Brunei Sets New Coral Planting Record During Ocean Week’s ‘Big Blue Hope’ Initiative

Ocean Week Brunei marked another milestone in marine conservation with the second edition of “Big Blue Hope – Planting Corals, Building Reefs,” breaking the national record for the most corals planted in a single day. The initiative continues to unite volunteers from the diving community, private sector, youth networks, and government agencies in a shared commitment to marine restoration and sustainability, reinforcing Brunei’s leadership in ocean conservation.

On 12th June 2025, a fleet of nine boats from the Department of Fisheries (DOF), Brunei Fire and Rescue Department, and Poni Divers departed from the DOF Jetty in Serasa for a large-scale coral planting mission at Pelong Rocks. With a total of 67 participants, including 32 divers and 18 snorkelers, the event successfully facilitated the planting of 310 corals, surpassing last year’s record of 210.

Their Royal Highnesses Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, a certified Rescue Diver, and YTM PA Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah, a certified Junior Rescue Diver, both actively took part in the coral planting and the dive, planting several corals each—underscoring national support for marine conservation.

Also present was His Excellency Michael Hoy, Australian High Commissioner, representing one of the event’s main sponsors, who learned to plant coral—a meaningful gesture that reflected both his support and enthusiasm for local marine conservation efforts.

Diving, snorkelling and coral planting teams representing a wide range of organisations participated, including the Department of Fisheries, Brunei Fire and Rescue Department, Marine Police, Wawasan Department at the Prime Minister’s Office, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Reef Check Brunei, Borneo Futures, KARE, and one of Ocean Week Brunei’s sponsors, Armada Properties.

This year’s event also welcomed international guests Nick LaValle and Zac McMillan from Clean Valley CIC (Canada), and Dr. Sol Milne from ARRI (UK), who also took part as invited speakers from the recently concluded Ocean Week Brunei Ocean Sustainability Conference and MPRT’s Forest to Reef Conference. Also present at the opening were Tuan Haji Mohammad Yusree bin Haji Junaidi, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, representatives from the Brunei Climate Change Office (BCCO), and corporate sponsor Brunei Shell Marketing (BSM), showing continued support for national climate and conservation efforts.

Mohd Tahsin Wong Abdullah, CEO of Poni Divers and Founder of Poni Foundation, reflected on the achievement by saying: “This event is about action and collaboration. Breaking our own record is a testament to the collective spirit of Brunei. We want our youths and local communities to be directly involved in meaningful ocean conservation work and gain the skills to drive future impact.”

The day began with a welcome speech, a short introduction to coral ecology, and a coral planting demonstration. Teams then headed to the site at Pelong Rocks, where corals were attached to coral plugs onboard, then transported underwater and planted onto reef balls using tried-and-tested methods that prioritise coral health and survivability. A total of 54 reef balls—50 Oyster Reef Balls and four Lo-Pro Reef Balls—were used as a substrate for the coral planting efforts, further developing local artificial reef and fisheries rehabilitation projects for the fishing community, with the intention of helping to increase fish stock in the near future.

From Big Blue Hope, participants gained practical conservation experience while also contributing to national awareness and ocean action efforts. The Big Blue Hope initiative aims to continue to be a central feature of Ocean Week Brunei, highlighting Brunei Darussalam’s whole-of-nation commitment to protecting its marine ecosystems and investing in its ocean future. This event was organised by Poni Divers and Poni Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, and sponsored by Baiduri Bank, the Australian High Commission, Brunei Gas Carriers, Brunei Shell Petroleum, Brunei Shell Marketing, Brunei LNG, Armada Properties, Takaful Brunei, BIBD Bank, and our media partners Borneo Bulletin, Media Permata, Kristal Media, RTB, Mix Media, and education partners Universiti Brunei Darussalam and International School Brunei, as well as HSE partner Kare Clinic.

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