Fieldtrinesia Created by a Group of IPB Students to Promote Underwater Ecotourism of Indonesia
Indonesia is a truly vast and beautifully diverse country of more than 17,000 islands spread across 5,000 kilometers of tropical equatorial ocean. Spanning the seas between Asia and Australia, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago. Because of its natural beauty that Indonesia has become a tourist destination that is much coveted by both local and international travellers from around the world. With white sand, clear sea water, and surely a very exotic landscape, these are some of the beauty of the Indonesian sea is not inferior to other marine countries. Indonesia’s marine environment is one of its crown jewels and encompasses some of the world’s most beautiful and varied boating waters and marine wildlife, scenery and heritage. That is not to say that Indonesia hasn’t done anything to brand the country. It clearly has, but it hasn’t done a very good job at it as the results have been anything but effective until very recently. Such problem inspire a group of students of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) to carry out their work through Student Creativity Program Written Ideas (PKM-GT). Monica Apitasari, Asep Saepulloh Sajali, and Neng Sinta Noveria Aska to investigates the underwater ecotourism to promote and increase public awareness of marine beauties in Indonesia.
The oceans and seas of Indonesia are incredible things of beauty, with a fascinating mix of underwater gardens and marine life. Of particular importance are the stunning coral reefs, which act as a protection mechanism to coastlines and a home to an array of ecosystems. The oceans and seas of Indonesia as tourist objects have benefitted the communities. Plenty of people in coastal areas depends very much their on livelihoods through sea products. With the encouragement of the tourism sector, the people's economy is also expected to increase.
Supporting the conservation as well as the utilization the sea as a sustainable tourism area, Fieldtrinesia which was initiated Monica Apitasari and her team have the concept of underwater tourism with the principle of ecotourism as a marine sanctuary to assist the government of apply the program.
"Fieldtrinesia has two concepts of educational tourism namely the Marine Education Center and Aquarinesia Milky Way. Marine Education Center is a marine study center that serves to provide education related to marine in Indonesia. While Aquarinesia Milky Way made as a learning medium of marine biota. Akuarinesia exhibits marine fish and 70 shallow marine species, "said Asep, one of the team members.
Collaboration of the two concepts is expected to contribute in increasing public awareness of the importance of the sea and how to conserve it. However, to realize the idea of Fieldtrinesia certainly required cooperation between various parties including the government as a regulator, coastal communities as executors, and academicians as a basic conception and embrace business for management. The criterion of target objects of Fieldtrinesia is the coastal areas which is potentially developed to be tourism objects, as well as its infrastructures and its human resources.
"Indonesia's maritime wealth should be utilized optimally. It is time for us to improve our awareness to conserve and develop the beauty of Indonesian marine landscapes as they very beneficial for our communities, "he said. (Wied)
