BIOTROP conducted the pilot offering of its National Training Course on Application of Acoustic Technology for Ocean Resources Mapping and Exploration held on 21-25 August 2017 at its headquarter and at the Ocean Acoustic Laboratory and Underwater Acoustic Signal Processing Laboratory of the Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) in Bogor.

The training course is among the new training courses under the Centre’s 10th Five-Year Development Plan (2017-2022).

Twenty-seven marine researchers and lecturers, and private individuals engaged in fishery production from various institutions across Indonesia constituted the first batch of participants of the training.

The main objective of the training course was to provide theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to the participants on the use and operation of marine acoustics instruments for the collection and analysis of fish, zooplankton, coral reef, seagrass and seabed data, and to some extent, for mapping and exploring archaeological resources.

The training course consisted of classroom and laboratory sessions covering: 1) Overview of Marine Acoustics Technology and Its Application; 2) Application of Marine Acoustics for Fish and Plankton Detection; 3) Application of Acoustics for Marine Archaeological Artifact Exploration; 4) Application of Acoustics for Marine BioSonar; 5) Application of Marine Acoustics for Coral Reef Mapping; and 6) Application of Marine Acoustics for Seabed and Habitat Mapping. The participants also experienced field hands-on exercises at Tidung Island in Jakarta.

This training was developed from the research project funded by BIOTROP and conducted by Prof Dr Henry Manik from the Ocean Acoustics and Marine Instrumentation Department of IPB from 2014 to 2016. Thus, Prof Dr Henry also served as both the coordinator and the resource person for this training.

As a major requirement, the participants developed individual and group action plans on how they will apply the knowledge and experiences they gained from the training course in their respective work stations.

The participants received their certificates of completion from BIOTROP Director, Dr Irdika Mansur. In closing the training course, Dr. Irdika encouraged the participants to share what they have learned to their colleagues and try their best to implement their action plans to promote acoustic technology for marine development in Indonesia. He added that BIOTROP would welcome collaboration with their institutions to make this happen.