Teluk Pelabuhan Island Rubiah reefs condition, coral community at 3 m depth in fall down position.

December 2004 earthquake and ensuing tsunami found extensive coral damage in Pulau Weh, Aceh. However, subsequent marine surveys conducted by the University of Syiah Kuala and observations by local dive operators have found that the subsequent and insidious effects of sedimentation have actually resulted in much greater coral destruction than previously estimated.

Teluk Pelabuhan Island Rubiah reefs condition, a hard corals colony.

Furthermore, the decline in coral ecosystems has had detrimental effects on local livelihoods, predominantly derived from nature tourism and fishing, which was not been considered in assessments of the disaster impact in Weh Island. After the tsunami, a local NGO, Aceh Coral Conservation, mobilized the local Iboih community to clean up the coral ecosystem by removing all rubbish (a threat to coral) on the shoreline and in the sea.

Since the tsunami, the Iboih community has expressed a willingness and desire to better manage their coral ecosystems, but state that they lack the capacity to do so. In response, this project concept has been developed through wide consultation with the main stakeholders to implement a locally managed coral biodiversity conservation initiative that targets the main threats facing corals in Iboih.