Valentina Serrazanetti – Senior Instructor
The past quarter at the Bira Project has been full of growth, teamwork, and shared moments that remind us why this place feels so special.
We proudly graduated 11 interns, each leaving a unique mark on our little community. Marcos from Spain brought endless laughter and passion, always up before sunrise doing breath work—we miss his energy dearly. Linnea from Denmark arrived straight from the navy and quickly proved herself an absolute legend. Ben from Australia shared his deep love for nature and the ocean, always with a smile. Klara from Germany stood out for her sassy, powerful presence, while Rosie from the UK completed her journey to become a fantastic Dive Master and is now continuing her travels (though she’s still visiting us as a guest). Katie, sweet, kind, and incredibly hardworking, is already setting her sights on becoming an instructor. And alongside them were many more inspiring individuals who made this quarter unforgettable.
On the professional training side, the Bira Project delivered an impressive 59 Dive Master Development Workshops. Watching these divers grow in confidence, leadership, and care for others has been one of the most rewarding parts of the season.
Ecology remained at the heart of our work. We ran 52 ecology workshops and certified 19 divers into our amazing survey team, strengthening both our research capacity and our conservation impact.
Above all, the Bira Project continues to be a warm, close-knit family. Between lessons, work, shared meals, and fun evenings together, we make communal living something truly special—and this quarter has been a perfect reflection of that spirit.
Our commitment to the environment extended beyond the water. During a single beach clean-up, we collected an incredible 400 kg of plastic in less than two hours. Thanks to the combined efforts of the IOP, Blue Planet, and local teams, our beautiful beaches are cleaner and healthier.
We also began visiting Dego Dego School in Bira, working with children aged 9 to 12. Through lessons on marine ecology, we’re helping the next generation understand the importance of the ocean and their role in protecting it.
Kert-Kaspar Karema – Project Instructor
This quarter at the Bira Project has been a great example of how much of project life happens both in and out of the water. While the day-to-day routine keeps everyone busy, it’s often the moments in between that really shape the intern experience.
Intern Life Highlights
During their days off, our interns have been making the most of everything Bira and the surrounding area has to offer. Many have been busy exploring nearby beaches and small towns, with Bulukumba quickly becoming a favorite destination. A trip there usually means good coffee and the chance to find products that aren’t always available in a small town like Bira.
Closer to home, it’s also been popular to spend days off doing very little at all — lying on the beach just down the stairs, snorkeling, and enjoying the simple luxury of having a beautiful reef right on our doorstep. It’s hard to complain about that kind of day off.
The biggest highlight of the quarter was without a doubt Christmas. The Bira Project took a three-day Christmas break, which we celebrated with a big potluck lunch. This was also the perfect opportunity to properly test out our new pizza oven and barbecue area. The entire dive center was full of Christmas spirit, with interns, Indo Ocean Project staff, Blue Planet staff, and guests all pitching in to cook something — whether it was a local specialty from home or simply a favorite comfort dish.
After a long and happy shared meal, the celebrations continued with a Christmas gift giving (and stealing!) game. It was a great way to bring everyone together and really captured the family atmosphere that makes the Bira Project special.
Interns’ Future Plans
At the moment, most interns are still figuring out what comes next for them, and that’s completely okay. Recently, however, there has been some excitement around the idea of becoming dive instructors, with a few interns starting to seriously consider taking that step. It’s no surprise — diving professionally can be incredibly rewarding.
From past experience, we also know that sometimes having no fixed plan is actually the best plan. The project continues to be a place where people can explore their interests, gain confidence, and let future opportunities unfold naturally.
Sudar – Marine Biologist and Project Instructor
The seasons have officially shifted, and with that change, we have moved our operations back to the East side. Returning to this side of the island has been seamless, providing the perfect environment to maintain our momentum as we close out the year.
This quarter also allowed us to push our scientific boundaries. Through our research fellowship, we were included in a one-time eDNA (environmental DNA) sampling project, adding a sophisticated layer to our data collection. A huge thank you to my dedicated interns and our research fellows; their hard work has been a massive asset in reaching these year-end milestones.
Achieving the “Golden Goal” of Coral Restoration
This quarter brought a moment of profound success for our restoration efforts. In October and November, we witnessed a historic event: the first-ever recorded coral spawning in Bira. Even more excitingly, we discovered that the corals at our specific restoration site were spawning! This is widely considered the “Golden Goal” of coral restoration. It proves that our transplanted corals are not just surviving, but are healthy and mature enough to contribute to the natural reproduction and recruitment of the wider reef ecosystem. Seeing our “spider frames” release gametes into the water column is the ultimate validation of our hard work.
