Nurturing beauty beyond the reef
Lover of marine life breeds coral for the masses
JOHOR BARU: At barely seven years old, the sea and its marine life captivated him.
Growing up, Allan Looi always wanted to have a tank filled with marine life in his home, but this unfortunately was beyond his family’s means.
“I was about seven when my father brought me to look for a marine tank, but the cost was too high, and we went home empty handed,” he said when met at his shop here.
The 37-year-old former auditor, now one of Johor’s few coral breeders, said among the reasons he went into the trade was to ensure that every one could enjoy the beauty of the ocean – not just the wealthy.
Looi started learning about corals six years ago, wanting to know more about the mysterious creature.
“I had just got my first home at the time and I really wanted it to have marine life as it has always been a passion of mine.
“I did my own research on the Internet and learned not only about how to take care of it but also how to breed them,” he said.
Looi added that he then spent a good amount of time over the next few months sharpening his skills on coral breeding, and was able to expand to six coral tanks a few years later.
“I started selling the corals I bred, and slowly I was able to have my own shop where I could have more space to culture the corals,” he said, adding that it was also easier to create environments conducive to their growth.
Looi, who now breeds over 500 species of corals at his shop here, said he hoped to build awareness among the public about corals and other marine life, including how to restore them and guard them from extinction.
“I am working closely with the Semporna Fisheries Department in Sabah to restore corals on an 8ha plot in the sea.
“This will be a testing ground for me to test my skill in the natural world as it is harder to breed them there compared to controlled environments,” he said, adding that it would take about three to six months for him to know if the breeding technique works at sea.