Coral Restoration and Reef Surveys
Simeulue and its surrounding islands are surrounded by coral reefs. It is no secret that coral reefs around the world are in real trouble, with 80% of the world’s coral reefs now potentially threatened by human activity. Climate change and sea level rise, dynamite fishing and invasive species are threatening Indonesia’s reefs, all of which are present on the reefs around Simeulue.
At Ecosystem Impact we are currently monitoring coral abundance and quality by participating in CoralWatch; a not-for-profit citizen science program based at The University of Queensland working with reef survey participants worldwide to increase understanding of coral reefs, coral bleaching and climate change. After each reef survey, we feed our data into CoralWatch’s global data set.
As part of our reef survey activity, you will have a practice pool session taken by our own marine biologist and dive instructor. This session provides the perfect safe environment for children to learn snorkelling and survey techniques.
To secure the protection of Simeulue’s coral reefs, Ecosystem Impact is running a community project to protect Simeulues’ coral reefs. Through employing members of the local community, and providing training and education, Ecosystem Impact aims to facilitate the protection of Simeulue’s reefs by Simeulue’s fishing communities. By identifying secure locations, Ecosystem Impact is in the process of building coral nurseries at numerous locations across Simeulue and its outer islands. As part of Keep it Wild, you will be given the chance to plant your very own coral!
