Coral Reef Gardening

We are calling divers, nature lovers, coral reef warriors, and marine enthusiasts to join us to have to restore the coral reef ecosystem from degradation conditions. Stressors include a variety of events, some natural and some human-made. Our conservation program is 70 % underwater-based, diving to our coral reef 8 times a week from Monday till Thursday in different dive site projects and 30 % theory community-based, educating the next generation and helping to spread the word in local schools on Friday, we take marine conservation education into our partner schools. We have built a coral nursery not too far from the shore of Lovina. The nursery made from steel and concrete material protects the coral as it grows. The structure enables us to collect damaged and broken coral and transplant it to the protected nursery. We frequently monitor and track the growth and progress of the baby coral. Rehabilitation of reef ecosystems may progress through the implementation of both preventive as well as active restoration measures. A two-step restoration strategy termed “gardening of denuded coral reefs,” whose central concept is the mariculture of coral recruits in nurseries. In the second step nursery-grown, coral colonies are transplanted to degraded reef sites.

Volunteers will dive 8 times and help us in our Project Site,  Lovina Coral Reef Garden, Kalanganyar Global Village Reef, Pemuteran Biorock, Bondalem Eco Reef, Tejakula Conservation Reef, USA Liberty Ship Wreck Tulamben

Reef  & Artificial Reef Research and Monitoring

Volunteers and our marine team collect time-series data recording coral recruitment, survival rate, and growth rate of our coral garden. We are doing assessments also of existing coral reef habitats, diversity, and abundance of fish, invertebrates, and reef-building organisms through reef surveys at various sites along the coast of Lovina with the Underwater Photo Transect (UPT) method. The goal is Promotes coral production and the continuity of native coral species. Small animals particularly zooxanthellae on coral reefs play an important role in the aquatic ecosystem. Conservation of these animals, therefore, aids in pollination. Establishing artificial reefs in key areas is proven to be an effective way to enhance coral reef stability and sustain the abundance of reef species.

How do we find them?

Volunteer with our team to survey the entire reef and mark every colony. We studied the reef so we would know which coral survives and is healthy. we select those ones to grow in our nurseries.

How do we fragment?

With cutting pliers we fragment the colony of mother coral. the role play is each time no more than 5% of the colony is collected to ensure the colony survives and sustains the ecosystem. We take the fragment/donor of baby coral to our nursery ground under controlled environmental parameters.

How do we care?

The fragment we transplant on the structure, whereas we have 3 models for our structure including MARS system, FishDome,  concrete structure, and metal stick. We continue monitoring the baby coral effectively. Cleaning the coral with the brushes, fixing the structure position, fixing the cable tie, or anything else that is needed.

How do we plant?

Once the coral survives and is healthy we carefully trim them with pair of pliers. So we are able to cut 2 or 5 fragments of our colony. Then we place the coral in degraded places with pH-neutral cement  

You will be contributing to taking broken coral fragments and giving them a second chance to survive at our nursery. Some frames will remain in our nursery permanently as fish are using them as homes for their juveniles. The reef gardeners team has recently constructed structures we have different models of structure and material including MARS system with metal material, fish dome, concrete block, and metal stick with transplanted hard and soft corals attached to them.

• Breakfast at 08:00-9am. 
• Morning activity (options listed above) starts at 09:00. This session finishes around 11:00-11:30. 
• Lunch is served at 12:00. 
• After lunch volunteers have a break for the hottest part of the day where they can socialize or go to the beach. 
• At 14:00 afternoon activity starts. This finishes 16:00-16:30 and volunteers have the rest of the day off. 
• Dinner is served at 19:00. 

• Sunrise and morning boat trip with the local fisherman. 
  
• Clear and warm water is the perfect place for snorkeling and diving. At the volunteer camp, we provide all the equipment needed to do these activities. Do not worry if you have limited experience snorkeling or diving, our instructors will be happy to help you
  
• Waterfalls, there are many waterfalls you can visit with local guides 
  
• Temples, Bali is well known as the island of a thousand temples. 
  
• Hike up to the volcano-like Mount Agung and Mount Batur
  
• Yoga class 
  
• Dolphin watching
  
• Fishing
• Visit the grape garden and enjoy the experience with local farmers.
  
• Socialize with the local community and enjoy signature Balinese wine “Arak” and “Tuak”
  
• Purification ceremony to the holy spring water with the priest
  
• Visit traditional Balinese sarong production