Blue Corner Marine Research Scholarships are offered each year to several Indonesian university students - as part of our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals - SDG 14: Life Below Water & SDG 5: Gender Equality.

The program provides a two month internship for students to work together with our professional marine biologists and to train as coral restoration practitioners. During their time at Blue Corner the students conduct an independant research project.

Scholarship Student:

Komang Vidyani

🎓 Marine Science Fresh Graduate | Diponegoro University, Semarang

Research Project:

“Abundance and Density of Drupella sp. on Coral Reefs in the Waters of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida”

Research Summary:

This study focuses on observing the abundance and density of Drupella sp., a coral-eating gastropod that can cause severe damage to coral reefs. A rapid population increase of Drupella can disrupt the balance of marine ecosystems and lead to coral mortality.

Several factors can trigger this condition, such as the loss of natural predators, nutrient enrichment (eutrophication), and increasing human activities like tourism, overfishing, and climate change.

Observations were carried out using the Benthos Belt Transect method along a 70-meter transect with a 1–2.5 meter width on each side. The aim is to determine the presence and density of Drupella sp. and to identify whether the current population has reached an outbreak condition that could threaten coral reef health in Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida.

Future Goals:

Inspired by this opportunity through the Research Student Scholarship with Blue Corner Conservation, I aspire to become part of a coral reef ecosystem protection team — contributing to marine restoration, promoting sustainable ocean practices, and inspiring others to take action for our blue planet. 🌊