(Bandar Seri Begawan, 17th) In conjunction with His Majesty the Sultan’s 80th birthday, Brunei Ocean Week will deploy a total of 240 artificial reef balls at Pelong Rocks, Jerudong, and Kuala Belait, naming the project “Longevity Coral Reef” (Terumbu Dirgahayu) under the slogan “Our Coral Reef” (Terumbu Kitani).
This initiative is organized by the Ponis Foundation, with support from the Ponis Group. At the above three locations, a commemorative artificial reef composed of 80 reef balls will be constructed at each site, symbolizing His Majesty’s 80th birthday.
The artificial reefs aim to give back to the ocean by creating habitats for fish, supporting scientific research, and strengthening the development of Brunei’s fisheries community.
At Pelong Rocks, 80 reef balls will be deployed within the Brunei Marine Protected Area to support fisheries resource restoration, coral restoration, and long-term scientific research.
This site will also feature a large “LAUT Midi” reef ball, accompanied by a commemorative plaque personally signed by His Majesty. The plaque was signed during the Hari Raya celebration hosted by the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation in 2025.
Additionally, 80 reef balls will be deployed in the offshore areas of Jerudong and Kuala Belait.
Since these two sites are outside Brunei’s marine protected areas, the artificial reefs are expected to slowly develop into new fishing grounds for local communities. Fishermen from Jerudong and Kuala Belait will be invited to participate in the deployment and to share their experience and knowledge of the local marine environment.
The deployment was originally scheduled for the 15th of this month, but has now been postponed to the end of the month, with the actual date depending on suitable weather and sea conditions.
The largest “LAUT Midi” reef ball weighs about one tonne and is about four feet high. This reef ball is specially designed for Brunei waters and is the 13th type of Reef Ball artificial reef design developed globally.
Other types include the Bay Ball, weighing around 350kg; the Lo Pro Ball, about 180kg; and the small Oyster Reef Ball, about 30kg.
The large reef balls will be placed into the sea using a crane, from a landing craft to a barge, while the smaller ones can be deployed manually by workers.
Boni Maritime Company is Brunei’s authorized Reef Ball maritime contractor. So far, the Reef Ball Foundation has deployed over 2 million reef balls in more than 80 countries worldwide. Most of the reef balls were made this year, with a few produced in 2024 and kept until now. The reef balls were made collaboratively by Boni staff, school students, teachers, youth, fishermen, public volunteers, Fisheries Department personnel, Ocean Week sponsors, and employees from Hibiscus Petroleum, Brunei Energy Exploration, and Shell Deepwater.
In addition, the Fisheries Department has donated several reef balls produced during the 2024 Fishermen’s Day event. The reef balls are hollow domed structures made from special marine concrete. No steel is used inside the reef balls, so there is no rust or corrosion, and they are expected to last underwater for up to 500 years. Special materials are added to the concrete to better resist moisture penetration and seabed abrasion. Its pH is close to neutral to support coral growth. Openings on the reef balls allow for free water flow, providing fish with habitat and spawning space. The rough external surface enables coral larvae and other marine life to attach and grow, while smaller holes allow direct transplantation of coral seedlings.
Under the “Rumah Fish” model developed by Boni Maritime through the UNDP ASEAN Blue Innovation Challenge, artificial reefs will also be designed and arranged according to the habits of specific fish species to attract different types. For example, a “Grouper Reef” will have a large central reef ball surrounded by smaller ones to create hidden spaces favored by groupers. For snapper, several small reef balls will be stacked into a mound, forming the complex spaces they prefer. Criteria for selecting potential deployment sites include water depths of about 10 to 15 meters, proximity to existing coral habitats, and a seabed of firm sand. Baseline surveys will include sampling seawater and sediment, environmental DNA detection, coral and marine wildlife assessments, underwater sound recordings, and collecting images for AI-aided marine biodiversity analysis.
The data will be used for long-term monitoring of changes in fish abundance, coral growth, and biodiversity, as well as to identify environmental conditions most favorable for artificial reefs. The project will also explore expanding artificial reef initiatives through biodiversity and nature-based credit financing in the future. Marine organisms are expected to appear within 1–2 years after reef balls are deployed, while a more stable fish population and coral reef habitat may take 3–4 years to form.
The long-term goal of the project is to increase the number of reef balls at each site to 1,000 over the next five years—by annually continuing to deploy reef balls, plant corals, conduct research, and promote community participation—totaling 3,000 reef balls at three sites. The work is expected to establish a vibrant coral reef ecosystem and at the same time create richer fishing grounds for fishermen.
According to the “Longevity Coral Reef” project, the reef ball deployment is scheduled to take place twice annually, coinciding with Brunei’s National Day and His Majesty’s birthday. Plans are also in place to identify six more suitable sites along Brunei’s coasts, bays, and rivers for artificial reef construction.
In the long term, “Longevity Coral Reef” will become part of the broader “Brunei Living Coral Reef Network”—connecting artificial reefs dedicated to fisheries recovery, anti-illegal trawling, shoreline protection, coral restoration, scientific research, and promoting community engagement.
The Brunei Reef Ball initiative also plans to set up a dedicated production site, where volunteers can participate all year round in making reef balls and planting corals. The project hopes that reef ball making and deployment will create jobs for the community, and further support wider applications of artificial reefs in shoreline protection and marine ecosystem restoration.
This plan showcases how Brunei Ocean Week commemorates national celebrations through practical and long-term actions while uniting government, sponsors, researchers, schools, youth, volunteers, and fishermen.
