Community-Based Coral Reef Rehabilitation

Thank you so much for your donation to IDRAP work on Coral Reef Rehabilitation in South East Province in eastern part of Indonesia. Your generosity means everything to us and to the community we serve. We know you have a lot of choices when it comes to donating, and we are so grateful that you chose to donate to our cause. We promise to be responsible stewards of both your donation and your trust.

During this four-month period, IDRAP's fieldwork with the community included the coral planting, which began with a survey for mapping the locations to be rehabilitated. Five conditions were used as the basis for determining the agreed-upon locations, such as: severe coral damage, a location depth of around 3–5 meters to provide sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis, calm to moderate currents and not directly exposed to large waves, relatively clear seawater free from pollution/sediment with a temperature of around 23–30°C, and a relatively stable waterbed (compact sand or coral rubble).

IDRAP and community groups also selected the planting media created in the previous reporting period, separating the non-toxic media after drying in the sun and soaking in seawater. We then prepared coral seedlings taken from the area to be rehabilitated, considering their better adaptation potential. The seedlings were cut from healthy, branching parent coral colonies, measuring 5-10 centimeters. Only 2-3 branches/fragments of each parent coral were taken to ensure the sustainability of the parent coral and prevent damage.

The seedlings were then tied to the planting media using cable ties to prevent them from being dislodged by the waves. The planting media (with the seedlings tied together) was then transported carefully and without prolonged exposure to air to the agreed-upon transplantation site. The seedlings were placed approximately 3 meters apart to prevent them from touching each other during growth. Due to budget constraints, only 10 new coral seedlings could be planted and placed.

"I am very happy to be involved in this activity because it is a valuable experience for me, especially the experience of collecting coral seeds to plant in the growing medium. It was truly an experience I never imagined before.," said Karmali, a local fisherman in Southeast Sulawesi.

Thank you all for your support. We are all improving the future of the ocean, especially coral reefs as providers of nutrition not only for local communities but also for the world. Preserving coral reefs for present and future generations.

Thank you so much for your donation to IDRAP work on Coral Reef Rehabilitation in South East Province in eastern part of Indonesia. Your generosity means everything to us and to the community we serve. We know you have a lot of choices when it comes to donating, and we are so grateful that you chose to donate to our cause. We promise to be responsible stewards of both your donation and your trust.

During this four-month period, IDRAP's fieldwork with the community included the creation of cast concrete artificial reefs from mixture of sand, cement, gravel, and cast iron. IDRAP utilized waste wood planks as the molding medium to create ideal shapes that would withstand ocean currents when placed on the seabed. These artificial reefs were designed with a hole in the center to provide a home (shelter) for coral fish. The concrete walls were roughened to facilitate moss attachment and growth, thus attracting reef fish due to the availability of food.

In constructing the artificial reef, which also serves as a medium for planting coral seedlings, IDRAP collaborated with 10 local communities. IDRAP provided manufactured materials such as cement and cast iron, while the communities contributed sand, gravel, and labor. The artificial reef construction work took five working days and resulted in the production of 50 artificial reef media. These artificial reefs are still being soaked in the sea near residents' homes to remove the cement odor and are being dried in the hot sun for better results and durability when placed on the seabed. It is estimated that within the next four months, these artificial reefs can be placed in damaged coral locations to accelerate coral rehabilitation.

"I'm very enthusiastic about participating in this program, hoping that the fish will return to the sea around our village, making it easier for us to fish, as this is our only source of livelihood in this village. The future of the villagers' lives depends heavily on the fish catch," said Jahrun, a local fisherman in Southeast Sulawesi.

Thank you all for your support. We are all improving the future of the ocean, especially coral reefs as providers of nutrition not only for local communities but also for the world. Preserving coral reefs for present and future generations.