It is with our great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend and esteemed colleague, Prof. Dr. Iskandar Zulkarnain on July 2, 2017.

Pak Iskandar is the Chair of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences & Indonesian National Focal Point for IOC/UNESCO and its WESTPAC.

His contribution was of great significance to WESTPAC during these years, which included an eventful period of restructuring WESTPAC in order to enable it to be more effective, responsive and responsible for serving the needs of the people and countries in the region. With his unwavering commitment, Indonesia has been elevating its contribution to marine science development and cooperation among countries in the region, as evidenced by the inauguration and operation of an IOC Regional Training and Research Center on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health in the Research Center for Oceanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences.

We will dearly miss his bright smiles, open-minded attitude towards challenges, critical insights, and his deep love for the people.

May Pak Iskandar rest in peace.