Livingseas Asia is an Indonesia-based marine conservation organization and dive operator that integrates coral reef restoration with tourism, education, and local economic development. Based in Padangbai, Bali, the organization offers small-group dive and snorkeling experiences that allow visitors to actively participate in rebuilding marine ecosystems.
Founded by Leon Boey, Livingseas was created in response to the visible degradation of coral reefs across Southeast Asia. Rather than treating conservation as a separate activity, the organization has built a model where restoration is embedded directly into its tourism offering. Guests are not only exploring marine environments, but contributing to their recovery through hands-on participation.
Since launching its restoration work, Livingseas has restored more than 7,300 square meters of reef and planted hundreds of thousands of coral fragments on previously degraded seabed.
Operating at the intersection of conservation, education, and tourism, Livingseas reflects a growing shift toward models where environmental restoration is not an external initiative, but a core part of the business itself.
The Livingseas Origin Story
Livingseas grew out of a long-standing connection to the ocean. After years working as a dive instructor and traveling across global dive sites, Leon Boey began to witness a consistent pattern of reef degradation. What began as observation gradually shifted into experimentation, as he explored ways to actively restore damaged reef systems.
Early restoration efforts focused on testing artificial reef structures and coral propagation methods in Bali. These initial projects were small in scale but provided proof that degraded reef systems could be rebuilt with the right approach and consistent maintenance.
As the work developed, a broader opportunity emerged. By integrating restoration into dive experiences, Livingseas created a model that allows tourism to directly support conservation while also generating income to sustain and scale the work. Over time, this evolved into a more structured organization combining a dive center, a nonprofit foundation, and a growing set of education and training programs.
How Livingseas Is Making A Positive Impact
Livingseas’ impact is centered on restoring marine ecosystems while strengthening local livelihoods and building long-term conservation capacity.
At the environmental level, the organization focuses on coral reef restoration using modular structures and ecological methods designed to accelerate coral growth and rebuild habitat complexity. All restoration work is conducted on previously degraded seabed, avoiding disturbance to intact reef systems. The result is the gradual return of marine biodiversity, including fish populations and coral species that depend on healthy reef structures.
This work is supported by continuous monitoring and data collection. Livingseas tracks coral growth, survival rates, and marine biodiversity over time, using this data to refine restoration methods and improve outcomes.
The organization also plays a role in local economic development. Livingseas employs a predominantly local team in Padangbai and contributes to the broader community through tourism-related spending. Visitors, interns, and program participants support local accommodation, food providers, and services, generating consistent economic activity in a small coastal town.
Education is another key component of the model. Through workshops, internships, and hands-on training programs, Livingseas helps build marine conservation knowledge among both international visitors and local communities. These programs aim to create long-term behavioral change, encouraging more responsible interactions with marine environments and supporting the development of future conservation practitioners.
Taken together, Livingseas demonstrates how tourism can function as a direct driver of ecosystem restoration, rather than a source of pressure on fragile environments.
Why the UnTours Foundation Invested in Livingseas
Through the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund, in partnership with Agoda and WWF-Singapore, the UnTours Foundation invested in Livingseas to support the expansion of its restoration and education model.
Livingseas offers a clear example of how conservation can be integrated into a viable tourism business. Its approach connects revenue generation with measurable environmental outcomes, while also creating local employment and skills development opportunities.
The investment is supporting the development of staff and trainee housing near the organization’s core restoration site in Padangbai. Limited access to affordable housing has been a key constraint on growth, restricting the number of interns, researchers, and staff that Livingseas can host.
By addressing this constraint, the funding enables the organization to expand restoration activities, increase monitoring capacity, and grow its education and internship programs. At the same time, it strengthens the operational foundation needed to scale a model that links marine conservation with tourism in a practical and financially sustainable way.
How You Can Support Livingseas
Travelers can support Livingseas by participating in its dive and snorkeling programs, where each visit contributes directly to ongoing coral restoration efforts. Students and professionals can engage through internships, workshops, and training programs that provide hands-on experience in marine conservation and sustainable tourism. Tourism partners and organizations can also collaborate with Livingseas to develop conservation-focused travel experiences and support the expansion of reef restoration initiatives across new locations.
