ASIATODAY.ID, BALI – Indonesian seas hold abundant biodiversity potential, but most of it has not been explored.
For this reason, an expedition was initiated by Indonesian researchers together with OceanX to explore Indonesia’s unexposed marine biodiversity. This expedition started on Wednesday, 8 May 2024 in Batam, Riau Islands and passed through several cities in Indonesia until ending on Sunday, 25 August 2024 in Bitung, North Sulawesi.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, said that so far only 19 percent of Indonesia’s oceans have been mapped.
“There is still a lot of our underwater potential that needs to be explored, especially the deep sea. “There is still a lot of biodiversity in our seas whose types and benefits are still unknown,” said Luhut in Nusa Dua, Bali, quoted from a BRIN press release, Friday, 17 May 2024.
With the involvement of OceanX, foreign researchers and Indonesian researchers, Luhut wants Indonesia to know its marine areas better.
“The first key to understanding and protecting the ocean is to explore our own seas. “OceanX’s goal is the same as Indonesia, namely to explore the ocean and provide benefits to the people,” explained Luhut.
Luhut further said that Indonesia has points of concern that have never been visited before. Currently, the expedition team has reached a depth of around 7,180 meters.
“We have taken several samples at that depth. “Later we will find out what the condition of our sea is,” he added.
According to Luhut, collaboration and cooperation of all ministries, institutions and related parties in Indonesia is the main key to achieving success. This exploration activity also involves universities so that they can learn and gain direct knowledge from experts. Therefore, he strongly supports the procurement of research vessels.
“Research ships don’t have to be luxurious, the most important thing is that they are equipped with sophisticated equipment. The research ships that will be built must have the most up-to-date technology, so that young Indonesians can learn from there like a floating university,” he explained.
Deputy for Development Policy at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Mego Pinandito said that conducting marine exploration requires a mature strategy.
“The collaboration process between OceanX, researchers and institutions and ministries in Indonesia has been running since early 2023. It requires careful planning and coordination between agencies in determining the exploration route and time,” said Mego.
“OceanX is a foreign-flagged research vessel, coordination is required with the Ministry of Defense and the Indonesian Navy’s Pushidrosal,” he added.
Planning routes and exploration points, explained Mego, also has different objectives. For example, to see the megathrust fault caused by the earthquake in Aceh 20 years ago was carried out in the west of the island of Sumatra.
“After arriving at another point, different observations will be made. “For example, monitoring the atmosphere or marine biota,” said Mego.
Mego said that exploration activities with OceanX also involved researchers on land.
“Not all exploration activities are carried out from research vessels. “We also involve researchers who are on land,” he explained.
“For example, researchers who want to focus on researching the mineral content of deep sea samples can coordinate with researchers on research vessels for sample needs,” he explained.
Researcher in the field of Marine Biotechnology at the BRIN Oceanography Research Center, Ariani Hatmanti, is currently joining a number of researchers on the OceanX Research Vessel. Through an online connection, he explained the research activities he was carrying out.
“Currently, we are collaborating with foreign researchers at OceanX to reveal biodiversity and map the potential of existing microbes and biota,” he concluded. (ATN)
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