When discussing the world’s greatest marine biodiversity, attention is directed to the Coral Triangle, which spans 75,000 square kilometers of coral reefs. This region is home to over 500 species of coral and more than 3,000 species of fish. The Coral Triangle covers six equatorial countries: Malaysia, the Philippines, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Indonesia. Around 170 million people live along the coasts within this region and rely on coral reefs for their livelihoods. Its estimated economic value reaches approximately USD 2.5 billion annually. Of the 75,000 square kilometers of coral reef area, Indonesia alone boasts 65,000 square kilometers.
Coral reefs must be preserved as they serve as fish spawning grounds. However, due to climate change and rising sea surface temperatures, many coral reefs are experiencing bleaching, which indicates poor health. Additionally, human activities such as dynamite fishing and poisoning coral reefs to catch fish, like groupers that fetch high prices in restaurants, further threaten these ecosystems. In fact, humans can sustainably utilize coral reefs for activities such as diving tourism, extracting chemical compounds for new medicines, and supporting sustainable fishing practices.
In conjunction with the upcoming International Coral Reef Conference, “The International Conference for Sustainable Coral Reefs”, themed “Sustaining Coral Reefs: Science, Conservation, Resilience, and Development,” which will take place in Manado from December 13 to 15, 2024, a coral reef transplantation activity will be conducted in the Bunaken National Marine Park, Sulawesi.
On Sunday, December 15, 2024, all participants of the International Conference and the local community will join in coral reef transplantation activities at Bunaken Marine Park, specifically at Tiwoho Beach, Wori District, North Minahasa Regency. At this beach, coral reef seedlings will be planted on underwater nets, which are expected to develop into a new coral reef area within 2–3 years. The coral reef transplantation event is scheduled to be attended by Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni.
