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North Sulawesi’s Bangka Island boasts breathtaking corals, like here at the Sahaung I dive site, but the reefs face the same challenges found elsewhere in tropical Asia
 

The waters surrounding Bangka Island are home to some of the world’s most extraordinary ecosystems. Here, in the heart of the Coral Triangle—where marine biodiversity is more concentrated than anywhere else on the planet—coral reefs represent much more than an underwater landscape: They protect coastlines, support local fisheries, and preserve unique biodiversity. But how much have they changed in recent years? And more importantly, how are they faring today?

To answer this question, an international team of marine scientists established CORAL–CARE—Coral Characterization & Assessment for Restoration Efforts—a research initiative that aims to assess the current health status of the coral reefs around Bangka Island and compare it with data collected in the same area approximately 10 years ago. The six-month project, carried out between February and August 2026, combines field monitoring, new technologies, experimental research, and strategies applied to reef conservation and restoration. Our research team is hosted at Coral Eye Resort, a unique boutique dive resort on Bangka Island that allows marine biologists like us to share our knowledge and findings directly with interested guests.

As three young Italian marine biologists, we’re excited to be involved in this effort to understand the health of Bangka’s reefs and develop knowledge for their future conservation. Our research is being carried out thanks to the support of Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona, Italy, in collaboration with local academic partner Sam Ratulangi University in Manado, the provincial capital of North Sulawesi. The project is supervised by Professor Cristina Gioia Di Camillo from Marche Polytechnic University.
 

Marine biologists Girolamo Papasidero (left) and Rosita Tonolini (right) gather data at a site near Bangka Island
 

How Have Bangka’s Reefs Changed?

We are visiting the same sites studied a decade ago (Ponti et al.), comparing the data collected in the past with what we observe today. This allows us to understand whether the coral reefs have stayed healthy, are showing signs of recovery, or are undergoing degradation processes linked to climate change, environmental pressures, or human activities.

Our days begin by preparing equipment, planning dives, and checking sampling instruments. Once at sea, we spend several hours underwater collecting data through monitoring transects and photoquadrats, techniques that allow for a standardized analysis of the coral reef’s composition. We photograph sections of the reef, measuring the live coral cover, classifying the genera present, observing any signs of bleaching, disease, predators, or damage, and assessing the habitat’s structural complexity.

Each dive produces hundreds of images and observations. But the work doesn’t end once we leave the water. Much of the research continues in front of the computer, analyzing the collected photographs with specialized software that transforms images and observations into quantitative data that can be statistically compared over time. This approach allows us to compare the reef today with that of a decade ago, identify real changes, and understand whether conservation, management, or restoration interventions are necessary.
 

Marine biologist Filippo Fistarol carefully photographs the reef in sections
 

At the same time, we use high-resolution photographs and video footage to create three-dimensional reconstructions of the reef, obtaining digital 3D models that allow us to study the reef’s structure with a level of detail difficult to achieve with traditional methods, allowing for year-over-year comparisons. Understanding how the physical complexity of a reef changes over time also means understanding how the biodiversity, resilience, and balance of the entire ecosystem change.

An important part of the project also involves the study of Drupella, a small gastropod that feeds directly on coral tissue. In several areas of the Indo-Pacific, this organism has reached densities that are contributing to the degradation of coral reefs, while in Bangka its presence does not yet pose an obvious threat. This makes the site particularly interesting, as we have the opportunity to study the sea snail’s behavior before any proliferation occurs.
 

Rosita Tonolini conducts research in Coral Eye Resort’s laboratory
 

Rosita Tonolini inspects a coral sample (left) through a microscope
 

The work on Drupella focuses on feeding rates, preferences for different coral genera, and the selection of corals in different states of health—healthy, damaged, or diseased. To observe these behaviors, we work both directly in the sea, using experimental systems installed underwater that allow us to monitor individuals in their natural environment, and under controlled conditions, in experimental aquaria, where we can analyze interactions and feeding dynamics in more detail.

Another component of the project involves the analysis of microplastics in marine sediments, one of the emerging stressors for tropical coastal ecosystems. Through diving and sampling, we collect sediments that are then analyzed to understand the quantity, type, and distribution of plastic particles.

The project also includes the development of experimental approaches related to coral resilience and the potential use of nurseries, with the aim of contributing to increasingly effective conservation and restoration strategies in the future.
 

Filippo Fistarol (left) and Rosita Tonolini (right) share their knowledge with Coral Eye guests
 

Resort guests get hands-on with the marine biologists’ instruments and samples

Research, Diving and Dissemination: Coral Eye’s Valuable Role

For field research of this kind, working closely with the local community is essential. Coral Eye Resort is much more than a simple base of operations. It’s the place where scientific research, diving, and outreach meet daily. In addition to providing logistical support for fieldwork and access to study sites, Coral Eye creates a space where research work can be shared directly with guests.

Three evenings a week, we host educational sessions open to resort guests, transforming complex scientific topics into interactive and accessible experiences. We discuss coral reef ecology, the biology of organisms observed during dives, the role of sponges in marine ecosystems, the senses of aquatic animals from sharks to hermit crabs, and other curiosities of the underwater world. During some sessions, we use live coral fragments that can be observed under a microscope, even under UV light, allowing guests to see up close structures and details often invisible during a normal dive. The goal is not just to explain what we do, but also to involve interested guests in the scientific process, showing how data is created, why it is collected, and how it can concretely contribute to the protection of marine ecosystems.

For us, appreciating a coral reef goes beyond just mean admiring it. It’s about learning to read the signs of its health, recognizing the pressures threatening it, and understanding what actions can contribute to its future conservation. And this is precisely where research and outreach meet: transforming knowledge into awareness, and awareness into protection.
 

Bangka has largely escaped the decline that has affected many parts of the Coral Triangle, but in order to maintain these pristine reefs, scientific research like CORAL–CARE, conducted at Coral Eye Resort, is more important than ever
 

Marine biologists Filippo Fistarol, Rosita Tonolini and Girolamo Papasidero are at Coral Eye Resort till August 2026, so if you have an interest in the CORAL–CARE project, make sure to book your visit. Inquire with the resort about other researchers’ upcoming visits.