Project Partner: OceanX
Geographies: Indonesia
What is the core idea of the pilot?
More than 180 million Indonesians live in coastal communities, which are vulnerable to rising sea levels and regularly face weather-related disasters resulting in environmental degradation and the loss of life, property, and livelihoods. A multidisciplinary, integrated approach to understanding coastal and offshore environments could provide key insights for local stakeholders to make conservation and management decisions around deep-sea habitats, coastal ecosystems like coral reefs, and fisheries and biodiversity. This is particularly relevant to Indonesia, as they develop regional priorities and policies to support and sustain their local economy and environment.
Using science, media, and education, OceanX with local partners is proposing an expedition and related follow-up in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia.
Why is this innovative?
No other organisation in the world can marry scientific research, education and awareness to such a degree as OceanX. The world’s most advanced research vessel, OceanXplorer, serves as a floating research institution that allows scientists to comprehensively characterise an ecosystem from surface to seafloor and simultaneously share the story of marine exploration through compelling media content. The tools onboard allow scientists to conduct comprehensive marine research without needing to send data or samples to external labs for processing.
This novel approach, coupled with the scale of the vessel, means that several studies can be simultaneously run at any time, allowing for efficient and integrated workflows. The mission also serves as a springboard for transformative educational programming in the Region.
What will success look like?
The long-term goal of the scientific research is to aid the Government of Indonesia in making more informed decisions related to marine conservation and sustainability.
We anticipate that the Government of Indonesia will use the data and research findings from this mission for MPA design and siting, fisheries management, and better natural disaster mitigation based on improved understanding of earthquakes and tsunamis in Sumatra.
We also aim to foster a generation of passionate Indonesian ocean leaders who will use their knowledge of the ocean to have a profound and positive impact in their communities and on the planet.
How will success be achieved?
Working closely with the Indonesian Government, OceanX has designed a project that will:
- Use the ship’s cutting-edge tools, including acoustic mapping sonars, submersibles, Remotely Operated Vehicles, and onboard genetic sequencing facilities, to conduct cutting edge research on understudied regions to enable better data- driven decisions and inform climate-related policy at national and local levels within Indonesia, and;
- Implement a media and education program to inspire and inform Indonesian, regional, and international communities to accelerate conservation and preservation of this diverse ocean environment.
Who is leading the project?
OceanX is a nonprofit ocean exploration organisation with a mission to explore the ocean and bring it back to the world. For over a decade, we have created a deeply engaged community of explorers, scientists, and storytellers dedicated to educating, inspiring and protecting the ocean to drive positive change.
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