The Oceanic Society is a US-based group committed to improving the health of the oceans through building deeper connections between people and marine environments. They run expeditions across the world, and this year they visited CTC, to learn about the coral reef ecosystems found in the Coral Triangle. The group of ocean lovers came from across the US, and spent an afternoon exploring our Center for Marine Conservation, and learning from the CTC team about the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area, and the marine and coastal ecosystems around Bali. They all chose to join our Adopt-a-Coral program, which supports a coral nursery off the coast of Nusa Lembongan run by a local environmental group, Satya Posana Nusa.

The next morning the group headed out to Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, where they witnessed the MPA zoning system in action, with the CTC team explaining the different areas and why they had been designated for fishing and tourism, or protected from human activities. The group had the chance to snorkel around Mangrove Point, off the north coast of Nusa Lembongan, where the reefs are bursting with life. Despite a short rain shower, they were soon out in the mangrove forests, paddling in canoes and kayaks through the dense forest, home to crab and fish spawning grounds, monitor lizards and birds.

The group also had the chance to meet the local community, visiting traditional seaweed farms and helping a local reforestation project by planting mangrove seedlings.