities on Bali have always depended on the local marine ecosystem for income and survival. Over the last few years, the pandemic devastated Bali’s tourism-based economy leaving many local communities out of work.

In partnership with Ocean Gardener, this project has supported 12 families and created 20+ paid jobs and training opportunities for local villagers, allowing for an increase in stable income in the region and potential for future expansion as locals are trained to monitor the site moving forward.

The tourism industry makes up over 50% of the economy in Bali, providing jobs to the local community that rely on healthy coral reefs. In order for this industry to remain viable long-term, the degraded coral reefs need to be restored.

SeaTrees’ project partner, Ocean Gardener, employs 36 local fishermen and divers to restore and protect the coral reefs off of Nusa Penida. Ocean Gardener trains divers and fishermen on best practices for coral protection while also educating them on the biology of corals and their importance for fish populations and coastal protection.

The region will receive additional economic support as divers and tourists may now visit the area and participate in the coral planting program which the local community is employed to instruct.

Ocean Gardener is a world leader in scalable and sustainable coral restoration techniques. Building on 20+ years of commercial coral farming experience, the Ocean Gardener team grows coral to replant and restore the damaged coral reefs off of Nusa Penida.

Ocean Gardener uses rope lines made from organic materials, rather than traditional metal or concrete, to grow a variety of coral fragments until they are ready to be placed on the ocean floor.

This method enables Ocean Gardener to grow coral at scale while avoiding any negative impacts on the ecosystem. Ocean Gardener then monitors the coral fragments using GoPros, which have the potential to contribute to future coral restoration research.

Coral reefs in the Crystal Bay and Ped regions of Nusa Penida, Bali have been historically destroyed by human activities and climate change. With the help of local Balinese fishermen and Ocean Gardner, coral restoration begins with growing fragments in the shallow waters of the Ped Acropora Coral Nursery. Once the fragments grow large enough they are transplanted onto the reef, allowing it to grow and rebuild so marine life can return to the area.

In 2021, 6,000 fragments of coral were planted. In May 2022 we began the process of planting an estimated 6,000 coral fragments for the remainder of this year.

Over the last 30 years, roughly 50% of the world’s coral reefs have been lost, and more than 60% of the remaining reefs are threatened by human activity. Indonesia is the largest area of vulnerability and the coral reefs in Bali have faced growing destruction due to the tourism industry.

Ocean Gardener directly restores and protects over 20 different coral species off of the island of Nusa Penida in Bali, Indonesia. The restored coral reef will provide habitat for more than 500 species of fish, many of which are currently considered vulnerable to extinction.