Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic country, with two-thirds of its territory covered by ocean. This rich marine potential encompasses a diverse range of marine life, including coral reefs.
Coral reefs are a unique tropical water ecosystem that is very important as a source of life for marine biota with high productivity and diversity.
However, currently coral reefs are continuously under heavy pressure due to various human activities both on land and at sea.
Consequently, coral reef damage continues to increase. Coral reefs in Indonesia are damaged or in poor condition. The coral reef area of Ketapang Beach, Sukarame, Banten, is no exception. Many coral reefs there are beginning to deteriorate and require rehabilitation.
This is what prompted the FMIPA UI community service team, led by Dr. Retno Lestari, M.Si., to carry out coral reef rehabilitation at Ketapang Beach, Sukarame, Banten, on October 30, 2021.
This activity is a community service program (Pengmas) with funding support from the Directorate of Community Service and Empowerment, University of Indonesia (DPPM UI), in collaboration with the Pandu Cendekia Foundation and the Underwater Nature Conservation Group in Sukarame Village.
Through this program, Dr. Retno and her team are working to prevent coral reef degradation, ensuring the sustainability of coral reefs in their natural habitat.
"This activity aims to serve as an educational tool to encourage community and stakeholder participation in protecting and managing marine ecosystems. This rehabilitation program focuses on coral reef restoration to enhance biodiversity and enhance the marine beauty of Ketapang Beach," Dr. Retno told the FMIPA UI Public Relations team.
"We hope that these conservation efforts can be managed sustainably by the relevant parties," added Dr. Retno.
The background to choosing Ketapang Beach as the location for the activity, according to him, is because this location is one of the centers of coral stocks or Coral Stock Center which is managed with the aim of rehabilitating coastal areas, ornamental corals, and other nature conservation activities.
Dr. Retno and her team directly participated in the transplantation process. The process begins with the creation of a substrate (transplantation medium) from a mixture of soil and cement. The substrate is then molded using wooden blocks and dried.
The coral fragments were then planted in the medium and placed on a special metal rack. The team, along with the Underwater Nature Conservation Group, then transported the medium to be transplanted to the seabed.
Arip, head of the Underwater Conservation group on Ketapang Beach, welcomed the program. He and his fellow underwater conservationists hope this initiative will accelerate the regeneration of damaged coral reefs and regenerate previously non-existent coral reef areas on the beach. This will enhance the beauty of the underwater world and boost the economy of coastal communities through tourism.
"So, we saw that the coral reefs were starting to blacken and die, so we decided to rehabilitate them. This initiative not only helps preserve marine habitats but also boosts the local economy by promoting the beauty of Ketapang Beach, attracting tourists," said Arip.
"Thank you, FMIPA UI, for this positive impact. Hopefully, it's not just for now, but can continue, not stop there," he added.
