Adopt-a-Coral expands restoration across Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area

Nusa Lembongan — The Coral Triangle Center (CTC) says its Adopt-a-Coral program has grown from a single restoration site in Ped Village to a multi-site effort across the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area, using Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS) technology and community stewardship to rehabilitate damaged reefs.

The program was launched in Ped Village on 2 December 2020 in partnership with the Bali MPA Management Unit and the Nuansa Pulau Community Group. Since then, CTC reports that the initiative has expanded to locations including Mangrove Point off Nusa Lembongan, where strong currents and unstable rubble make natural recovery difficult.

In an update marking five years of restoration work, CTC states that between July 2023 and December 2025, a total of 1,110 coral fragments were adopted and transplanted at its restoration sites in the Nusa Penida MPA. By January 2026, the organization reports that 74 Reef Stars had been installed, collectively restoring approximately 44.4 square metres of previously degraded coral reef habitat. Routine community-led maintenance has supported an average coral survival rate of around 80 percent, according to the centre.

How the restoration works

CTC’s Adopt-a-Coral model allows individual supporters to fund the transplantation of coral fragments, which are attached to artificial structures on the seabed. The program uses the MARRS method, developed with private-sector partners, which relies on hexagonal steel frames known as Reef Stars.

Locally sourced coral fragments are fixed to the sand-coated steel structures, which are then anchored together to form a web-like scaffold across areas of loose rubble and degraded reef. This connected framework is designed to stabilise the substrate and provide a stable base for corals to grow, increasing coral cover and attracting marine life back to the site.

CTC describes Mangrove Point in Nusa Lembongan as a location where this approach is particularly effective, because strong currents and unconsolidated reef rubble have limited the reef’s ability to recover on its own. The restoration work there focuses on stabilising the rubble field with Reef Stars and transplanting coral fragments across the structure.

CTC’s communication materials list the following figures for the recent phase of the Adopt-a-Coral program:

• 1,110 coral fragments adopted and transplanted between July 2023 and December 2025.
• 74 Reef Stars installed by January 2026.
• 44.4 square metres of previously degraded reef habitat restored.
• Around 80 percent average coral survival rate at the restoration sites.

According to CTC, ongoing monitoring and maintenance are carried out by trained community members, who remove algae, replace coral fragments when needed and check the structural integrity of the Reef Stars. These activities are intended to keep the artificial structures stable and support coral growth over time.

Community role and future targets

From the outset, the Adopt-a-Coral program has been framed as a collaboration between conservation specialists and local communities. Members of groups such as Nuansa Pulau and Surya Mandiri have been involved in installing Reef Stars, attaching coral fragments, monitoring growth and reporting back to adopters.

CTC highlights this community involvement as central to the program’s goals of restoring coral reefs, creating local economic opportunities and raising public awareness of marine ecosystems. In a broader update on its coral restoration work in the Nusa Penida MPA, the centre reports more than 1,000 Reef Stars and 15,000 coral fragments installed across various projects, restoring around 600 square metres of reef and supporting a target of several thousand square metres of habitat to be rehabilitated in the coming years.

For individual participants, CTC offers an Adopt-a-Coral package that includes a certificate, a photo of the tagged coral at the restoration site and an update on its growth within one year of adoption. The organisation states that each baby coral represents a specific donation amount, with proceeds supporting restoration activities and community-led monitoring.

Sources

• Coral Triangle Center – Rehabilitating Coral Reefs in the Nusa Penida MPA through the Adopt-A-Coral Program
• International Coral Reef Initiative – Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System
• Intrepid Travel – How Bali's Coral Triangle Center is restoring the region's reefs
• Tribunnews – Program Adopsi Karang Didorong Berkelanjutan untuk Jaga Ekosistem Laut