Citra was one of the 4 Indonesians selected by Ocean Gardenner to receive our scholarship to take part in our Full Coral Restoration Certification course. She shares her experience spending the 4 weeks with other students learning more about corals, their restoration and applying these lessons practically during their dives in various locations around Bali, Indonesia.
I never imagined that a single email could change the course of my journey in marine conservation. When I received the news that I had been awarded a scholarship to join Ocean Gardener’s coral reef restoration course, I was beyond excited. Opportunities don’t always knock twice, and when the chance to take part in a coral reef restoration course through a scholarship came my way, I knew I had to take it. This experience not only expanded my knowledge, but also deepened my commitment to protecting our oceans.
So last month, I started the 4 week coral reef restoration course through the scholarship. The course brought together participants from diverse backgrounds with a shared goal: to learn about restoring one of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems and practice these skills on the coral reefs in Bali.
Each day was packed with both classroom sessions and hands-on field practice. The course took place in two unique locations, Amed/Tulamben and Nusa Penida — each offering different underwater conditions that challenged and enriched our learning experience. Between Bali and Nusa Penida has different environment conditions, so they have different corals types. My favourite dive was in Nusa Penida. Every dive sites in Nusa Penida always challenging because the current and temperature it’s unpredictable but the coral restoration results in Ocean Gardener’s Ped nursery and the biodiversity was so amazing.
The current in Nusa Penida is more higher than in Bali, so the corals in Nusa Penida are going to be more resilient than in Bali. Also, you will see soft corals easier in Nusa Penida Penida than Bali. I also learn a lot of scuba diving techniques during the course. Conservation diving is totally different with fun dives. For conservation work, you must have good bouyancy and be calm, whatever the underwater conditions are during your dives. In Nusa Penida, it was more challenging for me because the current and temperature is so unpredictable.
My favourite coral is Dendronepthya, which I got to see in my dives. I really love seeing them in the deep waters with their brightly coloured tentacles. I also love to see anemones and clown fish. Many people think that anemones are corals, but they are not. Also, I am fascinated by the symbiosis of anemones with clown fishes, where different kinds of anemones will host a different type of clown fish.
Throughout the course, I gained a lot of knowledge in coral biology, ecology, coral identification, and restoration methods. We also learned diving techniques for scientific work. What excited me the most during the scholarship was exploring topics I never encountered during college, such as doing quadrat transect monitoring, photogrammetry and 3D mapping of coral reefs. Also I learnt about the importance of monitoring and regular maintenance of restoration sites through the removal of coral eating pests such as Crown of thorns starfish (COTS) and Drupella snails, as well as removal of algae and coral-killing sponges that can smother the corals.
More than just technical skills, the course also helped me truly understand how complex and dynamic coral reef habitats are. Every coral we visited had its own story, shaped by currents, species interactions and environmental pressures, reminding me how important it is to protect these fragile ecosystems through both science and action.
I never imagined that my life would change in only one month. Although the one month felt short, this experience with Ocean Gardener was truly unforgettable. I didn’t just learn about corals — I gained life lessons that have deeply impacted me. Meeting and connecting with fellow scholarship students also inspired me to continue my journey as an agent of change in marine conservation. The mix of exhaustion and joy we shared throughout the month became a valuable part of the learning process. It reminded me that meaningful change often begins with passion, collaboration, and a willingness to dive deep — both into the ocean and into ourselves.
It’s a big honour to be a part of the Coral Restoration course scholarship batch 4, specially thank you to Bapak Vincent who has given me the opportunity to improve my knowledge and skill.
To my friends from batch 4 Ocean Gardener scholarship, Kak Ivon, Kak Asa, and Kak Ibnu. Thank you so much guys and hope to see you soon. Also baby Chloe, it’s nice to meet you and spend an advanced dive with you. My special thanks to Ibu Indah, can’t describe the word about your kindness. I am so blessed to meet you.
Also thank you for anyone that I can’t tell one by one, the people I met on Bali and Nusa Penida, nice to meet you guys and hope to see you soon!
