The Bridging Reefs project aims to establish a structured cooperation and exchange program between the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA) at the University of Bologna and the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science at Sam Ratulangi University (UNSRAT), Indonesia, focused on the comparative study and practical implementation of coastal marine habitat restoration strategies concerning tropical (e.g., coral & oyster) and temperate (e.g., oysters and sabellaria) biogenic reefs.

The initiative addresses the urgent need for interdisciplinary, cross-regional training in ecosystem restoration while fostering international academic cooperation and student mobility.

At Coral Eye Marine Outpost, Prof. Michiels leads an ambitious, long-term project to document all coastal fish species around Bangka Island, as well as nearby regions such as Lembeh, Bunaken, Siladen, and Biaro.

Molly Blyth, a postgraduate researcher from the University of Plymouth, investigates how and why soft coral–dominated reefs emerge, and what their rise means for the future of reef conservation and restoration.

Workshop

Reef Check Italia and Coral Eye organise an international field course on coral reefs monitoring approaches opened to both marine biology students and diver volunteers from around the world. The course, taught in English, aims to:

• provide the basic knowledge for the identification of hard corals and their diseases

• present an overview of the well-established coral reefs monitoring approaches

• learn and apply different methods underwater, including Reef Check and Coral Watch protocols

• contribute to the monitoring and conservation of the coral reefs at the Bangka outpost

Lectures and seminars will be alternated with day and night dives, as well as practical sessions. At the end of the course, it is expected that the participants demonstrate what they learned and discuss the results achieved. Participants will obtain the international tropical EcoDiver certification issued by the Reef Check Foundation.

Lara Flachsbart, Celine Kolling, and Levin Balci are here to conduct research on our House Reef, combining their efforts to analyze biodiversity, habitat quality, and cleaning mutualisms within the reef ecosystem.