The Goettler Foundation and the Rotary Club of Niagara on the Lake have teamed up with the Misool Foundation to fund a $65,000 coral reef restoration project in the Misool Marine Reserve of Raja Ampat. Raja Ampat is an archipelago located in the western Pacific Ocean off Indonesia’s southwest coast. The Misool Marine Reserve is the largest of its kind in Raja Ampat. Coral reefs are often referred to as the “rainforest of the sea” and the Misool reefs are the highest priority for conservation. Dr. Mark Erdmann, marine biologist, coral reef ecologist, and Vice President of Conservation International’s Asia-Pacific marine programs says that "Misool represents one of the most pristine reef systems left on earth — one of only a handful of places in the universe where biodiversity is improving rather than declining." Raja Ampat is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet.
Coral reefs benefit an estimated 1 billion people, either directly or indirectly, from the many ecosystem services they provide.
Despite their importance, coral reefs face numerous threats, including climate change, coral bleaching, overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction.
Using a technique called coral transplantation, the Misool team of coral farmers including marine scientists, Misool Rangers and university students, create artificial reefs from wire mesh frames on areas of broken coral. Living corals are transplanted onto these frames, and cleaned and monitored so that they have the best chance of survival. Over time, these reefs will grow naturally, providing new habitat for fish, corals, and other reef creatures. The Goettler Foundation/Rotary Club of NOTL Reef Restoration and Environmental Education Project scales up Misool’s transplantation activities through community engagement, data collection and monitoring. The project engages high school students through a series of educational and practical activities, designed to empower the local community to become changemakers and guardians.
The Goettler Foundation and the Rotary Club of Niagara on the Lake are pleased to support Misool’s coral reef restoration efforts but are elated to be engaging Raja Ampat youth in shaping a brighter, sustainable future for their community. Carol Lipsett, President of the Rotary Club of Niagara on the Lake “thanks the Goettler Foundation for their ongoing support of our work and specifically for their support of this critical reef restoration project.”
Despite their importance, coral reefs face numerous threats, including climate change, coral bleaching, overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction.
Using a technique called coral transplantation, the Misool team of coral farmers including marine scientists, Misool Rangers and university students, create artificial reefs from wire mesh frames on areas of broken coral. Living corals are transplanted onto these frames, and cleaned and monitored so that they have the best chance of survival. Over time, these reefs will grow naturally, providing new habitat for fish, corals, and other reef creatures. The Goettler Foundation/Rotary Club of NOTL Reef Restoration and Environmental Education Project scales up Misool’s transplantation activities through community engagement, data collection and monitoring. The project engages high school students through a series of educational and practical activities, designed to empower the local community to become changemakers and guardians.
The Goettler Foundation and the Rotary Club of Niagara on the Lake are pleased to support Misool’s coral reef restoration efforts but are elated to be engaging Raja Ampat youth in shaping a brighter, sustainable future for their community. Carol Lipsett, President of the Rotary Club of Niagara on the Lake “thanks the Goettler Foundation for their ongoing support of our work and specifically for their support of this critical reef restoration project.”
- Bill French