Fishing Gear and Coral Disease in Bali, Indonesia
In collaboration with MERO Foundation and Diponegoro University | SENTAN-Q Project
Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is one of the most pervasive and damaging forms of marine plastic pollution. Beyond direct physical damage to coral reefs — including smothering, fragmentation, and tissue abrasion — fishing nets and lines act as vectors for microbial colonization, introducing dense and diverse communities of microorganisms into reef environments. These microbial communities can destabilize the coral microbiome, triggering infection and disease, with potentially devastating consequences for reef ecosystems.
This project, led by Dr. María Belén Alfonso in the framework of the SENTAN-Q program (Kyushu University), investigates the role of discarded fishing nets as vectors for coral disease-causing pathogens in the biodiverse waters of Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia. In collaboration with the MERO Foundation and Diponegoro University, the study monitors the rate and diversity of microbial colonization on two common fishing net polymer types — nylon and HDPE — and identifies whether known coral pathogens, such as Vibrio bacteria, are among the colonizers.
Sterilized net sections are deployed at two reef sites at 10m depth, with samples collected at two, four, and eight weeks post-deployment. Microbial communities are characterized through 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform, followed by bioinformatic analysis using QIIME2 and phyloseq.
This research represents the first study of its kind in Indonesia and the wider Southeast Asian region, providing a critical baseline for understanding how ALDFG contributes to coral disease dynamics in tropical reef systems. Results will inform conservation strategies and policy frameworks aimed at reducing the impact of marine debris on coral ecosystems and supporting sustainable fishing practices in the region.
Project timeline: 2025–2026
Stay tuned to see the projects results!
