Despite its diving industry little is known about the state and health of the coral reefs in Bali and few publications exist dealing with reef management. The coral reefs, made of limestone, not only provide food and for local coastal communities but also play an essential role for marine habitat. The large sections of reef along the Bali coastline provide breeding grounds for fish, shelter for marine habitat, protection from coastal erosion, and account for most of the world’s coral species. West Bali, particularly the Pemuteran area, has large areas of shallow reef and calm currents making it a diving and snorkeling paradise as well as an easy target for fishermen.
Although Bali reefs have a high variation in regards to water temperature, substrates, and salinity the reefs have been severely damaged in recent years from destructive fishing techniques. The use of bombs and cyanide to capture dead fish along with the increasing effects of global warming has led to over 80% of the reefs in Bali being damaged in some way. A survey from the Reef Check Foundation Indonesia (RCFI) showed that the highest percent of coral bleaching, around 40%, is occurring in the Pemuteran area.
Corrective measures from various parties are needed to manage the impacts of coral bleaching. Loss of tourism revenue will continue to affect the local economy. “According to economist Dr. Herman Cesar, a severe coral bleaching event in the next 50 years in South East Asia would cause financial losses up to 38.3 Billion from reduced products and services from fisheries and tourism. Also the damage caused to local fish habitats will lead to a decrease in supply of fish for local subsistence.
The economic and ecological threats to Bali local communities will continue to deteriorate so long as the destruction and bleaching of the Coral Reefs continues. “Many studies have shown that healthy reefs are better able to recover from the effects of climate change. The importance of reducing ‘everyday’ threats to coral reefs to ensure their survival in the face of climate change cannot be emphasized highly enough,” Dr Joanne Wilson further noted.
As a primary supporter of food sources and tourism revenue, the Coral Reefs in Bali are of extremely high importance in sustaining a quality of life within the region. In order to further understand the relationship between the health of the coral reef and the activity of the mainland populations, we will study various Satellite images. Through the imaging techniques, we will compare the Permuteran Area of Bali and the Alas Purwo Peninsula of the National Park of Alas Purwo to determine the relations of local anthropogenic factors of the mainland with coral health in the ocean.
Bali Coral Reef 