Reflections on my experience as an Early Career Ocean Professional

By Devica Natalia Br Ginting

I am Devica Natalia Br Ginting, a researcher at Research Center for Oceanography, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia. I have been passionate about blue carbon since joining the CSIRO Blue Carbon Fellowship in 2019, which led me to focus my research on blue carbon ecosystems, particularly seagrass. In my Master of Science thesis (which I completed after the Blue Carbon Fellowship), I developed seagrass mapping procedures using remote sensing data and machine learning methods. My research explores how to extract valuable information about blue carbon ecosystems through remote sensing data.

After completing my Masters degree, I planned to integrate oceanography and remote sensing to study blue carbon ecosystems. When I received an email from the IORA Blue Carbon Hub, along with information about this program from my office, I was excited to apply. The Early Career Ocean Professionals program offers the opportunity to pursue our own research interests while being mentored by experts in the field, as well as access to international-quality facilities. It’s a valuable and appealing opportunity for early-career professionals like me.

Seagrass ecosystems play a crucial role as coastal habitats with high ecological value. They serve as primary producers, coastal protectors, and habitats for numerous organisms, while also sequestering and storing carbon. These ecosystems are complex, exhibiting abundant biodiversity and varying habitat conditions, ranging from intertidal zones to depths of 60 meters. Seagrass meadows can be found in a variety of aquatic environments, ranging from turbid to clear waters, with seagrass density varying from individual patches to homogeneous meadows. These characteristics make mapping and monitoring seagrasses particularly challenging. 

Seagrass meadows are widespread along coastlines globally, with a significant presence on small islands. Nusa Lembongan was selected for this study and it is a small island with extensive seagrass beds that are vulnerable to degradation due to climate change and anthropogenic activities. My project had two objectives: to accurately assess the extent and changes in seagrass cover, as well as identify the underlying climate and anthropogenic factors contributing to these changes.

The classification was conducted for benthic habitat classes, namely coral, seagrass, and substrate, along with the addition of two other classes: seaweed and other (cloud shadows, ships, clouds, wave breaking). The classification method used was random forest. The data used in this study included satellite imagery (Worldview-2, Worldview-3, and Sentinel-2), ground data, and oceanographic data. The results have shown that mapping seagrass using remote sensing data is an effective approach for mapping seagrass and monitoring changes. This research has shown that seagrass meadows in Nusa Lembongan have declined by 64% from 2013 to 2022, or an annual loss of approximately 7.1%.

The Early Career Ocean Professional program is an excellent opportunity for early-career professionals, particularly those passionate about blue carbon ecosystems. It offers a chance to expand knowledge, build networks, create new opportunities, and engage in cross-cultural learning. Through this program, I was able to gather valuable data for my research, references, and gain insightful feedback on investigating the impact of anthropogenic and interannual phenomena on seagrass. The discussions were engaging, sparking curiosity about the condition of seagrass in the study area and other regions. I would like to extend my gratitude to Mat for his time and the opportunities he provided for us to learn so much, as well as for his constructive feedback and discussions. I also want to thank Lauren and Mark for their warm welcome, continued support, and efforts to ensure everything went smoothly before our arrival and throughout the program, making our experience in Perth truly wonderful.

Through this program, I also had the opportunity to work with drone data, which was a new experience for me. I am thankful to Nick for his assistance in ensuring the data was properly utilized and for providing tips for improvement. I would also like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to participate in Ocean Hack Week—an unforgettable experience. That experience gave me valuable insights into how to automate the code I have been using in my research.

Indonesia has the second-largest seagrass meadows in the world. However, there are still very few experts who focus on researching seagrass ecosystems. This situation is exacerbated by the limited understanding of seagrass ecosystems, which are more complex and dynamic than other blue-carbon ecosystems such as mangroves. Additionally, seagrass meadows are continuously degrading over time. Enhancing capacity and gaining a deeper understanding of seagrass ecosystems will assist Indonesia in providing more accurate information, as well as a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of these ecosystems, supporting seagrass conservation and restoration efforts in Indonesia. Furthermore, improvements in understanding and conservation efforts will also contribute to the vision of ecosystem protection through the Global Biodiversity Framework’s “30 by 30” goal and help achieve Indonesia’s climate targets.

The ECOP program also provides a valuable opportunity for future collaboration with colleagues from IORA Member States. This program has allowed me to gain insights not only into research but also into policy and finance aspects. I am grateful for the opportunity to meet colleagues from IORA Member States: Ashraf, Avi, Jamie, Nguu, and Waruni. Your presence has made this program and Perth a vibrant and meaningful experience. I would also like to thank Mussa for his time and encouragement to move forward.

The ECOP program plays an important role in enhancing understanding, and competence, and opening opportunities for participants to further explore and comprehend related topics. This program also helps to improve essential skills, such as communication and provides participants with the opportunity to connect with experts from various fields, which can open doors for future collaboration. The opportunity to grow and engage with professionals in their field is crucial for junior researchers like myself.

After completing this program, my short-term plan is to collaborate with key people and submit the findings of this research to journals. Additionally, I plan to use this topic as the basis for my future PhD studies. I also hope to continue collaborating with the IORA Blue Carbon Hub and ECOP program alumni in the future.

Finally, I would like to thank the Research Center for Oceanography, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) for allowing me to attend the Early Career Ocean Professional program 2024 in Perth, Australia.