The Coral Triangle

Spanning a major part of the Coral Triangle, an area of highest marine biodiversity in the tropical western Pacific, Indonesian archipelago has an extensive coral reef coverage with well over 500 coral species having been recorded.  There is no doubt that coastal and marine resources, mostly in the form of coral reef ecosystems, have contributed significantly to the economic development of the country.  Recognizing the importance of marine conservation for sustainable utilization of resources and environments, Indonesian government has committed itself to establishing and effectively managing marine protected areas (MPAs) covering 200,000 km2 by 2020.  There has been a tremendous growth in MPAs in Indonesia: from only 54,198 km2 in 2003, the total protected area has tripled to 164,511 km2 (as of July 2015). Of those MPAs established, 30% are managed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, 35% by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and the remaining 35% by local governments. The varied capacities, foci and funding of these institutions create complexity and inefficiency in resource use, which could undermine the effectiveness of MPAs.  The immediate tasks have been identified, e.g. attaining the MPA target to protect an additional 35,500 km2 of coastal areas, as well as managing the existing ones effectively and sustainably. This paper details the status of Indonesian MPAs from historical and current policy-based perspectives, together with consideration of challenges that lie ahead for improved MPA management towards the future

The Coral Triangle is a global priority for conservation and since the creation of the Coral Triangle Initiative in 2007 it has been a major focus for a multi-lateral conservation partnership uniting the region’s six governments. The Coral Triangle (CT) Atlas was developed to provide scientists and managers with the best available data on marine resources in the Coral Triangle. Endorsed as an official supporting tool to the Coral Triangle Initiative, the CT Atlas strives to provide the most accurate information possible to track the success of the conservation efforts of the Initiative. Focusing on marine protected areas and key marine habitats, the CT Atlas tested a process to assess the quality, reliability, and accuracy of different data layers. This article describes the mechanism used to evaluate these layers and to provide accurate data. Results of the preliminary quality control process showed errors in reputable datasets, outdated and missing data, metadata gaps, and a lack of user instructions to interpret layers. It highlighted the need to challenge existing datasets and demonstrated that regional efforts could improve the data available to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures. The Coral Triangle Atlas is continuously being updated to be as accurate as possible for reliable analysis.