Indonesia Coral Reefs 30% Damaged: Study

ID/Leonard A.L Cahyoputra and SP/Ari Rikin Jakarta Globe 17 Apr 14;

Jakarta. A new study by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences [LIPI] indicates that 30 percent of Indonesia’s coral reefs have been depleted by ocean acidification, overfishing and earthquakes.

Zainal Arifin, head of Oceanography Research Center at LIPI said the 2013 research showed 30.4 percent out of 1,135 locations were damaged. Only 5.29 percent were classified as being in a very good condition, 27.14 percent were in good condition and 37.18 were “fairly good.”

“We are striving to minimize damaged reefs through our Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program (Coremap),” he said on Thursday.

The center is still conducting an examination in 15 districts across the country. Eight are in the western Indonesia — Central Tapanuli, Nias, South Nias, Mentawai, Natuna, Riau Islands, Lingga and Batam. While seven are in the central and eastern part of the country; Pangkajane Island, Selayar, Wakatobi, Sikka, Biak, Numfor and Raja Ampat.

Suharsono, a senior researcher at LIPI, said El Nino and global warming had a large part to play in the slow destruction of Indonesia’s reefs. More than half of the world’s coastal coral reefs are located in the Indian Ocean.

“Our research showed that coral reefs in Indonesia can recover within seven to eight years — different from Hawaii and the Caribbean where recovery can take 30 years,” Suharsono said.

30.4 percent of Indonesia`s coral reefs damaged: LIPI
Antara 17 Apr 14;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), through the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program (COREMAP), stated 30.4 percent of Indonesias coral reefs are damaged and will have an impact on public welfare.

Head of LIPIs Research Center for Oceanography Zainal Arifin in a press release issued here on Thursday said his team was conducting intensive and repeated observation projects in 15 districts.

"We are observing coral reefs in eight districts in western Indonesia and seven districts in central and eastern Indonesia," he added.

A LIPI researcher, Giyanto, noted that the eight districts being observed in western Indonesia are Central Tapanuli, Nias, South Nias, Mentawai, Natuna, Riau Islands, Lingga and Batam.

"The seven districts of central and eastern Indonesia include Pangkajene Islands (Pangkep), Selayar, Wakatobi, Sikka, Biak Numfor and Raja Ampat," he added.

Giyanto added that despite a decrease in living coral cover in Nias and Mentawai, the observation results from 2004 to 2011 indicated that coral reefs in the western part of Indonesia showed an increase of four percent per year.

The decrease in living coral reef cover in Nias and Mentawai was due to the earthquake and tsunami in 2004.

Therefore, the condition of coral reefs in central and eastern Indonesia is not too different from that of coral reefs in western Indonesia.

Although coral reefs in Biak have historically been on the decline, the observation results showed an increase of three percent per year.

The decrease in living coral reef cover in Biak was due to the hurricane in 2009 and the bleaching of the corals in Biaks water due to the rising sea temperature in 2010.

Another researcher from the Research Center for Oceanography, LIPI, Deny Hidayati, who is a member of COREMAP, explained that the effort to rescue all the living coral reefs is not limited to observation, but it also requires the development of coastal and marine education and research.

"We hope that education and research will increase public awareness to save the living coral reefs in Indonesia," said Deny.

Translated by: Maria Rosari (M048/INE/F001)

EDITED BY INE.

Editor: Suryanto