The Assessment Center (TUK) of the Faculty of Marine and Fisheries Sciences Unhas in collaboration with LSP PRO BRIN held a Mangrove Community Appraiser Competency Training and Certification which was held on 6 – 13 December 2021 in Makassar and Maros Regency.

In addition to coral reef ecosystems and seagrass ecosystems, the mangrove ecosystem is a key of tropical ecosystems that support each other, are interrelated, influence each other, with many benefits, so their existence must be maintained. Not only an ecological function, but the mangrove ecosystem also plays a role in protecting coastal and coastal areas from waves and natural disasters. Further, it can also provide added value to the social and economic life of the surrounding community, emphasized the Dean of FIKP, Safruddin, S.Pi, MP Ph.D. in his remarks at the opening ceremony.

High population activity in coastal areas damaged the mangrove forests in Indonesia is among the most severe in the world. The construction and development activities of big cities such as DKI Jakarta, Surabaya City, Makassar City, and other cities in Indonesia, have put great pressure on the existence of mangrove forests, including population activities such as fishing and forestry activities.

Based on this, a management effort is needed to protect the existence of the mangrove community, for example by measuring the status of the degradation and health of the mangrove community in an area that produces accurate and valid data to provide policies and management programs. In order to produce reliable data, information, and analysis, training and competency certification for assessors of mangrove communities are required so that mangrove ecosystem management policies can be sustainable by maintaining these ecosystem functions. This activity was attended by participants from various universities and agencies from the Prov. Aceh, Southeast Sulawesi, DKI Jakarta and Prov. South Sulawesi, said the Head of the FIKP Assessment Center, Dr. Ir. Aisjah Farhum, M.Si. on the same occasion.