Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world and lies at the centre of the so-called Coral Triangle. It stretches across the Pacific and Indian Oceans as well as the Asian and Australian continents. Indonesia consists of around 17,000 islands and has three times more sea than land area – 5.8 million square kilometres of sea and 1.9 million square kilometres of land. The marine biodiversity here is one of the richest in the world!

Although the ocean makes an important contribution to the food security, livelihoods and way of life of the local population and the income of around 90% of coastal communities depends on it, it faces major challenges: overfishing, destructive fishing, pollution and the effects of climate change.

We Do OCEAN is on the ground – in Bali, Indonesia! Originally from Germany, more than half of our board lives in the small fishing village of Padang Bai, on the east coast of Bali. This means that we are personally involved in all projects and can act accordingly. A key success factor in achieving the goals of our projects.

You always have the choice to do something or not. By rebuilding marine ecosystems here in Bali, we are NOT saving the planet or the oceans, but a part of it.

And NO, we are not changing the global CO2 emissions that are also destroying our oceans. But we can try to preserve and rebuild what will be destroyed in the not too distant future due to the global climate crisis: marine ecosystems and their biodiversity. Think of coral reefs as a world heritage site. We should do everything we can to protect, preserve and restore them. So that future generations can still experience this miracle.

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. ” R. Swan

This is a question that we are asked time and again and can be answered with the special geographical location of our site: the direct location of our reefs on the Wallace Line – a deep sea trench between Bali & Lombok.

The distance between the islands of Bali and Lombok is around 30 to 40 km …. but the trench is over 1,000 metres deep. Due to this deep trench, which is right on our doorstep, and the associated cold currents, we have the advantage here – compared to other areas – that the water temperature rises to a maximum of 28 degrees and is balanced between 21 and 27 degrees throughout the year. The feel-good temperature for corals lies exactly in this range (Source: worldoceanreview).

These currents also bring a lot of nutrients to the coast, so the place we have chosen to renaturalise a marine ecosystem is perfect!

Coral bleaching is not the primary problem here in Padang Bai due to the rise in water temperature, as it is in other parts of the world, including here in Indonesia! Our special geographical location has made it possible for us to reclaim a living ecosystem from an underwater desert landscape within five years. With the complete food chain from countless small reef dwellers to large predatory fish such as reef sharks, barracudas and dolphins!

No. Clear answer. Yes, coral reefs are carbon sinks, like the entire ocean itself. But is this really a question that should be discussed? We’d rather leave that to the politicians. It’s not about ‘cleansing our souls’ and regulating our own CO2 emissions. Rather, it’s about doing something now so that our cultural heritage, the OCEAN, still has a chance before it’s too late! Securing something for future generations and rebuilding what has been lost!

We are not having a ‘chicken and egg’ discussion. We do. You cannot reduce your own CO2 footprint with us.

But through your cooperation and your financial support, together we are making a contribution to the ocean that makes up our ‘blue planet’. With your help, you can ensure that the ocean, to which only a few people have access, is kept alive with its incredible biodiversity and receives the respect it deserves. After all, the ocean produces 71 per cent of the oxygen we need to breathe.

Get active. Do something good now for the ocean and future generations. In return, we will provide you with information about the growth of reef reforestation, the new marine ecosystems it creates, the increase in biodiversity and the improvement in the living conditions of coastal dwellers who depend on healthy marine life.

We Do OCEAN works together with the local community. Anything else would be wrong. Our aim is to create something that lasts for generations, that initiates a change in thinking and sustains it in the long term. This does not work by appearing to be a donor. It only works by creating awareness for the cause.

We Do OCEAN sees itself as an initiator and works to achieve a win-win situation for the future by integrating those responsible locally, involving the younger generation and creating jobs.