Threats to Coral Reef in Manokwari waters

Manokwari city

As a tourist guide, I often organize snorkeling tours to coral reef areas around Manolwari city. I have run marine tours since 2010. So, I could see how the marine environments declines as the city is growing rapidly.
When the small town Manokwari was chosen by central government to become the capital of the newly formed Papua Barat Province, its population is growing rapidly. Government and businesses started to build office buildings and shops in every part of the town. As the result of the rapid growth of population and development, Manokwari city produces more trash and liquids that are harmful to the environment.

Coral Reef in Manokwari regency

From my personal observation, coral reef areas in the bay of Manokwari have declined to a worrying level. A lot of trash such as plastic bags, baby diaper,  empty bottles of mineral water and cooking oil, as well as cans of softdrinks cover the coral reef areas in Lemon, Mansinam, Pasir Putih as well as Raimuti.
Coral reefs outside the bay of Manokwari also face similar threat. The trash follows the sea current and then land on the remote beaches of the regency.
This phenomenon has to be stopped. City dwellers in Manokwari as well as other areas around the world have to stop using plastics. Regular beach clean up has to be carried out too. With more trashes are added to the streets and drainage channels and with the lack of trash management system in the city, I am afraid that we will lose our coral reef in the near future. written by Charles Roring
Also read:
Coral reef preservation in Dore bay
Snorkeling in the coral reef off the shore of Arfak mountains

Cargo ship and Marine Polution in Madura Strait of Surabaya port

The ship that we see in the following picture was in Port of Surabaya. The port is located in Madura strait. One of the busiest waters in Indonesia. Every day hundreds of cargo ships, passenger ships, tankers and bulk carrier arrive and leave port of Surabaya. As the second largest city in Indonesia with millions of city dwellers, Surabaya exports and imports various kinds of goods that are transported by the ships. Day by day, the number of ships that sail through the Madura strait is increasing. When I was on a boat in the middle of the strait several years ago, I saw that the color of the sea water was not clear blue anymore. The Madura strait has been heavily polluted by wastes from these ships and from the industrial and domestic wastes that flow to the strait both from Madura island and Surabaya. 

No wonder the quality of marine life in the strait is low. Efforts to clean the strait should be done to improve the water quality in the strait so that marine life can live in the area again. Also read:
Port of Tanjung Perak Surabaya,
Ship displacement and capacity limitation.