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Jerudong International School (JIS) Dive Club and Poni Divers successfully launched the JIS Reef Ball Programme, a marine conservation and education initiative involving artificial reefs and coral propagation activities. The Brunei Reef Ball Programme, a marine conservation initiative by Project LAUT Brunei (Looking After Underwater Treasures of Brunei) under Poni Foundation, aims to find sustainable, low-cost artificial reef designs and deployment methods for long-term coral reef and marine habitat restoration. Reef balls are specially engineered concrete balls built without any metal rebars, with special additives to make it coral friendly and can last up to 500 years in the sea. They are also designed to be homes for fish helping to rehabilitate fisheries stock and rebuild coral reefs and can also be used as an anti-trawling device, and for mangrove rehabilitation and coastal protection. The JIS Reef Ball Programme involved students from JIS learning to fabricate, plant coral and deploy reef balls from start to end. The programme first started with the Reef Ball Fabricator course on November 25 on campus at the JIS Outdoor Discovery Centre where students had hands-on experience making the reef balls with the youngest being eight-years-old. ![](https://media.everythingbrunei.com/public/iwf4lUZUSaW1w_3tEG6Cs-JP4-GWGVAh_JDJjUuXprb.jpeg) ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show participants during the programme. PHOTO: PONI DIVERS ![](https://media.everythingbrunei.com/public/hBGAACdARTxrvKsg7eP_r-lhDKfhYyGteC1u8_g3t3E.jpeg) PHOTO: PONI DIVERS ![](https://media.everythingbrunei.com/public/cEuipEnBUYirRdzpdVgq6-OVn4BO6d5DXzxR_3OkTUx.jpeg) PHOTO: PONI DIVERS ![](https://media.everythingbrunei.com/public/sYHN9NSr0CZNDoM5GDkfW-icXtB8W4wnv-wxt-lIN__.jpeg) PHOTO: PONI DIVERS ![](https://media.everythingbrunei.com/public/2XW6hlqwJ6aQ6SsevFKih-f5AZwwNCHQj4Pf5UOsfxY.jpeg) PHOTO: PONI DIVERS ![](https://media.everythingbrunei.com/public/_TeeQBLwN8oClVg0Qcrds-VZpAGBj3d89a3YzhfeVqX.jpeg) PHOTO: PONI DIVERS The first 10 reef balls made in the Sultanate at an educational institute were made with students naming their reef balls, learning about the science of coral growth and how to create the right concrete mix for pH neutral concrete for corals to propagate naturally on the reef balls. After the reef balls had cured, eight divers and two snorkelers from JIS participated in the first Reef Ball Discovery course by Poni Divers deploying nine of the 10 reef balls on December 9, with one reef ball remaining on display at the JIS campus. The JIS Dive Club and the JIS Reef Ball Programme aims to build its own JIS Reef with the support of its students and divers every year, growing the reef and planting corals on it, doing their part in protecting the underwater treasures and educating the future generation of ocean guardians. The students will get the opportunity to visit the reef and see the progress of the coral growth on their reef balls for generations to come and have a sense of ownership on a coral reef that they contributed to. The JIS Dive Club has been actively diving since 2013 and has certified over 200 youth divers. With a strong focus on having youth involved, the Project LAUT Brunei Initiative and the Brunei Reef Ball Programme hopes to inspire Bruneians to feel passionate about protecting their oceans and to see the beauty of Brunei’s marine life and reefs as well as actively participate in the protection of the local seas through their own actions. A student participant, Ayu, an aspiring doctor, said, “It was really fun and I would want to do it again. It was really straightforward and really easy to learn, I didn’t expect Brunei’s waters to be so clear.” United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The JIS Reef Ball Programme and the fabrication and deployment of reef balls and coral planting meets Target 14.2 – to protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems and Target 14.8 – to increase scientific knowledge, research and technology for ocean health. Poni Divers have deployed over 40 reef balls this year. They will deploy another 120 reef balls with their first reef ball corporate sponsor SC Tubular Solutions (B) Sdn Bhd and plant over 600 corals over the next six months with 120 local students. Their goal is to get over 1,000 reef balls in the sea by July 2025 with more support from the local community and sponsors.

Segala Brunei→banar banar semua ada bah!⤴︎

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Urang macam awda pun kan meliat ani bah! ⤵︎

Brunei Students Craft First Reef Ball for Marine Conservation

Brunei's Poni Divers Wins ASEAN Award for Marine Conservation

JIS Students Revitalize Brunei Reefs with Coral Planting

Brunei Students Build Reef Balls to Save Coral

SCTSB Sponsors Brunei Reef Ball School Programme

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