Department of ITK IPB University Collaborates with Wageningen University and Research in Exploring Biodiversity in Marine Lakes in Raja Ampat
In order to establish international cooperation, the Department of Marine Science and Technology (ITK), Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science (FPIK) IPB University conducted collaborative research together with researchers from Wageningen University and Research (WUR).
The Dean of FPIK IPB University, Prof Fredinan Yulianda, welcomed and supported this collaboration. He hopes that through this activity, in the future, cooperation can continue and both parties can develop joint activities to facilitate other academic programmes.
“We believe that this marine-lakes research activity will make a significant contribution to the development of science, environmental conservation and sustainable fisheries management. With cooperation and dedication, we can harness the tremendous potential of this area to maintain the sustainability of ecosystems and fisheries resources in the future,” said Prof Fredinan.
This was also supported by Dr Syamsul Bahri Agus as the Head of the ITK Department who hoped that this activity would run smoothly in order to get the results as expected.
“The importance of research in the Marine Lakes ecosystem, Misool cannot be doubted. The marine lakes ecosystem offers great potential for studying biodiversity, ecosystem dynamics and interactions between unique marine species,” said Dr Syamsul.
Research with the theme Marine Time Machine: Trajectories of Change for Tropical Marine Biodiversity in the Anthropocene focuses on marine lake expedition activities in Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua. This activity was attended by two IPB University lecturers from the ITK Department, namely Dr Beginer Subhan and Dea Fauzia Lestari, SIk, MSi along with one FPIK IPB University student.
“Through the research conducted, we can gain a deeper understanding of the ecology and ecosystem balance in this area. The unique characteristics of marine lakes make this ecosystem an interesting and important research area to understand adaptation, evolution and ecosystem dynamics,” explained Dr Beginer.
The WUR researchers are led by Dr Lisa Becking and include a post-doctoral student, two doctoral students and a master’s student. Apart from WUR, this activity also involves other agencies, namely the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the University of Papua and the Nusantara Nature Conservation Foundation.
During the activity, more than 20 marine lakes were studied to compare the characteristics of the lakes and also the biodiversity in them. Some of the lakes visited include Lake Lenmakana and Tipkapas, which are inhabited by the Papuan Mastigias stingless jellyfish.
The results obtained from the sea lake expedition activities were also conveyed to the communities around Misool who manage the sea lake area to provide information about the condition of each lake and what things can be done to maintain the naturalness of the sea lake. (DEA/RAT/Rz) (IAAS/RUM)
