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From Bubbles to Breakthroughs: How Guest Donations Build Future Reef Guardians

From Bubbles to Breakthroughs: How Guest Donations Build Future Reef Guardians

Every guest who visits Indo Coral Conservation or 3W Dive leaves a mark, not just in the water, but on the future. Whether through dive training, snorkeling education, or direct donations, their support helps fund some of our most meaningful youth and internship programs right here on Gili Air.

📚 Weekly Coral Education for 5th Graders

Every Friday afternoon, a group of energetic 5th grade students arrives at our center, eager to learn. Thanks to guest donations, we’re able to host these free weekly classes focused on marine ecosystems, civic and health instructions, as well as awareness of waste and plastic pollution.

  • 👩‍🏫 Led by our local marine biologists
  • 🎨 Includes creative presentation with interactive quiz
  • 🐠 Ends with a safe snorkel session to reinforce classroom learning

Many of these children have never learned about the reef that surrounds their island. Our goal: create pride in local marine habitats and empower them to be protectors of their home waters.

🎓 Marine science students Internships from the university of Matram in Lombok Twice a Year

Every year, we run two full-time, 12-week internship programs for eight university students (4 per session). These internships are open to young Indonesians studying marine biology in their third year. Indo Coral Conservation will teach and train students on how to carry out field activities related to coral restoration, coral farming, reef monitoring, and data collection.

Guest donations help cover:

  • 📖 Housing and meals for interns
  • 📋 Curriculum materials including coral restoration manuals
  • 🚌 Field trips to nearby reefs and coral farm

Interns take part in coral planting, monitoring nursery sites and presenting weekly reef reports to our staff. It’s a hands-on mentorship journey that builds future conservation leaders.

🌍 Why It Matters

Gili Air is surrounded by reef beauty, but it’s also affected by reef degradation and climate pressure. By supporting education locally, we create sustainable guardianship for generations to come.

When guests choose to donate, they’re helping us create:

  • 🌱 A pipeline of passionate ocean stewards
  • 🏫 Free, accessible marine education for kids
  • 🎓 Career pathways for university students who want to make change

🙌 How You Can Support

Every fin kick, every breath, every donation builds something lasting. From classroom reefs to underwater nurseries, our guests help us turn education into action.

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What is BRUV – Baited Remote Underwater Video method?

A camera is placed on the seafloor with bait positioned in front. It records fish that come to investigate over a set time. Footage is reviewed later to identify species and behavior. It’s a passive method like setting a camera trap for marine life.

In short: BRUV = film fish attracted to bait, then analyze the video later.

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What is UVC – Underwater Visual Census method?

Divers swim along a transect line and visually record all fish seen within a defined area. They note species, size, and numbers during the dive. It’s a live fish count. Like taking attendance in a moving classroom.

In short: UVC = spot and count fish by eye while swimming the transect.

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What is Belt Transect method?

A measuring tape is laid out along the reef. In our case divers count all visible invertebrates (e.g. sea cucumbers, starfish) within a set belt width usually 1 or 2 meters. They record species and numbers while swimming slowly along the line. It’s a wide-area visual count like sweeping a corridor for invertebrates.

In short: Belt = count all invertebrates within a set zone along the tape.

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What is 3D Coral Monitoring method?

Divers take multiple photos of coral structures from different angles. Photos are processed using software to build a 3D model of the coral. This model shows shape, size, and changes over time. It’s like creating a digital twin of the coral to track its growth.

In short: 3D = capture coral from all sides, then build a model to monitor changes.

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What is UPT – Underwater Photo Transect method?

A measuring tape is also laid out along the reef. Instead of recording points manually, divers take overlapping photos along the line. These images are later analyzed on a computer to assess coverage and species. It’s a visual capture method like scanning the reef with a camera for later analysis.

In short: UPT = record the whole transect with photos, then analyze later.

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What is PIT – Point Intercept Transect method?

A measuring tape is laid out along the reef. Divers record what’s directly under specific points at fixed intervals (e.g. every 10 cm). It’s a manual, visual sampling method. Like checking what’s beneath each tick mark on a ruler. Data is written down underwater, point by point.

In short: PIT = record what’s under each point by eye, underwater.