MISSION: “To promote conservation efforts through education and research while collecting abundance data within the zones of the Gili Matra Marine Recreational reserve, to assess the health of the environment and act to enhance marine protection and health where necessary.”
HQ: Gili Air, Lombok, Indonesia
YEAR STARTED: 2015
CONNECT: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
PROJECT: A small grassroots organization that strives to dream big, Gili Shark Conservation’s programs go beyond conserving their namesake fish.

In 1993, the Gili Islands became home to what’s now a well-traveled marine protected area, the Gili Matra Marine Recreational Reserve. However, 26 years after its creation, there has been little monitoring or re-assessment of the area’s health — even with recent tourism booms.

After years of spotting juvenile white and blacktip reef sharks year-round within different zones of the MPA, the founders of Gili Shark Conservation concluded them to be nurseries for these near-threatened species and, thus, critical habitats to protect.

The Gili Shark Conservation team set out to collect behavior and movement data on key species within the reserve, sending reports to officials to help them to re-assess the MPA and enforce change where necessary, says Zara Ellis, Dive Operations Manager at Gili Shark Conservation.

To make sure their data is comprehensive, Gili Shark Conservation uses a wide variety of survey methods, from carrying out roving survey dives across the MPA to taking time-lapse and drone footage to having remote underwater vehicles capture behavioral patterns without the impact of divers and boats. These methods are each carried out several times per week.

They also catalog individual sea turtles and reef sharks using non-invasive photo ID methods. The team photographs any sharks or turtles they encounter on dives, then uses software to pick up identifiable patterns in the photos. This allows Gili Shark Conservation to create a profile for each animal, tracking behavior and movement through the MPA.

Currently, they’re working to start up a coral restoration project with The International Seakeepers Society and Oceans 5 Dive Resort. This is an extension of their Coral Health Index program, which determines coral coverage percentages across zones in the MPA.

Along with monitoring MPA, Gili Shark Conservation takes a community approach to reduce pollution, getting islanders involved through their Plastic Free Paradise project, which educates about the issue and offers alternatives to single-use plastics. For this program, the organization hosts weekly community clean-ups or workshops; environmental training classes for local businesses; weekly school conservation club meetings; and has established water bottle refill stations across the island.

GET INVOLVED

**1. Join the Research Team** Gili Shark Conservation relies on a dedicated research team to carry out their mission — and the best part is, anyone can join.

“You do not need to be a scientist or even a diver to join the team,” Ellis says. “You simply need to have a passion for marine life, be a team player, and be enthusiastic to get involved with conservation efforts.”

The organization hosts participants for a minimum of two weeks at a time, but many people choose a longer duration (up to eight weeks) to really get involved in the project. The first two weeks of the program are focused on training in both dive skills and research methods. After that, participants work as full members of the team, assisting with dives, data entry and more.

“The best part of joining the research team is meeting like-minded, ocean loving people and doing something interesting, educational and good for the environment during a holiday on a beautiful island paradise. (And, of course, having the ocean as your office),” Ellis says.

**2. Divemaster Internship** Thinking of taking your diving to the next level? You’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to work on your Divemaster cert than the Gili Islands. Gili Shark Conservation’s unique experience allows divemaster candidates to play a hands-on role in critical research while completing their courses through PADI 5 Star IDC Oceans 5 Dive Resort.

“Our divemaster candidates really get the best of both worlds,” Ellis says. “During their Divemaster internship they learn about and participate in our different research methods, as well as develop their diving knowledge and water skills to Divemaster level.”

3. Adopt A Dive Site If you’re looking for a way to help further Gili Shark Conservation’s mission of enhancing marine health in your own community, consider adopting a dive site through Project AWARE.

Adopting a site is free and easy to do. Participants simply must carry out at least one Dive Against Debris at the site every month, recording dive data on the Project AWARE app. The Gili Shark Conservation team holds a Dive Against Debris at their site, Menlo Slope, every Friday.

“It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to come together and make real changes to save our ocean planet,” Ellis says. “We clean up our houses when they are messy, right? So why not clean up the road, the beach, the land and the ocean that our kind has managed to so carelessly neglect for many years?”