Lying on the northwest tip of the
Birdshead Seascape, in Indonesia’s
West Papua province, are the islands
of Raja Ampat. This sparsely populated
archipelago comprising 1,500 islands
is a sublime amalgamation of lush
jungles, white sand beaches, hidden
lagoons and limestone cliffs, all
surrounded by abundant
turquoise waters.
In the heart of the Coral Triangle,
Raja Ampat is one of the last
strongholds in the world where
coral reef systems still thrive.
Recognised as the most marine
biodiverse place on Earth, its pristine
reefs burst with life and colour; at the
most recent count, the region was
found to contain 1,427 reef fishes, over
600 coral species (comprising 75% of
the world’s coral species), 16 marine
mammal species and a wealth of
pelagic life. This rich archipelago
is also home to 114 small villages,
whose inhabitants rely on the reefs
for survival. A diver’s dream, these
healthy reefs also support a lucrative
tourism economy, and provide
livelihood to a significant percentage
of the local community.
By: Raja Ampat SEA CentreRestoring the Last Stronghold
Yet sadly, numerous reefs in the
region were destroyed by destructive
fishing practices (dynamite and
cyanide) in the 80s and 90s, and to this
day have not recovered, leaving behind
areas of coral rubble that support little
to no life. Additionally, the current
rapid expansion of tourism in the
region is bringing with it new impacts,
such as pollution, waste, anchor and
boat damage, all of which threaten the
pristine marine environment.
At a time when coral reef
degradation is occurring worldwide
due to human activity, it has
become essential for Raja Ampat
SEA Centre to design and develop
conservation tools to respond to these
current and future issues. Rather
than waiting for the local reefs to
become damaged or lose their natural
resilience, our Yaf Keru project,
meaning “coral garden” in the localBELOW: Tomi, the head coral gardener from
the local community, transplanting
coral fragments to an artificial
reef structure
IMAGE: Saygun Duralanguage, is aiming to evaluate and
optimise the current remarkable
recovery potential of Raja Ampat’s
reefs. The goal is to restore, maintain
and conserve local reef systems, whilst
supporting sustainable community
development.
With more then 32 artificial reef
structures installed, and over 5000
coral fragments transplanted, the
project has restored just over 500
square metres of degraded reef, with
the oldest structures (14 months) now
covered in healthy corals that support
a complex food web and provide
habitat for a multitude of invertebrates
and juvenile fish, as well as several
intermediate predators such as
grouper, snapper and sweetlips.
Through direct employment for this
project, local community members
now have the opportunity to work
in paid positions that enhance local
ecosystems as opposed to exploiting
them, providing them with sustainable
and alternative livelihoods.
Yaf Keru also serves as a platform
to raise awareness and educate both
local and international communities
about coral reef ecology and the
functions and services they provide. It
is the ideal playground, classroom and
laboratory for village children, tourists
and scientists alike, providing a hands-
on experience for coral ecology and
restoration work.
In 2018, Raja Ampat SEA Centre
will be expanding their restoration
work to other locations within the
Dampier Strait region, using these new
projects to not only restore degraded
reefs, but further the reach of their
environmental awareness efforts.
With one fifth of the world’s coral
reefs dead or severely damaged, and
the decline continuing at an alarming
speed, half of the world’s coral will be
gone by mid-century, and with such
sparse numbers remaining, successful
reproduction and recovery will be
impossible. Therefore, it is critical that
we commit and dedicate our efforts to
conserving the marine environment
in Raja Ampat – the last coral reef
stronghold on the planet.
http://www.seacentre.org