This project started with Australian Chris Brown, who first came to Permuteran in 1991. his "Reef Gardeners" showed the local fishermen how to catch
crown-of-thorns starfish (over 75,000 crown-of-thorns removed between 1996 and 1998) and
horn drupe (
Drupella cornus), which also threaten the reefs; and how to repair broken corals, thus saving hundreds of years of coral growth. They also installed structures on the ocean floor to create artificial reefs. In 2005, with funding from
AusAid, they began to install statues of Buddha off the coast; this
Temple garden soon became an attraction for scuba diving tourists. This success was followed from 2014 on with the undertaking of the
Garden of the gods half a kilometer away, another offcoast assemblage of statues at 28 meters deep, complete with split gate and 25 beautifully carved statues sitting beside a damaged coral reef and covering 2,500 square meters of sandy seabed at a depth from 5 to 30 metres. On top of its educational work, over the years its hatchery has allowed the release of several thousands of turtles (juveniles and adults) into the ocean. Many awards have been received by the project: • 2002, Konas Award from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry for the Best Community Based Coastal Management • 2005, The Asianta Award and Kalpataru Award from the President of Indonesia • 2007, The Pioneering Award from the Bali Administration • 2008, The
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award • 2011, Tri Hita Karana Award • 2012, The Equator Prize Award by the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNDP Special Award for Marine and Coastal Zone Management
Other reefs nearby These are only some of the shallows that lay near Pemuteran. ; Napoleon Reef This reef, from 5 to 30 metres deep, has an upper area about the size of half a football field that gently slopes down on each side, and three underwater peninsulas that reach out to deeper levels. ; Kebun Chris Just 20 metres away from the shore in front of Reefs Seen, it was the first reef to benefit from protection, hard work and care and is accordingly rich in diversity. Its depth is from 2 to 15 metres; ; Middle Reef It has suffered severe damage in the early 1990's but has started to recover (after 2010). Its depth goes from 16 to 30 metres. ; Temple Wall This reef sits directly in front of 3 seaside temples, amidst nutrient-rich currents, with depths from 3 to 26 metres. It has received protection from destructive fishing methods since 1995 and has recovered (after 2010). == Notes and references ==