Tanjung Bira, South Sulawesi – In the vibrant blue waters off South Sulawesi, a quiet revolution is underway. Led by Noortasha Devi, the GaiaOne Restoration Project is transforming degraded reefs into thriving coral habitats—one coral at a time. But for Noortasha, restoration is about far more than planting coral. It’s about building lasting ecosystems and deeply rooted local stewardship.
“Restoration is not just about the ocean. It’s about people. It’s about education. It’s about creating a future where the reef and the community thrive together.”
GaiaOne began in 2020 as a humble cleanup initiative. By 2021, it had grown into a full-scale restoration effort with support from Ocean Gardener and local communities. To date, over 20,000 corals have been planted across sites in Indonesia and Malaysia, using a variety of techniques, from cookie planting to rope, spider, and coral hanger methods.
Maintenance: The Everyday Battle
Maintenance dives happen five times a week, three days for main restoration sites and two for nursery areas. Activities include:
- Algae and sponge removal
- Drupella and crown-of-thorns (COTS) extraction
- Structure checks and coral replacements
Roughly 60% of their time is spent maintaining, and 40% on new planting. “It’s not glamorous,” Noortasha admits. “But it’s the only way coral can survive those crucial early months.”
Unlike larger programs, GaiaOne operates with limited scientific personnel. Yet that hasn’t stopped them from implementing smart qualitative monitoring techniques:
- Rapid reef assessments every 4–6 months
- Bleaching reports submitted to NOAA and Reef Check
- Growth tracking using tagged structures
- Spawning observations, particularly after full moons in October–December
Noortasha is still seeking research partners to analyze the growing bank of data they’ve collected. “We’re consistent, we’re diligent, we just need collaborators who can help us tell the scientific story,” she says.
“Our ocean needs all of us,” she says. “Not just scientists. Not just divers. Everyone.”
