An ecological conservation and preservation initiative supported by PT Bali Turtle Island Development.
Sahabat Karang Serangan (Friends of Serangan’s Corals) is the Serangan coral conservation group behind a coral nursery established on Serangan’s Tanjung Cenik Beach in April 2014. The nursery has been highly prolific. Out of the 30 something coral species planted at the nursery, 90% survive and in good health.
The local main deterrents to a coral’s chance of survival include sendimentation during low-tides which causes the growth of algae, attracting predator herbivore fishes such as Baronang (Rabbit Fish), Kepe-kepe of the Chaetodontidae family, Betok (Anabas testudineus) and Kakatua Fish of the Scaridae family. Another cause a coral’s premature death is when it falls off the metal frame table, due to loose wiring, and gets buried by the seabed sand. As it stands now, the underwater coral gardens at the nursery serves as a new habitat to various smaller marine life, such as decorative fishes.
The varieties of corals adopted by the nursery represent species with the highest ecological value. They are considered to be near-extinct or unavailable around Serangan and elsewhere in Bali. These species are premium-priced on the market, particularly in coral and decorative marine life segments.
Since 2014, BTID PET coral nursery has harboured up to 3,900 coral plants consisting of 2,400 corals cultivated on substrate attached to submerged tables and 1,500 corals planted in concrete media of different sizes. These corals were laid on the seabed around Kura Kura Bali Island during the months of October and November 2015.