bio.fsm.undip.ac.id – reported from jatengdaily.com, a collaboration has been established between the Center of Marine Ecology and Biomonitoring for Sustainable Aquaculture (Ce-MEBSA) at Universitas Diponegoro (Undip) Semarang and the Aquaculture Department at the Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia (FP-UPM). This partnership focuses on productive sustainable aquaculture research, applied to both freshwater and marine aquaculture, with particular emphasis on the environmentally friendly implementation of modern aquaculture through Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) Floating Net Cages.
The collaboration agreement was signed by Prof. Drs. Sapto P. Putro M.Si., Ph.D, Head of Ce-MEBSA and Chair of the Department of Biology at FSM Undip, and Dr. Fadhil Sukri, representing the Department of Aquaculture at FP-UPM, on FP-UPM’s campus in Malaysia.
Dr. Fadhil highlighted that his research expertise spans several clusters, including fish ecology, algae culture, fish diseases, molecular biology of fish, fish breeding, genetic aquaculture, fish feed technology, and post-harvest technology. These areas strongly support the collaboration with Ce-MEBSA Undip in the field of productive sustainable aquaculture.
Prof. Sapto elaborated on Ce-MEBSA, one of Undip’s Centers of Excellence. Ce-MEBSA focuses on the management and utilization of coastal and marine areas through IMTA systems that emphasize eco-friendly technology (green technology) while supporting human welfare via the blue economy. “This aligns closely with Undip’s Principal Scientific Pattern: Tropical and Coastal Region Eco-development, which focuses on the ecological development of tropical coastal and marine regions as Undip’s comparative advantage,” he explained on Saturday, November 2, 2024.
The five-year collaboration with the Aquaculture Department at FP-UPM will involve research, joint publications, and student mobility programs to accelerate the achievement of Universitas Diponegoro’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and the Strategic Plan of the FSM Biology Department through the World Class University program. The collaboration includes research related to Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Statistics, and Computer Science, with potential interdisciplinary approaches encompassing Marine Ecology, Sustainable Aquaculture, Applied Agriculture, Marine Microbiology & Biotechnology for sustainable development and human welfare, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Environmental Science and Sustainability, Food Security Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Informatics and Technology, and Nanotechnology. Additionally, all joint research findings will be published in international journals.
Prof. Sapto noted that Ce-MEBSA Undip has developed the IMTA system in several locations. “IMTA can enhance fish farming productivity using floating net cages in deep-water bodies such as reservoirs, swamps, lakes, and seas,” Prof. Sapto explained, adding that the team also observed fish farming practices at the Aquaculture Department of FA-UPM during the collaboration.
