Empowering local partners to safeguard their reefs
Leveraging our 25 years of coral growing experience for success
Our History
With the 1997-1998 economic crisis, the people of Indonesia and their coastal communities suffered considerable loss of income. Vincent Chalias, a marine biologist with an aquaculture background, saw the opportunity to transform the tropical marine aquarium industry from collecting wild live corals, to a farm-based one whilst giving these coastal communities another form of income. He came up with the idea to mariculture these corals, so they no longer need to be taken from the reef. Also, these farmed corals can be used to replant and restore damaged reefs.
He found in Mr Manumudhita a great partner and inspiration. Mr Manumudhita, after working for many years as the Director of the Fisheries Department, retired and became the head of the Bali Fishermen Associations, helping defend the livelihood of fishermen all over the country. The first trial was in Nusa Dua in 2000. Since then, many more nurseries have been installed in many corners of Bali, as well as other islands of Indonesia. growing almost any possible coral species.
In 2018, Ocean Gardener was created as a non-profit dedicated to coral education and coral reef restoration. The first line of work was education. We created educational material for different communities to help increase knowledge and understanding of corals. Next, coral nurseries were started in Candidasa, Sanur, Lipah, Ped and Bangka. Also, different reef restoration projects were started.
With Vincent’s 25 years of experience in commercial coral farming, the projects quickly showed good results. Our list of nurseries, coral restoration projects and trained people to maintain and garden their reef keeps growing.
Our philosophy
We work with partners to create a network of foundations, institutions, private donors, dive resorts and communities who go through our training to create and maintain nurseries, as well as set up new restoration sites. We ensure we continue monitoring to ensure long term success.
Our Vision For The Future
Short Term Goals
In the short term, we want to maximize the conservation of marine biomass and genetic diversity through the restoration of degraded coral reefs. We re-establish these vital ecosystems, layer by layer, from foundational corals to apex predators. To achieve this, we strategically deploy a wide array of restoration techniques, targeting the most effective, economical, and swift solutions for every distinct coral reef habitat and species.
Mid Term Goals
Our mid-term goal is to create permanent, positive change for coral reefs through a comprehensive approach centered on education, habit transformation, community enablement, and leadership development. We share our knowledge to train the next generation of coral reef restoration practitioners and marine conservation leaders. By spreading our expertise, we empower other individuals and organizations to achieve greater success and foster a collective movement towards healthier reefs.
Long Term Goals
Our long-term mission is to ensure coral survival by accelerating their evolution through human-assisted reproduction. We aim to produce coral recruits that are resilient to future ocean conditions by studying coral sexual spawning patterns, specifically identifying heat-tolerant individuals. By understanding the connectivity of reefs across Indonesia – where larvae originate and disperse – we can strategically focus our efforts on the most vital locations, ultimately preserving corals and preventing their extinction.
The Ocean Gardener Team
We are a team of marine biologists, professional divers, coral farmers, conservationists and students, dedicated to educating as many people as possible about the coral reefs and their importance. We believe that without proper coral education, reefs can’t be properly protected.
Vincent
Nicole
Manumudhita
Indah
Indah grown up in the mangrove at the back of her house. She developed a keen interest for marine life from a very young age. Leaving in the biggest archipelago in the world, and the center for coral diversity, she’s now super happy to be able to support coral conservation efforts. She’s helping us with all the financing parts.
Kirana
Kirana has a background in Agribusiness and holds a Master’s in Marketing. With over 15 years of experience in the coral industry, she has gained extensive knowledge in coral conservation, restoration, and sustainable practices. Kirana applies passion for coral conservation, her organizational and communication skills to ensure operations run smoothly.
Festi
Festi has a Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries Management and is one of our Full Coral Restoration Cert Alumni. She’s been working hard with the community in Ped to help grow the project there. She’s involved with Coral Spawning Monitoring, teaching coral ID and coral reef restoration courses and will soon be embarking on her Master’s Degree.
Anastasia
Anastasia is a young Marine Biology bachelor’s degree student and one of Ocean Gardener’s newest Coral Reef Restoration Course Alumni. She’s also involved with Coral Spawning monitoring, and will soon take up the challenge of getting her Master’s Degree with us.
HELP US SAVE THE CORAL REEFS
Your donations help us identify new partners for nurseries and restoration sites. It also supports our staff who help set up the education programs from coral nursery setup, creating grafts for coral restoration sites and conservation of existing reefs.
