Managing Indonesian coral reefs: Integration of stressors in Marine Protected Area (MPA) management plans
Authors: Agustin Capriati, Ingrid A. van de Leemput, Estradivari, Yvonne Kunz, Tries B. Razak, Rili Djohani, Hesti Widodo, Handoko Adi Susanto, Ririn Widiastutik, Purwanto, Leontine E. Becking
Summary: This study assessed the inclusion of stressors in current government-issued Indonesian MPA management plans. We analyzed the inclusion of stressor words within the comprehensive management plans and reviewed the action plan. By 2022, only 20%
of Indonesian MPAs had comprehensive management plans, comprising an introduction, zoning plan, and action plan. We found that most plans address stressors related to fishing. In contrast, less than one-third of the plans address land-based stressors, with nutrient pollution and plastic waste largely overlooked.
Coral Bleaching and Recovery on Urban Reefs off Jakarta, Indonesia, During the 2023–2024 Thermal Stress Event
Authors: Tries B. Razak, Muhammad Irhas, Laura Nikita, Rindah Talitha Vida, Sera Maserati, Cut Aja Gita Alisa
Summary: During the fourth global coral bleaching event (GCBE), we recorded selective bleaching in the region, associated with a Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) value of 4.8 °C-weeks. Bleaching responses varied across taxa, depths, and microhabitats, often occurring in close proximity to unaffected colonies. While some corals demonstrated resilience, the overall findings underscore the continued vulnerability of urban reefs to escalating thermal stress. This highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive and coordinated national strategy—not only to monitor bleaching and assess reef responses, but also to strengthen protection measures and implement best-practice restoration.
Benthic communities on restored coral reefs confer equivalent aesthetic value to healthy reefs
Authors: Cut Aja Gita Alisa, Tries B. Razak, Nicolas Mouquet, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Christopher R. Hemingson, David Mouillot, Mars Coral Restoration Project monitoring team, Beginer Subhan, Neviaty P. Zamani, Rindah Talitha Vida & Timothy A. C. Lamont
Summary: Restored reefs exhibited aesthetic value that was statistically equivalent to healthy reefs and significantly higher than degraded reefs. High aesthetic value was primarily driven by colour diversity and live coral cover, which were both higher in healthy and restored reefs than degraded reefs. Taken together, these results demonstrate the recovery of aesthetic value towards a healthy state after large-scale restoration, indicating that coral restoration can support vital tourism services and well-being contributions to people.
Impacts of “Reef Star” coral restoration on multiple metrics of habitat complexity
Authors: Rindah Talitha Vida, Tries B. Razak, Andrew O. M. Mogg, Ronan Roche, Jason Lynch, Ben Williams, Mars Coral Restoration Project Monitoring Team, Cut Aja Gita Alisa, Beginer Subhan, Syamsul B. Agus, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Timothy A. C. Lamont
Summary: restoration efforts have successfully restored small-scale habitat complexity, as described by surface complexity metrics and fractal dimension. This demonstrates the capacity for restored reefs to recover important ecosystem functions that are lost in degradation. However, while restoration has delivered some increases in large-scale habitat complexity compared to degraded reefs, restored reefs still exhibit lower values of maximum vertical relief than healthy reefs, due to a lack of large physical structures.
Long-term dynamics of hard coral cover across Indonesia
Authors: Tries B. Razak, Ravienkha R. Budaya, Frensly D. Hukom, Beginer Subhan, Fathia K. Assakina, Shifa Fauziah, Haifa H. Jasmin, Rindah Talitha Vida, Cut Aja Gita Alisa, Rizya Ardiwijaya, Alan T. White & Sterling B. Tebbett
Summary: In Indonesia, in situ monitoring of coral cover has been ongoing for over five decades. However, as monitoring data and research findings are predominantly published in the local language (Bahasa Indonesia), local data often escape global attention, resulting in Indonesian coral reefs receiving less scientific attention despite accounting for ~ 15% of all coral reef area globally. We analysed 7,614 data entries extracted from 621 publications and found that the majority (79.1%) of the publications were written in Bahasa Indonesia, constituting 63.4% of the total data entries. Our dataset revealed limited evidence of net declines in coral cover over the last three decades (1994–2022).
