Pemuteran, a resort cum coral nursery center

Pemuteran, a resort cum coral nursery center

By Pariama Hutasoit

BULELENG, Bali (JP): Pemuteran was once a sleepy village in
northern Bali, passed over by investors despite its strategic
location straddling west and eastern parts of the island, and its
captivating scenery and magnificent undersea beauty.

The village, an arid area of black sand coastline, was mostly
visited by divers drawn by its coral reefs. For Bali's Hindus,
the village is a familiar name since it is situated next to
Pemaron village, home to Pulaki temple, one of the six biggest
temples in Bali.

Life changed 11 years ago when Pemuteran was designated a
resort zone. Today, the village's reputation abroad is not only
as a resort where local and foreign tourists seek escape, but
also as the site of the largest coral reef nursery using
electrolytic mineral accretion technology.

Launched in June last year, Karang Lestari -- a community-
based coral reef restoration project in Pemuteran village -- has
shown encouraging results, raising some hope for the restoration
of damaged coral reefs in other areas in Bali and the rest of the
country. The project's implementation has been possible thanks to
cooperation among villagers, local dive shops and management of
hotels that together comanage the project.

It is the first in Indonesia using electrolytic mineral
accretion; the Maldives, Thailand, the United States and several
other countries have also applied the technology.

Mineral accretion uses low voltage direct currents that can be
generated by solar and tidal energy sources to grow solid
limestone on conductive materials, like iron, in the sea. These
can be used to grow artificial reefs, breakwaters or construction
materials, to greatly accelerate coral growth and reproduction
and to create habitat for other reef organisms.

Mineral accretion structures can be built in any size or
shape. The key factors affecting their size are the physical
structure of the sea bottom, wave energies, materials available
and the source of power used.

The technology was first applied in Pemuteran by marine
biologists Prof. Wolf Hilbertz and Dr. Thomas Goreau. The first
coral nursery structure was set up in front of Yos Dive at Pondok
Sari Hotel and Reef Seen Aquatics in June last year, in
cooperation with Yos Amerta and Bali's Marine Tourism
Association.

After promising initial results, the project was introduced to
marine biologists around the world at the International Coral
Reef Symposium (ICRS) in Bali last October. At that time, three
more nurseries were built in front of the village temple off the
coast.

Last March, 18 other nurseries were set up through cooperation
with Archipelago Dives, Taman Sari Hotel and a couple of
environmental enthusiasts, Randall Dodge and Rani E. Morrow-
Wuigk.

There are now 22 mineral accretion coral nurseries with a
total length of 222 meters and basal area of around 0.04
hectares.

These coral nursery structures range in age and development
from a few days to nearly a year old. Together, they use around
four kilowatts of electrical power. Two electrodes, supplied with
low-voltage direct current, are submerged in sea water.

At the same time, a wide range of organisms on or near the
growing substrate are affected by electrochemically changed
conditions, shifting their growth rates. Living corals are
carefully collected and transplanted onto these structures and
attached with wires or wedged between steel bars. The coral is
quickly cemented in place by the growing minerals forming over
the structure's surface.

Mineral accretion is a function of the electrical conditions
at the site of attachment and of the species. It is typically
about three to five times faster than normal growth, but can be
as high as 10 times faster. They are growing life support systems
to support rich ecology.

Before and after videos by Rani E. Morrow-Wuigk clearly show
the changes in the reef over the last few years, from one lushly
covered with coral and abounding with fish to barren rubble
virtually devoid of fish. These areas were formerly the best
diving as well as fishing areas, and they are still intensively
fished even though a full six hours in the water may yield no
more than a tiny catch.

But a mineral accretion structure, if sufficiently large, is
capable of reducing wave energy at the shoreline and hence
reducing coastal erosion rates. They are already major tourist
attractions because of their unusual white shapes, the
exceptionally bright and fast growing coral on them and the
clouds of brilliantly colored fish that live in them.

The project owes its success to I Gusti Agung Prana, who
initiated the resort's development. He was the owner of Taman
Sari Hotel and was among the founders of Pondok Sari Hotel, the
first in the village, before its transfer to other parties. With
Randall Dodge and Rani, he participated in the funding of the
biggest coral project, costing about Rp 400 million, at Taman
Sari.

Since his introduction of the Pemuteran tourist zone, Prana
has been busy in the development of such villages, and also in
his capacity as a deputy chairman of the local tourist industry
association (Asita). Familiar to local villagers, he began to
develop Pemuteran into a resort in 1989.

Without any direct role in the activities of environment-based
NGOs, Prana knows precisely how to popularize this project among
rural communities. They are entertained with Bali's famous
guidance-packed gong drama and performing arts.

"These arts convey messages about the environment so that they
understand the importance of coral reefs," he said.

For greater support, he also participates in communal
activities like temple repair and prayer services. In preparing
the project, for instance, he conducted a village meeting and
prayers "to solicit direction and enlightenment regarding
environmental conservation".

Pemuteran villagers, particularly fishermen, have been
involved in structural construction, sea patrols and coast
guarding. No vendors are found on the beach as a cooperative has
established a site for them with the support of local businesses.
Local tourist firms also contribute 5 percent of their gross
revenue to Pemuteran's treasury.

The comanagement model of coral reef conservation using the
mineral accretion system is being applied in other areas of the
island, such as Menjangan, Tulamben, Amed and Candi Dasa. Other
sites with damaged coral reefs expected to benefit from the
method are Sanur and Nusa Dua.