An update on our coral nursery located in Lipah Bay, Amed in the North-east part of Bali. The project has shown consistent success in recent months. The coral nursery, first established in June 2019, is already supplying coral fragments for reef transplantation for the past five months.
Our nursery currently houses nine racks, with four actively producing fragments from six distinct coral species. These are coral species we have selected that are adapted to the conditions here in Amed. Similar to our Sanur nursery, we utilize good and sound ecological principles to ensure maximum survival amongst the coral frags, based on our 25 years of coral growing experience for the marine aquarium trade.
In our nursery, we have:
- Acropora yongei
- Acropora austera
- Acropora formosa
- Acropora secale
- Merulina ampliata
- Turbinaria reniformis
The number of species and the quantity of frags will quickly ramp up. We already planted over 100 frags on the reef, using different techniques. We also planted 5 spiders on the slope, and seeded with frags.
Addition of new racks
To enrich the bio-diversity of our coral nursery and safe-guard genetic lineages, we’ve established additional racks with this new Acropora specimens meticulously transferred from our well-established Candidasa coral nursery. We hope these will grow equally well as our colonies in our coral nursery so we will be able to outplant them onto the surrounding reefs in the future.
Future work and monitoring
To establish a baseline for long-term reef health assessment, a 25-meter transect line has been meticulously positioned. Initial, ground-zero monitoring will commence shortly, documenting the existing coral coverage, species diversity, and overall reef condition. Following this baseline data collection, we will initiate coral transplantation along the transect, strategically placing selected coral fragments to enhance reef recovery. This transect will then serve as a permanent monitoring site, enabling us to track coral growth, survival rates, and ecological changes over time, providing valuable insights into reef restoration efficacy.
Visiting the Amed Bali Nursery
If you are in Bali for a few days, consider visiting Amed to learn about the coral nursery with our Lipah Bay coral nursery guided tour. The proceeds from the tour go back towards our coral restoration efforts and bring much needed income to less visited local communities in the north of Bali. Thanks for your support!