Coral reef restoration in Indonesia: lessons learnt from the world’s largest coral restoration nation
Authors:Rowan Watt-Pringle, Tries B. Razak, Jamaluddin Jompa, Rohani Ambo-Rappe, Alyssa N. Kostaman & David J. Smith
Summary: This study reviews the status of Indonesian coral reef restoration within a framework of international common best practice (CBP) that incorporates internationally recognised Standards for Ecological Restoration (SER). Forty-five projects were surveyed and compared with recommendations from CBP. There is particular scope to increase quantitative data collection, reinforce community involvement, improve ecological data collection, and standardise monitoring protocols. While 84% of projects that reported quantifiable goals, 64% did not quantify goals during planning, and 61% did not incorporate climate-smart design features. Quantitative reef monitoring surveys were absent in 22% of projects.
A review of the legal framework for coral reef restoration in Indonesia
Authors: Tries B. Razak, Timothy A.C. Lamont, Frensly D. Hukom, Cut Aja Gita Alisa, Abdul Razak Asri, Sebastian C.A. Ferse
Summary: Provides a comprehensive review of Indonesia’s legal framework governing coral reef restoration, examining the various national and local regulations involved. It highlights the complexity of the current system, which includes overlapping laws, government regulations, presidential decrees, and ministerial decisions. We identify several challenges, such as inconsistencies in terminology, overlapping institutional responsibilities, and unclear permitting procedures, all of which hinder the effectiveness of restoration efforts. The study emphasises the need for legal reform to improve coordination among agencies, establish clear restoration targets, and strengthen accountability.
Coral restoration can drive rapid reef carbonate budget recovery
Authors: Ines D. Lange, Tries B. Razak, Chris T. Perry, Permas B. Maulana, Mochyudho E. Prasetya, Irwan, Timothy AC. Lamon
Summary: Carbonate budgets, defined as the balance between calcium carbonate production and erosion, influence a reef’s ability to provide important geo-ecological functions. Here we present the first assessment of reef carbonate budget trajectories at restoration sites. Within 4 years, fast coral growth supports a rapid recovery of coral cover, substrate rugosity, and carbonate production. Four years after coral transplantation, net carbonate budgets have tripled and are indistinguishable from healthy control sites. However, taxa-level contributions to carbonate production differ between restored and healthy reefs due to the preferential use of branching corals for transplantation
Monitoring coral reef conditions in the Biorock Pemuteran rehabilitation area during the 2016 coral bleaching
Authors: Beginer Subhan, Dondy Arafat, Muhammad Asrof Abror Jundulloh, Ade Gde Tangkas Vahyu Arya, Adip Setiawan, Michelia Masitha Wibowo, Komang Astika, Prawita Tasya Karissa, Tyas Ismi Trialfhianty, Ramadian Bachtiar, Nebuchadnezzar Akbar, Siti Zanuba Aisyah, Inna Puspa Ayu
Summary: Pemuteran is well-known for its community-based coral reef conservation activities utilising Biorock technology, through the application of low voltage electricity. Observational findings reveal noticeable differences in the community structure of coral fish between Biorock Pemuteran and Menjangan Island waters. A total of 11,260 individuals covering 120 fish species across 21 families. Higher fish abundance in Menjangan Island compared to Biorock Pemuteran.
The abundance of reef fish based on ecological role and trophic level on Kaliage Island, Seribu Archipelago, DKI Jakarta
Authors: Mar’atus Shalihah, Endang Sunarwati Srimariana, Beginer Subhan, Dondy Arafat, Victor Hendrico Palisu, Hans Budiarto, Prakas Santoso, Prawita Tasya Karissa
Summary: The results revealed 3,117 fish from 54 species, 16 families, and 32 genera on the reef. Fish with major, target, and indicator functions accounted for 85.98%, 11.29%, and 2.73% of the fish population with ecological roles, respectively. The trophic distribution of fishes revealed that 45.01% were omnivores, 23.10% were planktivores, 19.19% were carnivores, 9.46% were herbivores, and 3.24%were coral eaters. The analysis showed that the reef fish community was balanced and not dominated by any species.
