#sulawesi

[reasonsforhope]

"The coral reefs of south Sulawesi are some of the most diverse, colorful and vibrant in the world. At least, they used to be, until they were decimated by dynamite fishing in the 1990s.

As part of a team of coral reef ecologists based in Indonesia and the UK, we study the reefs around Pulau Bontosua, a small Indonesian island in south Sulawesi...

In many places around the world, damage like this might be described as irreparable. But at Pulau Bontosua, the story is different. Here, efforts by the Mars coral restoration program have brought back the coral and important ecosystem functions, as outlined by our new study, published in Current Biology. We found that within just four years, restored reefs grow at the same rate as nearby healthy reefs.

Speedy recovery

The transplanted corals grow remarkably quickly. Within a year, fragments have developed into proper colonies. After two years, they interlock branches with their neighbors. After just four years, they completely overgrow the reef star structures and restoration sites are barely distinguishable from nearby healthy reefs.

The combined growth of many corals generates a complex limestone (calcium carbonate) framework. This provides a habitat for marine life and protects nearby shorelines from storm damage by absorbing up to 97% of coastal wave energy.

We measured the overall growth of the reef framework by calculating its carbonate budget. That's the balance between limestone production (by calcifying corals and coralline algae) and erosion (by grazing sea urchins and fishes, for example). A healthy reef produces up to 20kg of reef structure per square meter per year, while a degraded reef is shrinking rather than growing as erosion exceeds limestone production. Therefore, overall reef growth gives an indication of reef health.

At Pulau Bontosua, our survey data shows that in the years following restoration, coral cover, coral colony sizes, and carbonate production rates tripled. Within four years, restored reefs were growing at the same speed as healthy reefs, and thereby provided the same important ecosystem functions...

Outcomes of any reef restoration project will depend on environmental conditions, natural coral larvae supply, restoration techniques and the effort invested in maintaining the project. This Indonesian project shows that when conditions are right and efforts are well placed, success is possible. Hopefully, this inspires further global efforts to restore functioning coral reefs and to recreate a climate in which they can thrive."

-via Phys.org, March 11, 2024

[inatungulates]

North Sulawesi babirusa Babyrousa celebensis

Observed by roylesafaris, CC BY-NC

[sitting-on-me-bum]

“Fake news!”

Animal: Sulawesi macaque. Location of shot: Sulawesi.

“Sulawesi macaque reading news.”

by Matti Rauvala (Finland)

2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

[agastyarajasya]

Toraja tribe house "tongkonan" in Center Point Indonesia (CPI), Makassar, Indonesia.

[coffeenuts]

[letstaintain-blog]

A fishermen's town

[alifafauziar]

The changing scenes from sunset to evening skies above Kilo 5 Beach, Banggai, Indonesia.

[lonesometrain]

This is the Paucidentomys vermidax, the edented Sulawesi rat. It lives in remote rainforest areas on the Indonesian island that is part of its name. It is the only rodent without molars, which it doesn't need because its diet is likely entirely made up of soft, easy to chew earthworms.

Discovered only in 2012, it is one of the most recent species of rodent (and mammal) to be described.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Greetings from Makassar, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia

Dutch vintage postcard, mailed in 1901 to Sluis, Netherlands

[optikes]

'Mata Hari' ceremonial cloth (C18th/19th)

Made on the Coromandel Coast, India for the Indonesian market and found in Sulawesi, Indonesia

A ceremonial cloth bearing a radiating red sun or eye-of-the-day. Chintz, hand-painted centre, printed outer decoration: resist and mordant-dyed on cotton 2.7 x 2.04m

Karun Thakar Collection

[megaten-and-other-polls]

Shrimp Tournament: THE FINAL POLL

[newspacein]

A small part of the beauty of South Sulawesi.

Tempat yang indah, kuliner yang beragam, tempat yang penuh dengan kejutan.

since 2019

[inatungulates]

North Sulawesi babirusa Babyrousa celebensis

Observed by bertharris, CC BY-NC

[sitting-on-me-bum]

The babirusa ( Babyrousa sp.) roams the remote forests of Sulawesi and nearby Indonesian islands.

Photo: Coke Smith, cokesmithphototravel.com

[pleistocene-pride]

The Celebes crested macaque (Macaca nigra), also known as the crested black macaque, Sulawesi crested macaque, the black ape,the yaki, or the wolai is an Old World monkey that lives in the Tangkoko reserve in the north-eastern tip of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (Celebes), as well as on smaller neighboring islands. Here they inhabit rainforests and typically spend there days on the ground socializing and searching for food such as various fruits, leaves, buds, seeds, fungus, small birds and bird eggs, insects, worms, snails, and the occasional small lizard or frog. While spending there nights resting high up in the trees. Black macaques are a highly social species which lives in groups of five to twenty-five animals, though occasionally groups of up to 75 may occur. Smaller groups have only a single adult male, while larger groups have up to four adult males. However, adult females always outnumber adult males by about 4:1. Reaching around 17 to 24 inches (44 to 60cms) in body length and 8 to 25lbs (3.5 to 10.5lbs) in weight, it is one of the smaller macaque species. The body is black, covered with rough, thick, and wooly fur. The black face of the primate is coated with a dense layer of hair. Compared to other macaques, their skull is more projecting and baboon-like. Hairs on the top of their head compose a crest, facing up and backward. On the rear they possess distinctive kidney-shaped, bright pink ischial callosities. The tail is short, having the form of a nubbin. The Celebes crested macaque is promiscuous, with both males and females mating multiple times with multiple partners. The receptivity of the females is clearly indicated by an extreme swelling and redness of their buttocks. After a 174 day pregnancy a mother typically gives birth to a single offspring which she will nurse for around a year. Under ideal conditions a Celebes crested macaque will reach sexual maturity at around in three to four years, and may live up to 20.

[spentimental]

B is for Babirusa, 4 of Hearts

The babirusa is a genus of pigs on the islands of Indonesia. While killing them is illegal, babirusa are currently threatened by poaching and deforestation. These piggies are notable for their unique tusks, one pair protruding upward from the bottom jaw and another pair growing upward through the skin of their snout and curving back toward their head. Just imagine if a wolf’s upper canines pointed up instead of down. These tusks can sometimes grow long enough to curve back and penetrate the head a second time, which can be deadly. The tusks also sometimes cross each other as they grow, hence the X shape on this character’s face.

I had a hard time finding 1960s style references for this character that could easily incorporate the iconic tusks. I knew I wanted an X on the face, but what about the bottom tusks? I finally settled on making him a chef holding boning knives. This Babi is based on René Verdon, who was the chef for the White House from 1961 to 1965. When I started this illustration, I really struggled to get into it. I think I was having a mild depressive episode. Hoping for advice, I went to show my progress to my sibling. I looked at my work thinking about what she might think and laughed out loud. There’s something so charming about a robot with knives for hands and a deadpan expression being surrounded by hearts. If you’re struggling with your art, have patience for your mental wellbeing and try to look at your art from another perspective. I finally understand the idiom, “you can’t see the forest for the trees.”

Next Week Sneak Peek:

Cadlina Laevis, Queen of Diamonds AAAAHHHH, I’m so excited!