Planting on Land: Mangrove Efforts
We are keeping up the pace with our land-based work. We held two successful mangrove planting days, adding 203 new baby mangroves (Rhizophora sp.) to the site this quarter. The nursery is thriving; we have another 200 baby mangroves currently growing. By collecting propagules before they are swept away by the tide, we give them the best possible start. These should be ready for outplanting in approximately three months.
Year-End Success: Roving Surveys & New Sightings
Our dive team has been operating at a high level to ensure all data collection for the year was finalized. We have officially hit our roving survey targets, and being back on the East side has brought some fantastic sightings:
Mega-fauna: Consistent encounters with Whitetip Reef Sharks (Triaenodon obesus), Grey Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), and Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus), along with Spotted Eagle Rays (Aetobatus narinari), Marbled Rays (Taeniurops meyeni), Mangrove Whiprays (Urogymnus granulatus), Bluespotted Stingrays (Neotrygon kuhlii), and Blue Spotted Ribbontail Rays (Taeniura lymma).
The move to the East side means I get to encounter more Nudibranchs (Order: Nudibranchia)—my absolute favorite! The diversity and vibrant colors of these sea slugs on the East side reefs have made every survey a personal joy.
Another major highlight was spotting a Brown Marbled Grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) right here on the East side! I usually only find them at Kambing Island, so seeing one in this area for the first time was an incredible surprise and a great sign of the site’s health.
Annual Targets Met: Benthic & BRUV
I am thrilled to report that we have officially finished our benthic survey and BRUV deployment targets for the year!
Benthic Monitoring: These surveys were essential for tracking the health of the substrate. The conditions on the East side have been very favorable, allowing the team to focus on their technical skills and buoyancy while capturing high-quality data.
BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video): We completed our final 9 deployments, hitting our 2025 goal. The currents on the East side were not that challenging, which allowed for very smooth deployments and clear, steady footage. We spotted Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), reef sharks, and schools of large Trevally.
Special Science Feature: eDNA Sampling
As a unique highlight this quarter, we participated in eDNA sampling through the research fellowship. This was a special one-time scientific effort rather than part of our regular monitoring. By collecting and analyzing water samples for genetic material, we were able to record a “genetic snapshot” of the species present in the area, helping us identify elusive or shy species that we might not always see during visual dives.
Coral Restoration and Maintenance
In addition to the spawning success, we are constantly innovating our methods. This quarter, we dropped a new model of coral nursery structure at our site. This new design is intended to improve the efficiency of our nursery phase before we transplant corals to permanent structures; in total, we have 3 rope nurseries with 310 total fragments.
We also added 120 coral fragments to our “spider frames” this quarter. We now have 38 spider structures and 3 tables, with a total of 1,130 coral fragments growing on permanent structures. Weekly maintenance remains our top priority, clearing competitive algae and removing predators like Drupella snails (Drupella sp.) to ensure our restored reef continues to thrive.
Yuly Vernilianty-Senior Research Assistant
CoralWatch
From October to December 2025, we conducted six CoralWatch dives to monitor coral bleaching and coral diseases at Blue Planet House Reef. We always monitor the same coral colonies, and we observed that the corals developed diseases. The branching corals were partially dead and covered with algae, particularly Isopora sp. and Acropora sp.
Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution is an ongoing issue, as plastic can be found every single day. The difference lies in how we minimise our plastic consumption. The Indo Ocean Project site in Bira, South Sulawesi, conducts beach clean-ups twice a month at Blue Planet Beach. On 13 December 2025, we held a large clean-up event at Marumasa Beach. Over the past three months, we collected a total of 546 kg of waste.
We also conduct Dive Against Debris activities at Blue Planet House Reef and Bira Harbour Reef to remove plastic waste such as fishing lines, ropes, and fishing nets that become entangled in corals and pose a threat to reef ecosystems. After each dive, we report the collected waste data to the PADI Aware Foundation. Since October, we have removed 58.37 kg of waste underwater. Even when it is not an official Dive Against Debris activity, we always remove any debris we encounter during our dives.
Much of the plastic waste that washes ashore is due to shifting ocean currents between the West and East monsoon seasons. The most common items found include plastic bottles, straws, cups, and styrofoam. In addition to plastic, we have also found significant amounts of glass, shoes, and clothing. Bira is a remote area with no plastic recycling facilities; therefore, all collected debris ends up in landfill.
School Visit
School visits to Tanjung Bira Kindergarten and Dego-dego are always fun and educational. The children learn many things, such as English and marine life, while Indo Ocean Project volunteers also have the opportunity to learn Bahasa Indonesia and about the history of the traditional Phinisi boat. It is truly an amazing experience.
It’s so important to teach kids about marine ecosystems early on, they’re the ones who will carry forward the conservation message.
Want to join the team?
We are always seeking hard working and enthusiastic ocean lovers to join our award-winning and innovative divemaster and research diver internship. Contact us and apply online today!
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