Hold big business to task on ecosystem restoration
Authors: Timothy A. C. Lamont, Jos Barlow, Jan Bebbington, Thomas Cuckston, Rili Djohani, Rachael Garrett, Holly P. Jones, Tries B. Razak, Nicholas A. J. Graham
Summary: Many TNCs are positioning themselves as environmental leaders, carrying out restoration that goes far beyond legal obligations to offset their own environmental impacts. This promise of corporate-led progress is alluring, and has delivered benefits in some cases, but is also fraught with risks. Well-intentioned efforts can do more harm than good. nd some corporations oversell their efforts for reputational enhancement (greenwashing). Our evaluation of sustainability reports of 100 of the world’s largest businesses reveals the extent to which TNCs are claiming to contribute to—but failing to report on—ecosystem restoration.
Upaya Meningkatkan Keberhasilan Rehabilitasi Terumbu Karang yang Berkelanjutan di Kawasan Konservasi Laut
Authors: Beginer Subhan , Dondy Arafat , Putri Febriantika Permata Sari ,Denny Khairudi , Siti Zanuba Aisyah
Summary: Kegiatan rehabilitasi terumbu karang sudah dilakukan di Indonesia, selama 20 tahun terakhir lebih dari 500 kegiatan sudah dilakukan tetapi belum banyak yang berhasil dan berkelanjutan. Kegiatan – kegiatan ini sebagian besar dilakukan di kawasan konservasi laut yang tersebar di seluruh Indonesia. Pada tulisan ini akan membahas tentang pentingnya program perawatan dan pemantauan pada kegiatan rehabilitasi terumbu karang. Hal ini perlu didukung dengan adanya standar keberhasilan serta adanya pelibatan masyarakat. Kegiatan rehabilitasi yang berjalan dengan berkelanjutan dapat memperbaiki fungsi ekosistem terumbu karang, membuka peluang kerja baru bagi masyarakat, dan membuka sumber ekonomi baru.
eDNA Sebagai Metode untuk Pemantauan Biodiversitas di Kawasan Konservasi Laut Indonesia secara efektif dan efisien
Authors: Beginer Subhan, Davin HE Setiamarga, Dondy Arafat
Summary: Monitoring dengan eDNA dapat dilakukan secara rutin dan berkelanjutan di seluruh KKL untuk mengumpulkan data yang akurat dan mendukung pengamatan tren jangka panjang dalam keanekaragaman hayati laut. Selain itu, dukungan untuk penelitian lanjutan dalam identifikasi spesies baru dan pemahaman yang lebih dalam tentang ekologi laut Indonesia melalui teknologi eDNA juga perlu diberikan. Dengan mengimplementasikan rekomendasi ini, Indonesia dapat memperkuat upaya pelestarian keanekaragaman hayati lautnya secara efektif dan efisien, menjaga keberlanjutan ekosistem laut yang kaya dan unik di negara ini.
The effect of coral transplantation on the community structure of reef fish on Harapan Island, Seribu Archipelago, Jakarta
Authors:RA Nurafif, F Yulianda, CPH Simanjuntak, A Ervinia, B Subhan, T Nugroho
Summary:In this study, we explained the effect of coral transplantation on the structure of coral fish communities in the waters of Harapan Island, precisely on Rosa and Pamegaran Islands, Seribu Archipelago National Park. There is an increase in fish
abundance per 50m², which is significant over time for 8 weeks of observation. Significant differences in abundance of reef fish also occurred between the two islands, indicating that differences in the depth of the location of coral transplants can also affect the
abundance of reef fish.
