Efforts afoot to protect Bali's coral reefs

Efforts afoot to protect Bali's coral reefs

Pariama Hutasoit, Contributor, Bali

Around the world the bleaching and dyeing of coral reef, as a
way of recognizing the destructive changes in ocean and climate
conditions, has begun.

Along with these changes, the coral reef ecosystem has been
devastated, affecting people whose lives depend on them.

Changes in climate conditions will continue to affect coral
reefs for some time.

But that is not all. The reefs are suffering even more
destruction from direct air and water pollution, sediment runoff
caused by deforestation and coastal development.

Environmental exploitation -- including fishing methods that
employ dynamite and cyanide -- figures into the equation as well.

In Bali, coral reefs have been severely damaged in recent
years from the use of bombs and cyanide by fishermen, coupled
with high water temperatures from global warming.

The impact of coral reef damage on tourism and fisheries in
Bali is all too obvious. In some areas, the stage of coral reefs
decay are so bad that efforts are afoot to improve and protect
them from further damage.

Sadly, despite the significance of the coral reefs for the
tourism and fishery industries in Bali, restoration has been
mired in slogans, but lacking in real action.

Outside marine biologists, like American Thomas J. Goreau and
Prof. Wolf Hilbertz of Germany, who found themselves challenged
to help the cause of coral reef restoration in Bali.

But, finally, there appears to be a wind of change.

Both are working through Biorock, Inc., a non-governmental
organization (NGO), and Global Coral Reef Alliance; the two have
been working on a pilot project in the Pemuteran beach area since
June of 2000, building coral nurseries by using the Electrolytic
Mineral Accretion Technology (Biorock).

Goreau said that Pemuteran was chosen for the uniqueness of
its shallow reef. There is no other part of Bali with such large
areas accessible to divers, he added, without the sometimes
dangerous currents found elsewhere in Bali.

Most of the world's special coral reefs can be found in
Pemuteran area, since Bali lies close to the center of the
world's coral reef diversity.

But the impact has been so great that the reefs like the ones
at Acropora, Montipora, Fungia and Goniopora, can no longer
easily be identified without detailed microscopic examination of
their skeletons.

"Pemuteran reefs have suffered greatly from the destructive
fishing methods using bombs or cyanide. Action is urgently needed
to restore the reef habitat for tourism and fisheries," said
Goreau.

In their projects, they have enthusiastic support from the
local community -- from residents to dive shops to hotels. "Their
support has been invaluable," said Wolf.

Four months after the project began, for instance, three more
coral nursery structures were added to the front of Pura Segara
temple during the recent international coral reef symposium in
Nusa Dua, Bali.

The popularity of these structures in stimulating rapid coral
growth that has blossomed already within months, leading to
requests to expand the project.

The Taman Sari Hotel, for instance, assisted 18 new coral
nursery structures along Pemuteran at the front of its building.

These structures are located in an area parallel to the shore,
between 50 and 80 metres from the coast in waters that range from
about three to seven meters deep.

With 22 structures and length of 222 meters covering a two-
hectare area, "this is the largest Biorock coral reef nursery and
restoration project worldwide, exceeding the combined size of all
other ongoing project," said Hilbertz.

The new coral nurseries are made of steel bars, mainly one
centimeter-by-1.3 centimeter in diameter. They are built in a
variety of shapes.

One structure, the Nautilus, is 3.5 meters high, 3 meters
wide, and 111 meters long in the form of an ellipsoidal pyramid.
Six structures called Flowers consist of funnels of about 2.5
meters high, and 3.5 meters in diameter.

These structures have numerous arc-like pockets along their
sides. Another set of seven structures, called the Caterpillars,
are 12 meters long, two meters wide, two meters high, and
consists of open downward and upward pointing arcs.

Two structures are bamboo-steel composites, composed of 12
meter, horizontal bamboo legs. One structure has a single length
of bamboo, while the other consists of two such units end to end.

Another structure, the Big Bamboo, is built only of bamboo,
wrapped with two millimeter copper wires.

Following the application of the electrical current, the steel
structures grow a white, limestone layer, providing for coral
growth.

While the bamboo is not electrically conductive, the steel
bars inside them or the copper wire around them grow limestone on
their surface, which is expected to mineralize the adjacent
bamboo wood over time.

Another project consists of mesh, which is 1.2 meters wide,
and 25 meters long, laid over the bottom. "Especially for bamboo
structures are still under research," said Hilbertz.

An additional project on the other side of the bay in front of
Reef Seen Aquatics uses wires directly attached to corals.

Since most of the coral species are found in Pemuteran, corals
were collected from sites in the area to be transplanted onto the
structures.

Coral selected for transplantation has consisted almost
entirely of naturally broken fragments found lying on reef
slopes, or buried in mud below them.

"The higher survival rate is due to the improved energy status
of coral, which benefits from mineral accretion, which has
allowed them to survive starvation and stress. A few branching
coral species that did survive have since shown a rapid growth
rate in mineral accretion," said Goreau.

Coral nurseries receiving adequate power quickly turned white
as mineral accretion grew on them, and began to cement themselves
to the reef bedrock.

"With mineral accretion technology, corals are able to grow up
to ten times faster than normal. Even now many baby corals grow
healthy," added Goreau.

The new corals and their structures have attracted fishes and
marine invertebrates. Even some fishes that were previously
difficult to find in the area begin to arrive.

Large populations of small reef fish that inhabit only areas
around living corals, have quickly found the coral transplants a
welcome place to establish themselves.

Though the project is still new, it has progressed with
remarkable speed and success.

Goreau and Hilbertz hope that this promising restoration of
damaged coral reef projects can be adopted and duplicated in
other parts of Bali, and across Indonesia.