Coral Day
Guest-post by Alessandra Polo:
Bangka Island, North of Sulawesi, sits along the indo-pacific 'Coral Triangle', second only to the Amazon rain forest in biodiversity. This is what makes me, part of a ReefCheck expedition, and thousands of other divers come here in the first place. People who inhabit these rather pristine coral reef islands, though, don't know what they have. And it's from here that action starts, Coral Day begins! On this big event, organized 2-3 times a year, owners of local resorts, environmentalist NGOs, and school children are brought together for one main aim: raise awareness on the need to preserve such unique ecosystem. Popular practices, in fact, like blast fishing, not only overkill fish population indiscriminately but also destroy the coral structure that lays beneath, which is home to thousands of different species that build up the trophic chain. It is thanks to the uprising of such local organizations that the illegal mining of iron ores on Bangka Island by means of a Chinese company was recently suspended in 2016.
Well, but how was it then?!...the impact was overwhelming! Children that sing and dance in front of a huge coral-shaped heart saying "no coral - no life". Water is served in bamboo cups, reminding people of the need to stop disposable plastic waste. Finding myself suddenly in the middle of it, all by chance, without knowing what I was going to experience, made me feel thrilled and at the same time blessed. Bring the noise Bangka!
