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IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC)

Advancing knowledge and cooperation for a healthy ocean and prosperous society

UN Ocean Decade Actions

UN 23:

Accelerating Capacity Development Transformation in the Western Pacific

Regional Network of Training and Research Centers (RTRCs) on Marine Science

RTRC on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health

RTRC-MarBEST

With the strong commitment of the Government of Indonesia and building on rich experience in monitoring the health of the coral reefs and associated ecosystems, the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) established a Regional Training and Research Centre on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health (RTRC-MarBEST) at the Research Center for Oceanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (RCO-LIPI) in October 2016.

The RTRC on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health was officially approved by the UNESCO/IOC WESTPAC at its 11th Intergovernmental Session (WESTPAC-XI, 21-23 April 2017, Qingdao, China), and hosted by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jakarta, Indonesia.

Aims to

  • Developing and strengthening the capacity and capabilities of human resources, particularly young researchers and lecturers from member countries in the Western Indo-Pacific region, through training and research related to marine biodiversity and ecosystems;
  • Researching and developing common methodologies for marine ecosystem health monitoring and assessment, especially coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves;
  • Promoting scientific collaborations among experts, institutions and countries in this region and beyond, on marine ecosystem health monitoring and assessment.

Achievements: Activities conducted during 2016-2020

Regional Network of Training and Research Centers (RTRCs)

RTRC on Ocean Dynamics and Climate

 

Host Institute: 
First Institute of Oceanography (FIO), Qingdao, China

Establishment:
11 May 2010

RTRC on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health

 

Host Institute:
National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jakarta, Indonesia

Establishment:
21-23 April 2017

RTRC on Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics

 

Host institute:
East China Normal University, Shanghai, China

Establishment:
2 April 2019

RTRC on Marine Toxins and Seafood Safety

 

Host institute:
Institute of Oceanography, Khánh Hòa, Vietnam

Establishment:
2 April 2019

RTRC on Reef Management and Restoration

 

Host institute:
University of the Philippines, Philippines

Establishment:
2 April 2019

RTRC on Coastal Contaminant Monitoring and Marine Innovation Technology

 

Host institute:
State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution of the City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Establishment:
4-7 April 2023