Up to 30.4 percent of Indonesia’s coral reefs have suffered damage, negatively impacting the marine ecology and the environment, according to the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Programme (COREMAP) of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

Head of LIPI’s Research Centre for Oceanography Zainal Arifin said his team conducted observation projects in the eastern, central and western districts of Indonesia.

He attributed the situation to impacts by natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis as well as human interference.

Meanwhile, a COREMAP member highlighted the necessity of education, particularly in coastal communities, to increase public awareness of the issue.-VAN