Our tree-planting family from the island of Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, is also planting underwater!

John Batafor, the Taman Daun Lembata community coordinator, tells us about their project. Life as an islander makes them very dependent on the ocean. Due to unfriendly fishing methods, many coral reefs are destroyed and the islands shrink due to abrasion and erosion of seawater.

To counter this, the Tamam Daun community started the “Blue Revolution”.

They use cement substrate with iron or bottles as the medium for coral reefs transplantation. The production happens in a studio in Taman Daun. Now, more than 250 substrates have been produced and placed on the seabed with coral reef seedlings tied to supporting poles. This project requires a lot of work and precision. Various factors influence coral growth and development, such as temperature, light intensity, human activities to monitor and maintain it.

Excited, Johns tells us “After a year of planting the coral reef, we are so happy to see the result of our effort. Thousands of coral reefs started to grow. Various fish are coming too!”

While working hard, they are also having fun! They have an underwater garden and an underwater playground! As seen below, they used an old bicycle as a medium of coral restoration.

John says that one of the indicators of their success, is when people become more aware of these matters. This motivates them to take action and to protect and preserve the marine environment in their own way. Planting coral reefs protect our environment and reduce emissions. It also improves local economic conditions and sustains underwater tourism.

Thank you for your amazing story, John and the Taman Daun community!
Have a look at their inspiring video, and share it with friends: