This workshop will bring together researchers from the US and Indonesia to discuss the critical issues in biodiversity that affect the Pacific Rim in general and Indonesia in particular. Leading biodiversity investigators from the US will integrate with their Indonesian counterparts who are working to understand the role of Indonesia's extensive and diverse fauna, flora and microbiota. The waters surrounding the ca. 17,000 Indonesian Islands are home to over a quarter of the Earth's identified fish species, and more than 60% of the hard coral species. Most taxa are endemic - these Islands afford many unique niches for organisms to evolve and interact.
Nature is under constant threat as human activity encroaches on the amazingly diverse and unexplored habitats in Indonesia. The coral reefs, in particular, are at considerable risk. It is essential that biodiversity scientists explore these habitats and provide critical data needed to drive conservation efforts and priorities. The workshop will promote international collaboration to enable future partnerships and student exchange.
