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Marine Program

Introduction
R.O.L.E. believes that abject poverty and environmental degradation are inextricably linked.

Over fishing, beachfront development, ever increasing waste discharge and upstream pollutants have placed marine resources, including tropical coral reefs, lagoons, and local fisheries in sharp environmental decline. The income derived, the food sourced and the protein and nutrition attained from these resources by most coastal communities have dried up or become insufficient.

Aim
To educate, re-skill and create alternate, eco-friendly marine business opportunities, enabling coastal communities to make a comfortable income, consequently taking pressure off natural  resources and reviving a healthy environment for future generations.  R.O.L.E. is supporting the U.N. Millennium Development Goals

    
The Program
This Marine program is focused on a balance of reef revival/regrowth and job/business development from ocean farming for coastal communities.

The program has three main areas; Reef Revival, Ocean Farming and Education

 

Reef Revival Program

Project Aims:
1. Water Testing
2. Coral Reef Nursery
3. Coral Reef Building
4. Marine Park Attainment and Monitoring

Introduction
Role is currently undertaking an extensive study and investigation of the Geger Beach/Sawangan beach, reef and fisheries area. We will achieve a comprehensive integrated survey, taking into account biological, ecological, socio-economical factors, assessing the impact of the rehabilitation activities.

Water Testing
ROLE is setting up a team whose mission is to monitor the seawater at key points of Southern Bali. The target is to:
• Test for pollutant levels, to check that Role Marine Programs are viable.
• Set-up an alert system for Ocean Farmers, Fishermen and the Tourism Industry. Alerts, if necessary, will be placed through the correct channels. The foundation does not want to upset the Tourism Industry or local community.

ROLE is endeavoring to raise funds to buy the following measurement equipments and build a facility needed to fulfill this task.

The YSI 556 Water Tester simultaneously measures dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, temperature, and ORP and is capable of measuring salinity. Housed in an IP-67, impact-resistant case, the meter offers an easy-to-read screen and can store over 49,000 data sets, time and date stamped.

Measurements are easy with field-replaceable DO electrode modules and easy-to-use, screw-on cap DO membranes.(USD$3,800)

Laboratory: A small facility will be needed to house the testing equipment and a computer to store data. (USD$9,500)

Coral Farming
• Locate, source and cut choice coral species. Keep cuttings submerged in seawater.
• Prepare between 5-10 underwater seedling tables made from steel.
• Attach the coral cuttings with special cement onto tables, being careful not to put the cuttings
under stress or expose them to the air.
• Clean the substrate area that will house the tables of any debris or algae.
• Monitor the growth and stability.
• Transplant to the reef globe or habitat upon maturity.

Coral Reef Building
Firstly, Role does not build new coral reefs from scratch. We revive, strengthen and secure existing reef systems.

Role’s Reef Sphere construction and placement system will give new coral a chance to strengthen and fish a place to hide and grow. It is merely an extension of the existing reef after careful study.
• Build a reef sphere construction facility at the Eco-Learning Center
• Use non-toxic materials for the Reef Sphere such as the local limestone.
• Prepare the area.
• Place Reef Spheres in the chosen area to a minimum depth of 2 meters on a low tide to a maximum
of 10 meters.

Marine Protected Area Attainment & Maintenance
ROLE Foundation is currently undertaking a comprehensive biological and socio-economic survey of the Geger and Nikko reef with a view to creating a Marine Protected Area.
• Habitat analysis.
• Write an in depth propos in collaboration with the existing hotels and eco-friendly businesses in the area.
• Adopt an integrated community based approach through mobilization of all local resource
users such as, Fishermen, Seaweed Farmers Association, Local Hotels, Community and
Government Departments.
• Provide educational workshops highlighting the benefits of MPAs.
• Obtain final approval through governmental departments.
• Secure maintenance and funding for the MPA.
• Establish maintenance and security team.
• Provide ongoing monitoring of reef biodiversity and fisheries.

Role hopes that through the creation of a Marine Protected Area the biodiversity of a small part of Nusa Dua will be maintained, and the fisheries given a chance to recover from the current levels of over exploitation. Furthermore, the Reserve will provide employment opportunities for local people and increase the potential for marine based tourism in the area.

 

Abalone Culture Program

Project Aims:
1. Provide alternative livelihoods for local resource users.
2. Create environmentally sustainable products for the jewellery trade.
3. Supply restaurants with eco-friendly local produce.

Introduction
Role Foundation’s Marine Biologist has identified abalone farming as an Eco-Friendly way to create jobs and develop business for fishermen no longer able to gain a reasonable income from their existing endeavors.
Abalone can be grown in intertidal areas, like the areas where seaweed is currently being farmed or in more difficult areas with strong currents and high wave action. It needs moving clear water, and will grow in a maximum depth of 5 meters.
The Geger Beach Seaweed Farmers have tried to cultivate and farm abalone in the past. They are in need of professional assistance. Role is currently undertaking a joint collaboration with them to develop the culturing and farming techniques. Role will also be ensuring the farming follows eco-friendly practices.
Abalone sells at a high price and can be a good return on investment of time worked. Eating abalone is considered a delicacy and a symbol of wealth. In most Asian countries it was traditionally reserved for weddings and special occasions, but recently, with commercial farming of abalone and the increase in availability of this once rare delicacy, consumption has increased significantly.

