The two-week Acropora Course was held once again on the 11th – 22nd of May. Although this batch is not as crowded as the previous courses, we managed to gather three Acropora lovers, including 1 of our staff. The other two were from Sorce, Lombok as scholarship students made possible by the McPZ foundation, and one student from Easy Divers Pemuteran.
Why Acropora Matters
Acropora corals are the “architects” of the reef. As some of the fastest-growing coral species, they are essential for building the three-dimensional complexity that supports thousands of marine organisms. By creating intricate branching and table structures, Acropora provides vital habitats, nurseries for juvenile fish, and critical protection against wave energy. Understanding these species—and learning how to identify and propagate them—is a cornerstone of our mission to restore reef resilience and ensure the long-term survival of healthy marine ecosystems.
Acropora Diving in Nusa Penida
The course was held in various sites in Bali. We started at Ocean Gardener’s Coral Lab in Penida. We stayed there for 5 days to learn about the various Big Table Acroporas and a lot of different kinds of Branching Acropora. Nusa Penida’s Acropora are special because of the strong current and good water quality. That is why in Penida, we found a lot of huge colonies of Acroporas.
The Reefs of Tulamben, Amed and Pemuteran
After we finished in Penida, we moved to mainland Bali. We started diving in the Tulamben and Amed area to check other types of Acropora. We stayed for two days, and on the third day we started the journey to West Bali. We were planning to make a stop in Bondalem to do one dive there because Bondalem is known for its Acropora diversity, but the conditions were bad, so we had to cancel the dive in Bondalem.
We continued the route all the way to Pemuteran. Here we stayed one night and did 2 dives on Easy Divers’ favourite dive site. We went here because the water conditions are the complete opposite of those in Penida. Here we found a lot of deep-water Smooth Skin acropora, which are a bit harder to find in Penida.
So in the course of 10 effective days, we managed to learn about 99 different species of Acropora and managed to see 70% of those species with our own eyes on the dives. We did 14 dives and countless snorkeling sessions in this course. The course ended in Pemuteran at our partner Easy Diver, along with the certification night.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated and helped with this course. We hope all the knowledge that has been given is able to improve everyone’s understanding of Acropora and different species to use in different conditions.
Ready to Advance Your Reef Restoration Skills?
The Acropora course is more than just a training program; it is a deep dive into the science and practice of marine conservation. We are already preparing for our next session, and we would love to have you join us in the field. View our upcoming course schedule and secure your spot today!