The Indonesia one week marine expedition is based at South Buton marinesite in the heart of the Coral Triangle. Students who are not yet dive trained will spend the week completing their Open Water SCUBA diving certification supervised by qualified PADI dive instructors, and participating in a range of marine biology workshops and lectures. Those who are already qualified to dive, or opt to snorkel, will complete an Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Ecology Course, which includes lectures, and a variety of land workshops and water-based practicals designed to introduce students to coral reef biology and ecology and the survey techniques used by coral reef scientists.
Throughout the week, students will meet regularly with Operation Wallacea scientists who will give talks about the specifics of their research projects. Alongside the educational courses the students will be involved in various other cultural and team-building activities, and also expected to complete a mini-project and to present their findings to the group at the end of the week.
The Coral Triangle is a marine region that spans Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. This region is recognised for having the highest diversity of marine species anywhere on the planet. At the very heart of the coral triangle, at the epicentre of biodiversity, lies the Wakatobi Marine National Park, the location of Opwall’s marine research base in Indonesia. The Hoga Island Marine Station has been the centre for Opwall’s Indonesian marine research programme for nearly 30 years. During this time, teams of international and Indonesian scientists have worked at this site during the Opwall survey seasons and as a result have produced more than 200 peer-reviewed papers. The research outcomes and discoveries from these studies have had local, national and international significance.
For the last 15 years, Opwall has also been running an extensive monitoring programme around Hoga and eastern Kaledupa for macroinvertebrates, fish communities, coral cover and community structure. In 2026 the long-term monitoring programme will continue, however there will a new research focus introduced. Like many coral reefs globally, the Wakatobi has experienced recent changes in benthic community structure and a reduction in the size and abundance of many reef fish species. Our ultimate goal is to develop an ecosystem model to represent the current dynamics of the marine ecosystems in the Wakatobi to help support future management decisions. To support this goal, work in the regions will focus on understanding the consequences of these changes in benthic community structure to the productivity of coral reefs in the Wakatobi and the resources these reefs provide to local communities. In 2026 research projects will focus on describing the extent of shifts from coral dominated states to reefs dominated by other groups including sponges, ascidians and soft corals, and the potential of deep reefs to provide refugia for sharks, rays and other predatory fish.
Building on nearly three decades of research at the heart of the Coral Triangle, reef conservation efforts at Hoga Island now include active restoration work to support long-term reef resilience. Since 2019, the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS) has been implemented at selected sites, using steel “reef stars” to stabilise rubble and encourage coral growth. Ongoing monitoring has provided valuable insights into how restoration structures influence coral survival, habitat complexity, and overall reef health. In 2026, students will contribute to research examining how these restoration efforts can enhance biodiversity and ecosystem function, complementing the long-term ecological monitoring already in place. These conservation initiatives are vital to protecting the rich marine life of the Wakatobi and ensuring the continued ecological value of one of the most biodiverse marine regions on the planet.
The costs of a school group expedition can be highly variable. There is a standard fee paid to Opwall for all expeditions but the location you are flying from, the size of your group, and how you wish to pay all impact the overall cost.
You can choose to book the expedition as a package (which includes your international flights) or you can organise your travel yourself and just pay us for the expedition related elements.
If you are booking your expedition as a package, you also have the option of being invoiced as a group, or on an individual basis.
Climate
At the marine sites during the day, the weather is normally sunny and warm (around 30 degrees Celsius), and the night temperatures drop to around 20-25 degrees Celsius. Being on the coast means there is often a pleasant breeze so it does not always feel this hot. It rains rarely, but when it does it tends to be very heavy for short periods of time.
Fitness level required
At the marine sites some fitness is required for in water activities, but conditions are relatively easy.
Creature comforts
Facilities at the South Buton Marine Site are very comfortable; 2-3 students share a room with comfortable beds and AC, each with its own en-suite bathroom with a shower and western style toilet. Meals are served in a large open air dining room and there is a dive centre and lecture facilities onsite. There is onsite wifi and and cell phone signal which can usually only be used with an Indonesian SIM card, and an onsite restaurant and snack bar.
Find out more about students can fundraise, as a group or individually
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