Some facts about the culturing of abalone :
• Brood stock conditioning, spawning and larval phase is uncomplicated and may be conducted all year round. Abalone has a high fecundity.
• Nursery phase is intensive but now well understood.
• Grow-out phase is achievable either on formulated feeds or on seaweed.
• Grow-out methods range from intensive land-based tank culture to sea-based barrel or cage culture and so are suited to a variety of situations.
• Short grow-out cycles of between 10 and 18 months.
• Low disease risk, though parasite infestation must be kept under check.
• Low environmental impact.
• The larvae feed on plankton. The adults are herbivores and feed on macroalgae, preferring red algae. Sizes vary from 20mm (Haliotis pulcherrima) to 200mm (or even more) (Haliotis rufescens).

Role is creating an abalone cage for use in a sea-based culture process. This method of abalone culture is less intensive than land based tank systems and can be run along side the existing seaweed as a form of polyculture. The abalone cage consists of a strong frame wrapped in fine net and then covered in bamboo strips. It needs to be durable as the area identified as suitable for abalone culture experiences fluctuating tides, strong currents, and high wave action. The cage is divided into three compartments where abalone can be separated into different stages of development. When fully mature the abalone will be collected and sold for food and to make jewellery providing additional income for the seaweed farmers.

Seaweed Farm Assistance and Processing

Seaweed farming is a successfully run enterprise and is one the main businesses and employers for the locals in Sawangan area. The seaweed farming season runs year round.
The seaweed is harvesting every 30 to 45 days. Each family or claim harvests on average 300 kg in the rainy season and up to 1,500 kgs in the dry season.
Income ranges from Rp.700.000 to Rp.3.000.000 per family claim, per month.
Most of the Seaweed Farmers are ex- fishermen and they and their families are hard workers. While their income at present is quite reasonable, there are many factors which leave the seaweed farmers insecure.
• Drying and preparation areas on the beach or land are owned and controlled by developers.
• Over population is pushing more people looking for work. The competition for seaweed farming claims is intense.
• Increasing pollution could become a major threat.

So Role plans to help the Seaweed farmers in 3 ways…………
1. Help secure preparation areas
2. Streamline process, marketing and transportation systems.
3. Help develop up stream products. Balinese have long used seaweed as a part of their diet.

Seaweed, served fresh is known as “bulung”. Today we see many seaweed based products
in the marketplace.
Some of these products are………..
• Iced seaweed gelatin,
• Seaweed syrup,
• Seaweed chips,
• Seaweed jam,
• Salty (pickle) seaweed,
• Seaweeds sweets,
• Jerked seaweed.
• Seaweed Cosmetics
• Seaweed Oils
Role will help develop some of these upstream products.

Shell and Abalone farming for Jewelry
This is designed to give eco-friendly jobs and take pressure of the natural resources and destruction of the reef currently taking place. The use of large volumes of coral and shell in jewelry is a major con¬tributing factor in the destruction of coral reefs throughout Asia.
There are many types of shells to be farmed for use in jewelry:
1. Pearl /oyster Pinctada Maxima/; /Pinctada /sp.
2. Top shells /Trochus /sp.
3. Abalone shells
4. Green or blue clam (/Mytilus Edulis/) .
5. Giant clam (/Tridacna/ spp.

Education, Jobs and Business Development

Project Aims:
1. Raise awareness of issues surrounding the marine environment.
2. Provide Marine Conservation education to schools.
3. Promote eco-tourism and sustainable development.

Introduction
The R.O.L.E marine education and marine eco-tourism programs are designed to raise awareness of issues surrounding the coastal environment together with promoting sustainable eco-tourism in Bali.

The marine environment and in particular coral reefs are under extreme pressure from natural and human impacts. Nowhere is this more evident than in Bali, where the island’s ecosystems struggle to cope with the ever-expanding tourism industry. As more of the coastline is transformed through development and numbers of visitors increase, the island’s resources are being place under further pressures and are being lost to the local communities who depend upon them for their survival. What’s more, if this trend continues the island will lose its appeal to the tourists and lead to a downturn in this major industry.
Role Foundation is currently in the process of building a Marine Education Station at its Eco-Learning Center facility. The Marine Education Station will house educational materials and information regarding all of Roles Marine Programs. In addition marine aquaria will display the rich biodiversity of marine life found around the reefs of Bali, providing an opportunity for children to interact and obtain a better understanding of marine fauna.

R.O.L.E is looking to directly address marine conservation issues through educational workshops for schools, businesses, local communities and the tourist sector. This will take place both at the Eco-Learning Center and at external locations and will feature a series of specially designed programs.
Subjects will include:
o Eco-tourism and sustainable development
o Coral reef biology
o Threats facing coral reefs
o Marine species identification
o Coastal resource management

Through raising awareness of the threats affecting the marine environment here in Bali and around the world, R.O.L.E hopes to try reverse coastal degradation and protect the island’s biodiversity for future generations.