REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Student Association of Marine Science and Technology (Himateka) from Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) planted 2,000 mangrove seeds in Pangandaran district, West Java. About 44 students are involved in an event of Marine Conservation and Survey (Konsurv) 2014.

They are divided into three groups, namely planting group, scientific group and marine group goes to school (MGS) team. A total of 500 mangrove seeds were planted around the lagoon, while others were planted at riverside. Scientific group took sample of water quality data (temperature, salinity, ph, DO, etc) and the important index value of mangrove, while MGS group visited Parigi Senior High School to hold counseling about marine conservation.

The students also held a sharing discussion with local residents in the night. Before heading back to Bogor, they held a coastal clean up day by picking up trash along the Karang Jaladri beach.

Pangandaran has various ecosystems, both marine and terrestrial. Most of land ecosystems are in good condition, except coastal ecosystem which was damaged by tsunami in 2006. At that time, Pangandaran was almost completely destroyed by a massive tidal wave, with great loss of life. Since then, local residents understand the vital importance of actions to mitigate the consequences of climate change. Replanting the mangroves is one of their initiatives.

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