Have you ever been involved in a restoration program where you tied baby corals onto a structure to be put underwater? Did you have the chance to come back a year later to see how the corals had grown? Nowadays, some would think that reef restoration can simply be learned by looking at step-by-step instructions on the internet. It doesn’t seem complicated—there are a lot of groups and organizations that broadcast their initiatives on social media—but after a year, we rarely see follow-up post with success stories. Despite the fact that it has been conducted worldwide, most reef restoration projects have failed to show significant results. This is because there are actually a lot of factors that one must pay attention to in reef restoration. From selecting a suitable site to be restored, the method to be used, coral species selection, to maintenance effort, monitoring and evaluation—all of these factors have to be considered carefully beforehand.

In response, CTC and Mars Sustainable Solutions (MSS) have established a Coral Reef Restoration Task Force, which consists of committed individuals from CTC, MSS and the Nusa Dua Reef Foundation (NDRF). The Task Force will receive training from MSS in the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System, which has been successfully applied in Indonesia and elsewhere. The system uses ‘reef stars’—metal frames coated with sand—to provide a solid foundation on which carefully attached coral fragments can grow. The team will then support restoration projects throughout Indonesia, building a network of competent reef restoration practitioners, as well as giving assistance, troubleshooting and follow-up support for reef managers and communities in their projects.

This multi-year initiative will provide momentum to build capacity and enthusiasm for resilience-based management in Indonesia, with a note in mind that it has the potential to be expanded to other Coral Triangle nations. In addition, an online training module and general course on resilience-based reef restoration practices will be developed under the same initiative. Together we can inspire people and save the ocean. We hope you’re just as excited as we are!

Photo Credit: Kasman/CTC