UNAIR NEWS – A program themed “Carbon Cycle Impact Due to Climate Change of The Coral Community” initiated by Student Executive Board (BEM) of Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPK) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) has become one of the awardees of the International Competition Program for Students Organization (INTEGRATION). “We didn’t expect to get this prize; at first, we were a bit pessimistic because there were a lot of participants, but also optimistic because our topic was a global issue, and our goal was to win,” said Faudhel Jabar, Head of BEM FPK in 2022.

Faudhel revealed that the program proposed in INTEGRATION will be held at the Airlangga Global Fisheries Summit (AGFS). The main focus of AGFS is the 14th and 15th Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Life Below Water and Life on Land.

The event will discuss the carbon cycle, the high carbon generated from human and industrial activities leading to climate change and coral bleaching, and their impact on life on land and sea. “This event will also discuss various solutions to overcome the problem, how to reduce the carbon we produce, and the application of a carbon tax as one of the solutions,” said Faudhel.

The competition for making international work programs facilitated by Airlangga Global Engagement (AGE) provides an opportunity for student organizations at UNAIR to be involved in increasing student inbound. “Our target is international students of fisheries and marine sciences, we will also invite students from universities in Southeast Asia who have partnered with FPK,” explained the 2019 Fishery Products Technology student.

“AGFS will later hold a grand symposium, and activities such as building fish apartments as a revitalization of coral reefs and planting mangroves for coastal conservation,” he explained. The grand symposium will be held online in May while planting activities will be held in the coastal area of ​​Situbondo.

A fish apartment is an artificial habitat for marine organisms, as a place to live and lay fish eggs, which is useful to replace damaged coral reef habitats. Fish apartments provide shelter, spawning grounds, and an environmentally friendly environment for hatching fish eggs. After a few months, coral reefs will grow in Fish apartments as their new habitat.

Faudhel said that his team faced a challenge in preparing the AGFS program during a 5-day brainstorming session with other board members to determine the concept and theme of the program. “We want to raise an urgent theme that requires the role of the younger generation, so we consult a lot with supervisors and friends, also looking for references so the points we present can be interesting, impactful, and worthy of contests,” he said.

“I hope that AGFS can run smoothly from its inception to its closing, and can have a direct impact on the national and international levels,” he continued. He also hopes that the event can get useful input, and the coral reef revitalization that is being carried out can continue in a sustainable manner with the help of local conservation agencies.

Author: Thara Bening

Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia