Kategorie: News
A Conversation with Jaka Fadli about Corals, Children and Dive Guides
During our trip to Raja Ampat (link to the travelogue), we came across a charity: the SEA Centre, which is part of the Papua Explorers.
And no… this isn’t about the dive centre. In this case, SEA doesn’t stand for ‘sea’, but for Science, Education and Awareness.
It’s certainly fascinating, which is why we jumped at the chance to speak to Jaka Fadli, the researcher on site. We also went on a dive with him to replant corals.
The SEA Centre works in three areas: research, education and environmental awareness. Its staff collect sighting data on large marine animals, count and assess the corals on the house reef, teach children from the neighbouring village and train young people from the region to become dive guides free of charge. Added to this is the replanting of corals. In our conversation, Jaka Fadli told us what this looks like in day-to-day life.
TN (Jan Finsterbusch): Hello Jaka, we were quite surprised to hear about the SEA Centre project, and naturally we wanted to find out more about it. Please could you describe what you do here? What does ‘research’ entail, and what exactly are you researching?
Jaka: Our organisation is essentially built on three pillars, which you’ve already mentioned. Research encompasses various projects; some have been running for a while, whilst others are only just getting started. For years we have run the large-animal project. Our staff have long been asking divers which animals (sharks, turtles, rays and other large creatures) they have seen at which dive sites. We have collected the data and will analyse it soon. We hope to identify trends in the process.
TN: That sounds interesting; we’d naturally be interested in the data analysis. What else are you doing?
Jaka: Once we have reliable results, we’ll be happy to send you the analyses. We’re just starting to compare water temperature and water quality. This has been done for some time at other sites in Raja Ampat, and the trends are cause for concern, particularly in light of rising tourism and the lack of infrastructure. We also regularly measure and count coral populations and assess their condition in specific areas of the house reef.
TN: I imagine that’s quite labour-intensive. How does it work?
Jaka: We lay out a measuring tape at the same spots every time, and then it’s really a matter of identifying species, counting them and assessing how healthy the organisms are.
TN: OK! Data collection in science is rarely exciting, but it always seems to be time-consuming. What can you tell us about education?
Jaka: We have a wide variety of projects in this area too. We have always worked with the neighbouring village. Because the school there doesn’t have an English teacher, we try to make up for that. We also invite the children to Sunday school. There we teach them a lot about nature; sometimes we go snorkelling with them and explain how living creatures coexist.
The Papua Explorers have also been training locals to become dive guides right from the start. We’ve now brought this together in the SEA Centre’s Dive Guide Programme. Here, young people from the local area are trained up to Rescue Diver level. Being a dive guide is a sought-after job in Indonesia, which is why we select candidates very carefully.
TN: Do the trainees have to pay for this?
Jaka: No, the training is free of charge. After completing the course, some are taken on by the Papua Explorers. However, they are free to take a job elsewhere or to work at their parents’ homestay. This year, for the first time, our Dive Guide Programme consists entirely of women.
TN: Interesting! Have all the trainees made it so far?
Jaka: Yes, although some no longer work in the diving sector after their training.
TN: Let’s talk about environmental awareness. We’ve already experienced part of this today when we replanted corals. It was fascinating to see the work behind it in detail. Would you mind explaining the process again?
Jaka: Of course! The work essentially involves three steps. First, we collect broken pieces of coral that are still alive. As we sort through them, we cut off the dead parts so that only healthy colonies remain in the end. Then we clean the structures. Many organisms that have already settled on them threaten the colony’s survival, so we have to remove them. Finally, we transplant the healthy coral onto the structure. Unfortunately, we have to use cable ties for this, as they’re the only thing strong enough to permanently attach the coral to the structure until the colony has taken root.
TN: We’ve seen just how much detailed work this involves. What else is involved in raising environmental awareness?
Jaka: Alongside these projects, where we train divers, a major focus is on teaching local residents about the importance of nature. Many locals, for example, think that corals are stones. Bringing about this change in awareness isn’t easy.
TN: We can understand that, and ultimately the Sunday school also serves to raise this awareness. How do you fund your work?
Jaka: At the moment, we’re essentially funded by the Papua Explorers. However, part of our work – specifically the dive guide school and the patrols – is also supported by our partner, the Blue Marine Foundation. Some guests donate directly to us, too. These are mostly donations in kind, which help us with training and education. We’re grateful for this, and such support is always welcome.
TN: Jaka, thank you very much for the interview. We’ve been delighted to report on a charitable project and to showcase your work here.
Jaka: Thank you for giving us the opportunity to present the projects here.
Further information:
Raja Ampat SEA Centre
Papua Explorers
Blue Marine Foundation: Raja Ampat
Travel report: Raja Ampat