LIPI Launches National Data Centers On Coastal Ecosystems

JAKARTA, Feb 21 (Antara) - The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Oceanography Research Center on Tuesday launched national data centers on coastal ecosystems which can be used as a reference for coastal ecosystem management. "So far, we do not have data centers on coastal ecosystems," LIPI Oceanography Research Center director Dirhamsyah said here on Tuesday. The Oceanography Research Center has been trying to collect data about coastal ecosystems since 1905. "However, the data is scattered, so we try to reassemble it," Dirhamsyah stated. Data collected by the institution among others are data on coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and aquatic environments. The data can also be accessed through the site pusdata.oseanografi.lipi.go.id. The data center can be used for the reference of coastal ecosystem management, coastal area planning and development of oceanographic sciences in general. "The data presented can be a graph," Dirhamsyah stated. In addition, the institute is compiling health indexes for mangrove and seagrass as Indonesia has no index to determine mangrove and seagrass in a healthy condition. The Center for Oceanographic Research has contributed to national development, particularly in the field of science and marine technology.