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id you know that Indonesian waters possess the most varied types of coral on earth? Up to 590 types of coral rest in more than 50,000 square kilometers of ocean, or 18 percent of the world’s total.

With such an enormous amount, it could earn Indonesia US$1.6 billion per year. Considering this amount, no one should be famished in this country.

Coastal reclamation, fishing using potassium, off-shore mining and other marine-related industrial activities are having an adverse effect on our coral reefs. Presently, 70 percent of Indonesia’s coral is dead, and 15 percent is predicted to vanish within 10 to 20 years. Meanwhile, the shrinking number of coral reefs means declining protein for people as coral is a vital life support for fish, a source of protein for humans.

In partnership with local fishermen, local marine institutions and the local government, environmental NGO Telapak invites people to help save Indonesia’s coral by adopting some. A person can fund a stem of baby coral and support its growth for at least three years.

“We have to make sure that the adopted coral stem survives down there. Normally after three years coral is able to stand on its own, but before that we need to nurture it. That is why we need a three-year commitment,” explained Ery Damayanti, the coordinator of Telapak Coral Day Program.

It costs Rp 200,000 to adopt and support one stem of coral for the first year. The following two years costs just Rp 100,000 per year for preservation. If you are affluent enough to adopt more, or perhaps spread the news and encourage parents and uncles to join the program, you can buy a rack of 10 to 20 stems of coral for Rp 5 million to 15 million.

The coral you adopt will be transplanted by local or volunteer divers and tagged with your name. They will also send you pictures and updates via email. If you want to transplant the coral yourself, you can join a diving team on International Coral Day, which falls on April 22 every year.

The program started two years ago in Les Village Serangan, Bali. On Coral Day 2010, four tables and three balls of coral, a rounded rack that holds 25 to 35 stems, were rehabilitated. Meanwhile, this year’s Coral Day in Tanjung Kelayang, Belitung, rehabilitated 10 tables. The Coral Day commemoration does not stop there; the transplantations proceed all year long.

Adopting coral is not only about helping to preserve the marine ecosystem but is also a humanitarian deed. Being a parent to coral means being a parent to compatriots, as you might save people from experiencing food and protein shortages. For more information on coral adoption, log on to http://www.telapak.org.