Restoring Reefs in the Heart of the Coral Triangle
For almost four decades, Murex Resorts has been introducing divers to the extraordinary marine ecosystems of North Sulawesi — from the towering walls of Bunaken to the soft corals of Bangka and the critter-rich muck diving sites of the Lembeh Strait. But exploration is only half the story. Through partnerships with coral restoration experts, regular reef clean-ups, and innovations to prevent plastic pollution, Murex is also helping to protect and restore these fragile ecosystems for the future.
Central to these efforts is our long-running partnership with Ocean Gardener, an organization focused on coral restoration, reef education, and marine conservation across Indonesia. In locations like Bangka, where coral reefs arguably form the centerpiece of diving experiences, this partnership is helping to restore degraded areas and build more resilient reefs, while also helping guests and local communities to better understand the importance of coral ecology.
In this article, we take a deep dive into the vital coral restoration efforts currently underway at Murex – what is being done, why it matters, and how guests can contribute to the future health of coral reefs in the region.
Why it Matters: Building More Resilient Reefs
North Sulawesi is located in the heart of the Coral Triangle—a global epicenter of marine biodiversity—and its reefs support everything from turtles and reef fish to local livelihoods and tourism. And yet, like many reefs around the world, corals in North Sulawesi have suffered from destructive fishing, bleaching events caused by climate stress, and various other anthropogenic impacts.
With so many precious corals on our doorstep, Murex has a responsibility to be a positive force for reef restoration; not just countering negative impacts, but actively working to prevent them and bring about positive change. And that’s why, in 2018, we set up the Outplant Coral Restoration project with Ocean Gardener. By restoring reefs here, and by engaging guests in this process, we’re aiming to not only give corals a fighting chance, but to reorient the dive industry towards more positive, sustainable interactions with delicate ocean ecosystems.
“This work matters because coral reefs have enormous ecosystem value,” explains Amanda, a 37-year-old water resources engineer from California, who is also an Ocean Gardener intern based at Murex Bangka. “Coral reefs provide massive economic and social benefits to humans too; for these reasons, we should do everything we can to preserve them.”
A Project Built on Long-Term Commitment
Amanda has been deeply embedded in coral conservation for the past 3 years, working on the frontlines of the fight to save corals in Indonesia and Malaysia. Now, through the Outplant Coral Restoration project at Murex, she devotes her days to preserving reefs in Bangka and beyond. Amanda doesn’t work alone. She is joined by local members of the Ocean Gardener team, with additional support from Murex dive guides and guests; several groups have joined her course recently, including a recent crop of conservationists from the Kids Sea Camp.
To be successful, coral replanting requires a combination of patience, planning, regular care and meticulous monitoring. The restoration process itself combines coral nurseries, artificial reef structures and direct outplanting onto damaged reef areas. The aim is to create ideal growing conditions so young corals can eventually survive independently with minimal human intervention. “Our goal is to get the restoration sites in good working order, so they’re well maintained and growing,” she explains, “we will then continue to expand these restoration efforts while monitoring the reef for threats.”
Amanda’s work is not without challenges. All around the world, reefs are increasingly threatened by warming seas and bleaching events, and restoration teams can sometimes lose years of progress in a matter of weeks. “Seeing entire nurseries (and reefs) wiped out by bleaching events or disease can be really heart-breaking,” says Amanda, who insists that the importance of the work—and the satisfaction that comes from seeing reefs recover—far outweighs the disappointments.
Seeing the Reef Recover
With technical support from Ocean Gardener, we’re already seeing coral reefs flourishing around Bangka—although our house reef and the surrounding dive sites have been relatively untouched by bleaching up to this point, the programme has helped to expand and strengthen existing reef structures, so they’re better able to withstand shocks in the future.
During her daily reef checks, Amanda is constantly amazed at the natural resilience of these natural structures, and the incredible diversity of life they support. “As soon as you add in a few structures with coral fragments, you immediately start to see fish and other creatures coming to investigate and seek refuge,” she says.
In other locations, where reefs have previously been impacted by destructive fishing, we’re also seeing corals bouncing back. “Seeing life return to areas of the reef that used to just be rubble is the most satisfying part of the job,” explains Amanda. It is also the reason why Murex committed to this partnership in the first place: to extend protection beyond our own resort boundaries and rejuvenate corals all over the region.
Over time, the restoration structures we install will gradually disappear beneath living coral growth. “It’s awesome to see coral completely overgrow the structures to the extent where you can’t even see the structure anymore,” says Amanda. “Eventually, you won’t even be able to tell there has been a restoration project here—it will just look like a natural reef.”
Giving Guests a Chance to Give Back
The day-to-day work of the Outplant Program mostly involves maintaining the restoration sites, keeping them free from algae and soft growth that compete with the corals for space and light. Amanda and our teams also remove drupella snails, which are the corals’ main predator here, as they lack their own natural predators due to overfishing.
Amanda doesn’t work alone on this project. One of the unique aspects of the Murex and Ocean Gardener partnership is the opportunity for guests to participate directly in conservation activities. “We offer a half-day course for guests to help with the nursery and plant corals,” Amanda explains. “I think everyone loves leaving their holiday feeling like they were able to give back to the ecosystem they are here to enjoy.”
Guests can also join Dive Against Debris clean-ups and learn more about coral ecology during their stay. For many divers who stay with Murex, this hands-on approach provides a deeper connection to the reefs they explore throughout North Sulawesi, and gives them lasting memories they can take home.
If Sulawesi’s reefs are to survive into the future, Amanda believes that education is just as important as restoration. “North Sulawesi is in the heart of the coral triangle, the center for biodiversity for the entire ocean and world,” she says. “I hope we can continue to educate the locals and visitors to understand the importance of coral reefs here; how to protect them, and to create lasting change to support them, before it’s too late.”
Learn More and Get Involved
To find out how you can get involved in these efforts, and to help support the future of coral reefs in North Sulawesi, please visit our website or get in touch.
With every dive, you can deepen your connection to the ocean and contribute to its preservation with Murex.
Further Reading
