A coral reef preservation program in Indonesia

Dear difteurs,

The field team has taken over the management of Sawandarek I (last dive in July 2018), Sawandarek II (last dive in January 2022) and Arborek (last dive in May 2021) ... for an exceptional dive in the hotspot of biodiversity that is the Raja Ampat!

Several years later, these Yaf Keru sites are doing wonderfully and the marine life is in full swing. It's hard to concentrate on measurements and general site observation when divers encounter particular visitors!

On Sawandarek, our divers greeted no less than 7 green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and 2 blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus).

On Arborek, a bearded carpet shark endemic to Raja Ampat (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon), a humpback parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) or a crocodile fish (Cymbacephalus beauforti)were observed among the hundreds of marine animals present on site.

Examples of macro and megafauna, rare to observe, which show that the Yaf Keru program's restoration success endures over time and plays a key role in the conservation of these species and marine biodiversity in general!

The Yaf Keru program plans to have restored up to 5 hectares of degraded reefs within the next 3 years.

Some ecosystems are called biodiversity hotspots because they concentrate high biodiversity.
They are of particular interest in terms of marine conservation: this is particularly the case of coral reefs.
 
Indonesia, and in particular the Raja Ampa archipelagot, is a global marine biodiversity hotspot, and forms what is considered the most biodiverse marine ecosystem on the planet.
At the heart of the "Coral Triangle",  these reefs are home to : 
- 75% of the world's known hard coral species representing at least 500 species, 
- over 1,761 species of fish, 
- 6 species of marine turtles, 
- 18 species of marine mammals including cetaceans and dugongs,
- 4 species of saltwater crocodiles, 
- and over 699 known species of molluscs. 

These reefs provide a rich and sustainable food source for local communities and support a tourism economy providing livelihoods for many of these communities.

It is partly to preserve this natural wealth that the teams from Planète Mer and local NGO The SEA People are joining forces to restore the coral reefs of Raja Ampat as part of the YAF KERU program. 

          €18 = 1m² of reef restored + 1m² of additional reef protected.
Your help is precious, thank you for your support !

         YAF KERU is supported by Planète Mer and local NGO The SEA People 

For this coral reef restoration program YAF KREU which means coral garden in Indonesian Planète Mer is a technical, financial and scientific partner of local NGO The SEA People.
After an update on restoration activities in early 2024, let's take a look at the method employed, which primarily involves stabilizing the substrate.
Victims of destructive fishing with dynamite or cyanide, for example, some coral reefs in Raja Ampat are now little more than coral debris.                          These dead coral skeletons accumulate and crumble under their own weight down the reef slope.                                                                                                  This avalanche destroys and suffocates healthy reefs downstream, accumulating ever more debris in an endless cycle... Like an avalanche that produces its own snow! 

To prevent this phenomenon, all YAF KERU restoration actions start with a phase of stabilizing this slope by installing galvanized mesh, fixed to the ground and protected at the top and bottom by avalanche barriers. Everything is prepared, welded, cut and ground-milled upstream! 

Thus, the restored YAF KERU reefs can thrive and grow without risk of rockfall. 

                  18 € = 1m² restored reef + 1m² additional reef protected                                                  Your help is precious, thank you for your support 

                YAF KERU is supported by Planète Mer and local NGO The SEA People 

Anchored in Sorong since January 2023, the GALAXEA, the vessel that serves as the base for all the actions of the YAF KERU coral restoration program in Indonesia, is now sporting her brand-new equipment all over Raja Ampat.
The local team from The SEA People worked hard for over 3 months to achieve several goals: 

Fresh from this shipyard, the GALAXEA, piloted by Captain Yosina, flew off for a week of technical tests and visits to restoration sites before returning to Sorong  for a regulatory check-up. 

The GALAXEA will soon be back on the YAF KERU sites with its sights set on the 2 hectares restored! 

18 € = 1m² reef restored + 1m² additional reef protected
Your help is precious, thank you for your support

The coral reef restoration program in Rajat Ampat, West Papua is moving ahead faster than expected!!
Geographical and demographic features make Raja Ampat an area relatively unscathed by anthropogenic pressures and global warming favoring the success of the YAF KERU program's coral reef restoration. 

