The CTC team made waves at the International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) held in Kuala Lumpur last month. Organized by the Society for Conservation Biology, the event brought together researchers, students, practitioners and educators to present and discuss their research, projects and challenges, as well as the intersection between conservation biology and society, history, genetics, psychology, economics and religion. With more than 2,000 practitioners in attendance, this year’s ICCB was a major global networking forum, and provided our team with an international platform to discuss and promote our projects.

We presented the impact and lessons learned from our capacity building programs; our conservation work in Bali, Maluku, and North Maluku provinces; as well as our Pejuang Laut community champions program and our Women Leaders Intergenerational Leadership Program in the Coral Triangle. 

The team was led by CTC Senior Program Manager Hesti Widodo who presented on “Management Effectiveness: Investing on marine protected area personnel capacity in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia.” Her presentation focused on a case study approach to investigate how participation in MPA capacity building activities impacts the work performance of the Nusa Penida MPA’s personnel. 

Our Nusa Penida Project Leader Wira Sanjaya presented on “Evaluating Management Effectiveness of Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area – Surviving the Storm.”  His presentation focused on how the recent change in MPA governance framework in Indonesia impacted the management effectiveness of Nusa Penida and what factors are critical to keep the MPA effective while undergoing changes in governance systems.

CTC’s GIS and Knowledge Management Specialist, Nyoman Suardana presented on “Essential Trainings for Engaging Stakeholders in Marine Protected Area (MPA) Establishment in Maluku and North Maluku, Indonesia.” He focused on the experiential learning methods that we used in our capacity building activities related to the establishment of new MPAs in Indonesia. He concluded that training activities increase knowledge, enhance capacity, and provide a venue for stronger engagement of MPA stakeholders, which potentially will lead to effective marine conservation. 

Our Training, Learning Network and Program Support Specialist, Agustin Capriati presented on “The Effects of Human Activities and Environmental Conditions on Coral Reefs in Lease Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesia.”  She focused on how the importance of understanding human interventions and the changing of environmental conditions can be used as scientific input to adaptive ecosystem-based management of coral reefs.

In the Speed Talk Session, our Field Communications Officer, Yoga Putra presented on “Building Local Champions to Catalyze Marine Conservation in Maluku and North Maluku Province, Indonesia.” He showcased how building the capacity of local champions known as “Pejuang Laut” can propel marine conservation in communities and how this model can be replicated for catalyzing positive behavior change towards marine conservation in Indonesia.

Also in the Speed Talk Session, our Regional Communications and Program Coordinator,  Leilani Gallardo presented on the “Intergenerational Learning for Women Leaders: Harnessing the Next Generation of Marine Conservationists in the Coral Triangle.” She highlighted the successful intergenerational leadership learning program, established for women leaders in the Coral Triangle region, on how marine conservation knowledge is transferred from senior women marine conservationists to early career women practitioners.