Coral reef restoration in Indonesia: A review of policies and projects
Authors: Tries B. Razak, Lisa Boström-Einarsson, Cut Aja Gita Alisa, Rindah Talitha Vida, Timothy A.C. Lamont
Summary: Here, we first discuss Indonesia’s legal policy framework concerning reef restoration; this is included in the agenda of two government ministries (Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and Environment and Forestry), and comprises national laws and governmental, presidential and ministerial regulations. We then provide an extensive review of reef restoration projects in Indonesia, documenting 533 records across the country between 1990 and 2020.This review demonstrates that Indonesia’s policy has encouraged a diverse range of practitioners to implement reef restoration, but projects are often not coordinated with wider networks of restoration practitioners or scientists, and only 16% of the identified projects included a post-installation monitoring framework
Multi-dimensional approaches to scaling up coral reef restoration
Authors: Timothy A.C. Lamont, Tries B. Razak, Rili Djohani, Noel Janetski, Saipul Rapi, , Frank Mars, David J. Smith
Summary: The past two decades have seen a rapid expansion in the scale of Indonesia’s restoration efforts. Having started in the 1980s, there are now hundreds of individual programmes across the country, several of which have outplanted tens of thousands of corals. Here, we identify ten different social, economic and environmental approaches that have contributed to this scaling up of reef restoration in Indonesia. We discuss the theoretical basis for each approach and provide case studies of their implementation from sixteen different Indonesian programmes. n combination, these diverse approaches have created opportunities to increase the operational efficiency, spatial scale, speed of deployment and social inclusivity of reef restoration in many different contexts.
The effect of coral transplantation on the
community structure of reef fish on Harapan
Island, Seribu Archipelago, Jakarta
Authors: RA Nurafif, F Yulianda, Sulistiono, CPH Simanjuntak, A Ervinia, B Subhan, and T Nugroho
Summary: Coral reef degradation in Indonesia is increasingly alarming. For this reason, efforts are needed to rehabilitate coral reef ecosystems. In this study, we explained the effect of coral transplantation on the structure of coral fish communities in the waters of Harapan Island, precisely on Rosa and Pamegaran Island, Seribu Archipelago National Park. During the study period, a total of 35 species (14 families) were observed. There is an increase in fish abundance, which is significant over time for 8 weeks of observation. Significant differences in abundance of reef fish also occurred between the two islands, indicating that differences in the depth of the location of coral transplants can also affect the
abundance of reef fish.
The perspective of high coral growth rate on the artificial reef: what is causing enhancement of coral growth rate on Nyamuk Island, Anambas?
Authors: B Prabowo, N Rikardi, M A Setiawan, P Santoso, D Arafat, B Subhan, and A Afandy
Summary: Benthic communities, coral length, and coral growth rate compared through the year. Hard coral and sand coverage increasing during observation. Coral length based indicated constant escalation. However, coral growth yearly showed fluctuation with peak growth from 2014 to 2015. PCA exhibited hard coral, dead coral with algae, sponge, and sand played an important role in supporting coral growth on rehabilitation at Anambas. Available niche for other marine faunas built by artificial reef-building could support to preserve of the coral fragments. Acquisitions of hard coral by coral fragments could be supported by good natural hard coral coverage in the habitat. Herbivorous is one factor that could support recent coral reefs.
Enhancing reef fish diversity using artificial reefbuilding: A case study of coral reef rehabilitation
on Nyamuk Island, Anambas Islands
Authors: B Prabowo, Rikardi, M A Setiawan, P Santoso, Yonvitner, D Arafat, B Subhan, and A Afand
Summary: This research aims to calculate the effect of coral reef-building, which enhances rugosity to the reef fish diversity around the rehabilitation sites. Yearly data shows an escalation number of reef fish abundance and richness at the end of 2019. The major reef fish group is found to have constant diversity throughout the year compared to other functional groups. The target reef fish group came to this rehabilitation ecosystem primarily attracted by nourishment availability. There is a shift in the reef fish diversity from the early year to the project end. Generally, major reef fish groups will be refuged first around the rehabilitation sites, especially territorial types. Target fish groups from herbivorous and carnivorous types will mostly come along after their food availability and location to get around.
