Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta has partnered with Livingseas Asia to help protect and restore coral reefs in Bali. This is in line with the Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta’s FACE Program which aims to focus corporate social responsibility on four key points: Family Health, Advancing Education, Community & Environment Sustainability and Empowering Women.
In this new initiative called ‘Everything Starts from The Sea’ the hotel contributes to the recovery of coral reefs by supporting a coral planting project in Padang Bai, Bali supported by hotel colleagues who are keen divers. This project will be guided by a professional team from Livingseas Asia which has over 10 years of experience in conservation. Livingseas believes that there are two keys to reducing the stresses on coral reefs, better diver education and increasing coral planting activities.
Oceans are the primary source of oxygen for the planet, responsible for 70% of all the oxygen we breathe. Hence, Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta is convinced that no matter how far mankind lives from the seas, it is still important to protect them. More than 62% of the Indonesian archipelago consists of oceans, and nearly 70% of the world is ocean as well.
“The earth’s oceans contain a wide variety of life, but all of them have some roots in the coral reefs. Imagine a forest without trees, and all you’ll have is bare land without other life,” said Leon Boey, founder of Livingseas Asia.
Coral reefs also play an important role in marine life, and the importance of coral ecosystems cannot be stressed ever more. They are a source of food for millions, they protect coastlines from storms and erosion, and provide habitat, spawning and nursery grounds for economically important fish species. This ecosystem can provide jobs and income to local economies as well, from fishing, recreation, and tourism
“We are proud to collaborate with Livingseas Asia on this coral reef planting project and we hope that this initiative can help to save and protect the Bali coral reefs for generations to come.” said Carina Tan, Director of Commerce of Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta.
Caring for the environment is a core value of Livingseas as they run regular conservation projects to preserve the marine environment. With the coral planting project, divers are given the opportunity to set up reef stars made from metal on the seabed. Livingseas also provides the opportunity for those who care for the ocean to adopt a star reef through their website where the structure will be planted on their behalf and they will be given regular updates on the growth of the reef which are home to the ocean’s most diverse fish and coral resources.
