LINI is helping the coastal communities of Penuktukan, Les, Tejakula, Taman Sari, and Yeh Biu village to rehabilitate their reefs by establishing artificial reef aggregation structures in damaged areas. These villages are all in Buleleng district North Bali. The objective of this community-based reef rehabilitation is to regain the function of the reefs to serve as habitats for fish and other reef organisms, on which the coastal communities depend for their livelihoods.

The types of artificial reefs being installed include shrimp pods, which attract ornamental shrimps that are much in demand for the aquarium trade (SEE PHOTO). The idea of these pods is to provide more breeding grounds and shelters for the shrimps, so that the fishermen of Les village can harvest them from the pods. This increases the numbers of shrimp they can catch, while reducing the pressures of collecting them from the wider reefs.

The fishermen of Penuktukan, Tejakula and Yeh Biu are installing one meter-long artificial substrates onto areas of damaged reef. So far, over 30 artificial substrates have been placed in 3 to 5 meters depth near the three villages. Although corals will naturally settle and grow on these substrates, additional transplanted corals are being attached to each of the substrates in order to further accelerate the overall regrowth of coral cover.

Another initiative is to install “hexadomes”. Like the substrates, the hexadomes provide a large surface area on which corals and other organisms can settle and grow. They form a three-dimensional landscape on the previously bare reef flat, and immediately become refuges for large numbers of fish and other sea creatures. The substrates and domes will last for many years- long enough for the natural reef to become well- established once more. The fishermen’s groups in Penuktukan, Taman Sari and Yeh Biu have so far installed 22 hexadomes. These substrates already give visitors the opportunity to observe more than 20 species of reef fishes.

The fishermen’s group of Penuktukan plans to rehabilitate their damaged reefs with the purpose of increasing the total reef area. They would like to develop the reef as a community reef ecotourism area, on which visitors can dive and snorkel to enjoy the marine life. The fringing reefs of Penuktukan consist of channels and walls that are rich in hard corals, sponges and reef fishes. These undamaged reefs have been proposed by the community of Penuktukan as a Sanctuary zone or No-take area, in which no fishing or collection will be allowed to take place.

After years of watching their reefs destroyed, the fishermen’s groups of Buleleng district are now beginning to recognize the many benefits of reef rehabilitation. These include protection of the beach from storm surges, and a ready source of food- and ornamental fish, so the fishermen will no longer need to journey far from the village to catch fish. The submerged structures will also provide opportunities for tourists to come and snorkel there to view the marine life.

LINI hopes to be able to continue assisting the coastal communities of Buleleng, who sincerely want to make positive changes to the marine environment there. Together with the fishermen’s groups, LINI scientists have been monitoring and carefully recording the progress of reef rehabilitation and the return of fish in these villages, and so far, the indications are good that significant numbers and species of fish (which had previously disappeared) are now returning to these reefs.

LINI’s target is to add many more artificial reef structures for reef restoration along Bali’s north coast within the next 5 years. It hopes to be able to install at least 100 structures at each site, which will make a significant impact in restoring the reefs to their former splendor and functions.

If you are interested in helping LINI to support the fishermen’s efforts, please contact us, The cost of each a meter-long artificial substrates is US$ 20, More details about this opportunity to help are available at