Unlocking Indonesia’s Ocean Wealth: Strategic Roles in National and Global Maritime Futures
Indonesia’s oceans are a global biodiversity hotspot and play a vital role in climate regulation, food security, and the livelihoods of coastal communities. This article highlights the importance of understanding Indonesia’s marine ecosystems—from biodiversity to national bathymetric data—as the foundation for sustainable research and ocean governance. Let’s explore and study our marine heritage for a better future for the planet.
The ocean plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth. Covering more than 70% of the planet’s surface, the ocean not only produces oxygen through phytoplankton but also acts as the largest heat reservoir and a regulator of the global climate. It is a major route for transportation and a critical source of food for billions of people. On a global scale, the sustainability of marine ecosystems is essential to maintaining the Earth’s environmental balance.
For Indonesia — the world’s largest archipelagic country — the sea is not merely a boundary but the very lifeblood of the nation. With over two-thirds of its territory consisting of waters, Indonesia’s marine domain supports fisheries, marine tourism, and even renewable energy development. Positioned between two oceans and two continents, Indonesia’s seas serve as crucial corridors for marine species migration and as significant natural carbon storage areas.
Indonesia’s marine ecosystems are remarkably diverse, encompassing mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs, seaweed meadows, as well as pelagic and benthic zones. According to the Indonesia Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) 2020–2030, Indonesia is home to more than 8,500 marine fish species, 555 species of seaweed, 850 species of coral, and 23 species of seagrass. This biodiversity places Indonesia at the heart of the world’s marine megadiversity. Beyond ecological significance, this richness plays a key role in food security, coastal livelihoods, and ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change.
Understanding Indonesia’s marine characteristics is becoming increasingly important amid climate crises and exploitation pressures. The growing availability and integration of national bathymetric data serve as essential tools for identifying undersea features such as slope, aspect, and the distribution of pelagic and benthic zones. This data supports marine conservation, habitat mapping, coastal planning, and sustainable marine resource management. In light of our ocean’s immense wealth and vulnerability, let us collectively foster more scientific research and exploration of Indonesia’s marine environment—so that its management and protection are guided by knowledge, sustainability, and intergenerational equity.
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LOCATION
East Kalimantan,Indonesia