Coral restoration - Jambiani, Zanzibar
15 years ago, overfishing and climate change turned the Jambiani lagoon into a barren, dead area. We teamed up with Marinecultures and started ‘reforesting’ the area with hard corals we farmed locally. Last month we received an update with the monitoring results. Most of the project areas have recovered very well, even above our expectations. Natural causes and the continuously rising temperatures did cause 40-50% mortality of the coral out-plants. But as you can see in the pictures, the survivors have attached to the substrate and are growing magnificently.
Since 2020, several new coral restoration projects are being initiated in the area, often by hotels. The Marinecultures team is hired to train their staff. Doing so, the span of the project grew and the project became self-sustaining. Not easy to achieve in conservation. It was reason for CRC to step out in 2021 and focus on initiating new projects elsewhere. But of course, we keep in touch and follow developments in Jambiani.
Artificial reef, the Cube system
The photo below explains why we make our artificial reef systems ‘complex’. They contain small crevices and holes that serve as a refuge for a wide variety of marine life. We prevent larger predators to settle, thus facilitating a smooth development of a multi-trophic ecosystem. The concrete of the Cubes is a perfect substrate for coral larvae to settle, but also for other important benthic organisms that are part of the reef ecosystem such as sponges, algae and turnicates.
Corals thrive mostly in the shallow, so we often have to work in rugged situations with a lot of wave action. This is a big challenge for reef restoration practitioners worldwide.In August we finished research on this stability issue with the Technical University of Delft, the Netherlands. For northern Bali we found a relationship among the water depth, wave action and the amount of Cubes we must interconnect in line with the direction of the waves to make a stable configuration.
The drawings (by Jan Habraken) explain this concept. Following the theoretical analysis, we have restored large areas in Amed, Bondalem, Bukti and Pemuteran. The rainy (stormy) season starts in December, so it is now up to mother nature to see if theory matches reality.
Mangrove restoration - Alor, East Indonesia
In August we started a collaboration with Thresher Shark Indonesia to restore mangrove forests across three coastal villages in Alor. Coming 10 months we aim to plant 10.000 mangrove seedlings and ignite awareness among coastal communities. Shrimp farms, logging and construction activities are cause for the loss of many mangrove forests around the globe.
Mangrove forests are important terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are nursery grounds for a lot of coral reef inhabitants. Mangroves sequester high amounts of carbon in biomass and soil. They protect coastlines from erosion and storms. So, by protecting and restoring them, there is a lot to win.
Bukti Reef Days - Bali
In September the Bukti Reef Dive days were organized: marine biologists and conservationists were invited to experience and celebrate 2,5 years of reef protection.
Since 2020 the reef is a no fishing zone and we help the village to manage it. We presented our vision on conservation and the benefits of reef protection to the Bukti mayor and his entourage. We are applying for official protection of the area with the local authorities. Again, the event underlined the strong will of the village to protect their precious environment.
Our partners:
Bahari Hai - Kerthi Buana Segara - Marinecultures - Perkumpulan Pemandu Penyelam Amed (P3A) - Pokmaswas Satya Bahari Desa Bukti - Pokmaswas Pantai Bondalem - Sahabat Alam Pemuteran
See you again in January!