With sustained support, the “Longevity Coral Reef” project aims to become not just a one-time deployment event, but a permanent national artificial reef program that will support Brunei’s marine ecosystem, scientific research, and fisheries community for generations to come.
This initiative is organized by the Ponis Foundation, with support from the Ponis Group. At the above three locations, a commemorative artificial reef composed of 80 reef balls will be constructed at each site, symbolizing His Majesty’s 80th birthday.
The artificial reefs aim to give back to the ocean by creating habitats for fish, supporting scientific research, and strengthening the development of Brunei’s fisheries community.
This site will also feature a large “LAUT Midi” reef ball, accompanied by a commemorative plaque personally signed by His Majesty. The plaque was signed during the Hari Raya celebration hosted by the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation in 2025.
Additionally, 80 reef balls will be deployed in the offshore areas of Jerudong and Kuala Belait.
Since these two sites are outside Brunei’s marine protected areas, the artificial reefs are expected to slowly develop into new fishing grounds for local communities. Fishermen from Jerudong and Kuala Belait will be invited to participate in the deployment and to share their experience and knowledge of the local marine environment.
The deployment was originally scheduled for the 15th of this month, but has now been postponed to the end of the month, with the actual date depending on suitable weather and sea conditions.
The largest “LAUT Midi” reef ball weighs about one tonne and is about four feet high. This reef ball is specially designed for Brunei waters and is the 13th type of Reef Ball artificial reef design developed globally.
Other types include the Bay Ball, weighing around 350kg; the Lo Pro Ball, about 180kg; and the small Oyster Reef Ball, about 30kg.
The large reef balls will be placed into the sea using a crane, from a landing craft to a barge, while the smaller ones can be deployed manually by workers.
Boni Maritime Company is Brunei’s authorized Reef Ball maritime contractor. So far, the Reef Ball Foundation has deployed over 2 million reef balls in more than 80 countries worldwide. Most of the reef balls were made this year, with a few produced in 2024 and kept until now. The reef balls were made collaboratively by Boni staff, school students, teachers, youth, fishermen, public volunteers, Fisheries Department personnel, Ocean Week sponsors, and employees from Hibiscus Petroleum, Brunei Energy Exploration, and Shell Deepwater.
In addition, the Fisheries Department has donated several reef balls produced during the 2024 Fishermen’s Day event. The reef balls are hollow domed structures made from special marine concrete. No steel is used inside the reef balls, so there is no rust or corrosion, and they are expected to last underwater for up to 500 years. Special materials are added to the concrete to better resist moisture penetration and seabed abrasion. Its pH is close to neutral to support coral growth. Openings on the reef balls allow for free water flow, providing fish with habitat and spawning space. The rough external surface enables coral larvae and other marine life to attach and grow, while smaller holes allow direct transplantation of coral seedlings.
Under the “Rumah Fish” model developed by Boni Maritime through the UNDP ASEAN Blue Innovation Challenge, artificial reefs will also be designed and arranged according to the habits of specific fish species to attract different types. For example, a “Grouper Reef” will have a large central reef ball surrounded by smaller ones to create hidden spaces favored by groupers. For snapper, several small reef balls will be stacked into a mound, forming the complex spaces they prefer. Criteria for selecting potential deployment sites include water depths of about 10 to 15 meters, proximity to existing coral habitats, and a seabed of firm sand. Baseline surveys will include sampling seawater and sediment, environmental DNA detection, coral and marine wildlife assessments, underwater sound recordings, and collecting images for AI-aided marine biodiversity analysis.
The data will be used for long-term monitoring of changes in fish abundance, coral growth, and biodiversity, as well as to identify environmental conditions most favorable for artificial reefs. The project will also explore expanding artificial reef initiatives through biodiversity and nature-based credit financing in the future. Marine organisms are expected to appear within 1–2 years after reef balls are deployed, while a more stable fish population and coral reef habitat may take 3–4 years to form.
The long-term goal of the project is to increase the number of reef balls at each site to 1,000 over the next five years—by annually continuing to deploy reef balls, plant corals, conduct research, and promote community participation—totaling 3,000 reef balls at three sites. The work is expected to establish a vibrant coral reef ecosystem and at the same time create richer fishing grounds for fishermen.
According to the “Longevity Coral Reef” project, the reef ball deployment is scheduled to take place twice annually, coinciding with Brunei’s National Day and His Majesty’s birthday. Plans are also in place to identify six more suitable sites along Brunei’s coasts, bays, and rivers for artificial reef construction.
In the long term, “Longevity Coral Reef” will become part of the broader “Brunei Living Coral Reef Network”—connecting artificial reefs dedicated to fisheries recovery, anti-illegal trawling, shoreline protection, coral restoration, scientific research, and promoting community engagement.
The Brunei Reef Ball initiative also plans to set up a dedicated production site, where volunteers can participate all year round in making reef balls and planting corals. The project hopes that reef ball making and deployment will create jobs for the community, and further support wider applications of artificial reefs in shoreline protection and marine ecosystem restoration.
This plan showcases how Brunei Ocean Week commemorates national celebrations through practical and long-term actions while uniting government, sponsors, researchers, schools, youth, volunteers, and fishermen.
With sustained support, the “Longevity Coral Reef” project aims to become not just a one-time deployment event, but a permanent national artificial reef program that will support Brunei’s marine ecosystem, scientific research, and fisheries community for generations to come.