The coral reefs are restored by coral gardeners local from coral fragments that are cut and attached to submerged metal structures on key areas.
€18 = 1m² of reef restored + 1m² of additional reef protected
Your help is precious, thank you for your support

YAF KERU is supported by Planète Mer and local NGO The SEA People 

An update is in order for the YAF KERU program supported by Planète Mer in collaboration with The Sea People!!
 
                    ONE-THIRD OF THE RESTORATION ACHIEVED!
  

The Yaf Keru program aims to restore up to 5 hectares of coral reefs destroyed by dynamite and cyanide fishing practices.

At Raja Ampat in Indonesia, field teams have now restored 1.5 ha of reefs corallian accounting for 47,556 corals transplanted since 2016, and representing 130 coral phenotypes divided into some 30 genera. The work is becoming increasingly effective, with almost half of the transplants having been carried out in the last 6 months.   

That's a third of the objectives in terms of restored surface area achieved by 2023! 

A total of 460 dives have been carried out by members of The Sea People on site. Their method? Stabilize the substrate with galvanized mesh, then transplant healthy coral fragments recovered from the ground because they had been detached from their colony. This nature-based solution, harmless to both the environment taken and the receiving environment, thus helps maintain the exceptional diversity of Raja Ampat's coral colonies. 

                     Yaf Keru has many more surprises in store for 2024! 

 

YAF KERU "Coral Garden" is an ambitious local development program, in Indonesia, around the protection and restoration of 5 ha of coral reefs over the next 3 years.

The program underwent a pilot phase between 2016 and 2020 that tested, demonstrated the feasibility of restoration and demonstrated its ecological and social impact on the area.                                                                 

Since mid-2023, it has entered a phase of accelerating its impact by extending the number of hectares restored and multiplying the number of sites.                                                                                         

 Coral reefs are restored by local "Coral Gardeners", using coral fragments that are cut and attached to submerged metal structures in key areas. By restoring and stabilizing the substrate at the top of the slope, we prevent the reef at the bottom from being buried by dead coral and coral debris.                                                                                     
By  restoring 1ha on the upper part, it's at least 1 hectare protected on the lower part.  

                                                                                                                    YAF KERU is co-sponsored by The Sea people, the local association in charge of the project's field deployment, and Planète Mer scientific communications and background research partner.
18 € ꓿ 1m² reef restored + 1m² additional reef protected

              Your help is precious, thank you for your support!!   

Beautiful progress regarding coral reef restoration, thanks to the YAF KERU program.

- the "Coral Gardeners" at work → 1 hectare of reef has been restored while protecting 1 hectare of primary, pristine reef ;

- spectacular images → coral reef before restoration and 29 months later.

The aim is to begin a change of scale for the YAF KERU program, so the challenge is to accelerate and reach 5 hectares of restoration. The Sea People boat, the new logistics platform, will enable this change of scale to begin.

18 € ꓿ 1m² of reef restored + 1m² of additional reef protected

Some news about our YAF KERU program:
YAF KERU ("Coral Garden" in the local Papuan language) is an ambitious local development program, in Indonesia, around the protection and restoration of 5 hectares of coral reefs over 3 years.YAF KERU is being developed in the heart of the world's most diverse coral reef zone, in the Indonesian province of Raja Ampat, where over 550 species of coral have been recorded. YAF KERU's main objective is to restore these reefs in a particularly resilient area, placing local populations at the heart of the action in a sustainable manner. The health of coral reefs depends on the health of the oceans and the people who live on them.

● Surface restored: > 8475m²
● Number of structures involved: 152 structures (2070m²) of stabilizing mesh

● Number of corals transplanted : > 21307
● Survival rate of transplanted corals: 75 to 93% depending on site (84% average), with mortality mainly caused by inter-species competition (sponges, algae, ascidians, octocorals) in the first 6 months of installation
● Growth rate: reaches 2cm/month for Acropora sp. And Montipora sp probably thanks to the excellent water circulation in the bay hosting the project
● Diversity: at least 76 species phenotypes of transplanted corals
● Monitoring set up to regularly evaluate the project
● 7 jobs created of local community members
● Currently training 3 coral gardeners and 3 divers
● 5 work-study students have submitted a dissertation (3 valedictorians)