The coastal ecosystem in Indonesia must be protected to maintain fish diversity and support sustainable fish management, the Oceanography Research Center (PRO) of the Earth and Maritime Research Organization (ORKM) has said.
ORKM is a part of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
“Fish larvae tend to be abundant in waters close to the land,” PRO researcher Augy Syahailatua said during a research professor inauguration event, which was streamed virtually on Friday.
“Thus, protection toward the Indonesian coastal ecosystem should be extended because its level of productivity is known to be very high,” he added.
In general, fish use the coastal ecosystem as a spawning ground, or locations to lay or stick their eggs, as well as a nursery ground, he informed.
To this end, the function of the coastal ecosystem is not just to support fish resources, but to also maintain the diversity of marine biota, especially fish larvae that tend to be abundant in coastal areas.
Moreover, there are many fish larvae in coastal areas that have important economic value.
For example, reef fish, which include the snapper (Lutjanus sp.), grouper (Epinephelus sp.), yellowtail (Caesio sp.), banana fusilier (Ptero-caesio sp.), parrotfish (Scarus sp.), and sand shell (Acanthurus sp.).
There are also fish that live in seagrasses, such as baronang (Siganus Sp.), lencam (Lethrinus sp.), and silver sillago (Sillago sp.).
Indonesia’s coastal area, which has unique features of a tropical ecosystem such as mangrove forests, seagrasses, and coral reefs, must receive protection to maintain the sustainability of marine biota, including fish, Syahailatua stressed.
During the event, BRIN inaugurated four researchers as research professors in national order: Augy Syahailatua as the 646th research professor, Yenny Meliana as the 647th research professor, Bambang Sunarko as the 648th research professor, and Widya Fatriasari as the 649th research professor.
Source: Antara News