26 October 2021-  It’s not every day that marine scientists discover endangered underwater species outside of their habitat.

Hence, when a group of international researchers under UNDP’s Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) project found carpet sharks and Australian humpback dolphins in the Indonesian waters of the Southeast Aru marine sanctuary in Maluku province, the excitement quickly turned to a call of action to strengthen regional marine conservation.

The discovery by the team of 13 researchers was a rare feat because the two shallow sea species don’t normally roam in the waters of the Southeast Aru and they’re considered rare.

The spotted carpet sharks and the dolphins were found at the observation site in the tropical and subtropical waters around the Sahul Shelf, which stretches from Australia’s northern boundaries to the southern waters of Indonesia’s Papua and Papua New Guinea. The water is home to some of the world’s richest marine biodiversity and it has a sandy bottom with hard coral and coral rubble. According to early observations, the primary habitat of this shark in Indonesia appears to be in shallow coastal waters and coral reefs.

The Southeast Aru Islands SAP is one of the national marine conservation areas (KKPN) starting to manage by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) in 2009. This area has been set a number of conservation targets: to protect ecosystems, endemic marine biota and turtles; to support the development of the tourism industry; and to conserve marine resources for communities living there. To improve the effectiveness of area management, the Kupang KKPN Centre has collaborated with UNDP Indonesia as the National Coordination Unit of the Global Environment Fund-supported ATSEA-2 Programme since October 2020.

As part of their monitoring activities, the researchers collected data on the condition of the mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs, while also collecting data on vulnerable and endangered species such as the humpback dolphins and the speckled carpet sharks.

Based on observations at 11 dive points spread across each zone within the conservation area and beyond its boundaries, the team successfully identified the diversity of hard coral composition, along with an assessment of the average biomass of herbivorous and carnivorous fish in the area. These data demonstrate the importance of the food chain to support the restoration of coral ecosystems within the area. An awareness of herbivorous fish and algae eaters has been shown to support the process of restoring coral areas, by providing space in which coral seedlings can grow.

It's unclear what drove the two species away from their natural habitat, but the findings are expected to aid in the process of reviewing zones within the area and contribute to better, more efficient management of the area.

It also illustrates the importance of community engagement to help protecting the two species. Hence, developing community awareness on responsible fishing as well as the importance of marine conversation is imperative

Indeed, communities should not only be involved as a beneficiary, but also as a supervisor that helps strengthen existing management at the community level. In this way, petuanan – or marine tenure – can be central to the effective management of the SAP area in the Southeast Aru Islands.

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Text by Dwi Ariyoga Gautama

Edited by Tomi Soetjipto and Ranjit Jose