Coral recruitment on concrete blocks at Gosong Pramuka, Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta
Authors: B Subhan, N N Hudhayani, A Ervinia, P Santoso, D Arafat, D Khairudi, D Soedharma, R M Dhere and H Madduppa
Summary: The current research was conducted to study the coral recruitment on concrete blocks at Gosong Pramuka, in Kepulauan Seribu. The concrete blocks were observed based on the wave exposure, i.e. the exposed area and sheltered area. A total of 247 coral recruits colonies was recorded on concrete substrates in Gosong Pramuka. The number of coral colonies in the exposed area (210 colonies) was higher than in the sheltered area (37 colonies). The branching Acropora colonies were predominant for both areas, while encrusting non-Acropora was primarily found in the exposed area and massive non-Acropora was the major colonies in the sheltered area. The coral size of branching and encrusting Acropora in the sheltered area was significantly bigger than in the exposed area. In the exposed area, corals are found in the center of the concrete, but in the sheltered area, they are located in the corner and the edge of the concrete.
Assessing coral reefs condition for rehabilitation site selection using diver-towed survey in an island of Anambas Islands
Authors: D Arafat, A Affandy, B Subhan, N Rikardi, H Madduppa, E R Putra, P Santoso, A Setiawan, M Aprizan, R Zulfikar, B Prabowo, F Muhammad and M S Hashri
Summary: Coral cover dominated by hard corals percentage ranged between 11% and 50% (categories 2 and 3) in the western, northern and southern parts of Pahat Island. Distribution of hard coral percentage with more than 50% was observed in the eastern part of Pahat Island. While results from UPT showed the hard coral percentage of 62.5%, 33.67% and 17% in the eastern, western and northern of Pahat Island, respectively. There are similarities in the results of coral reef cover Obtained by the manta tow and UPT methods. Conclusions, this study recommends western Pahat Island as a good alternative for a rehabilitation site as the coral coverage was in poor condition.
Coral recruitment on concrete blocks at Gosong Pramuka, Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta
Authors: B Subhan, NN Hudhayani, A Ervinia, P Santoso, D Arafat, D Khairudi, D Soedharma, RM Dhere, H Madduppa
Summary: The current research was conducted to study the coral recruitment on concrete blocks at Gosong Pramuka, in Kepulauan Seribu. The concrete blocks were observed based on the wave exposure, i.e. the exposed area and sheltered area. A total of 247 coral recruits colonies was recorded on concrete substrates in Gosong Pramuka. The number of coral colonies in the exposed area (210 colonies) was higher than in the sheltered area (37 colonies). In the exposed area, corals are found in the center of the concrete, but in the sheltered area, they are located in the corner and the edge of the concrete.
Growth of some of transplanted coral genus and fish community developed at two different transplantation sites in Kepulauan Seribu, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia
Authors: I Nyoman D Adi, Ario Damar, Luky Adrianto, Dedi Soedharma, Beginner Subhan, T Kusumastanto, N Rikardi
Summary: The result shows that corals
tranplanted at Harapan Island waters is higher in survival rate and growth compared to those of Karya Island. It is recorded that 49 colonies of coral recruitment of hard coral at Karya waters. While those of Harapan waters are 67 colonies consisted of hard corals. Number of genus of fish are 104, which belongs to 15 families found at both transplantation sites
Riset dan inovasi terumbu karang dan proses pemilihan teknik rehabilitasi: sebuah usulan menghadapi gangguan alami dan antropogenik kasus di Kepulauan Seribu
Authors: Hawis Madduppa, Beginer Subhan, Dondy Arafat, Neviaty Putri Zamani
Summary: Riset dan inovasi pada ekosistem terumbu karang sangat diperlukan dalam upaya menghadapi gangguan alami dan antropogenik yang merusak. Hal ini untuk memahami bagaimana prioritas intervensi manusia dalam usaha perbaikan melalui rehabilitasi atau restorasi. Berdasarkan informasi ilmiah bahwa dalam beberapa dekade terakhir dimana sudah banyak terumbu karang yang telah sangat terganggu, sehingga diperlukan terobosan riset dan inovasi. Beberapa riset dan inovasi yang dapat diinisiasi untuk mendukung program rehabilitasi