The UP Visayas College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS) students, Ms. Jem Celyne Ferrer, Ms. Nicole Galve, and Ms. Pearl Aljean Santacera completed the International Tropical Summer Course (ITroSCo) Camp 2023 last August 1-12, 2023 at Semarang City, Central Java, Indonesia.
Ms. Ferrer and Ms. Galve are both 3rd year BS in Fisheries students while Ms. Santacera is a graduate student in the MS Ocean Sciences Program of the Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanology. They were joined by other international undergraduate and graduate students from Brunei, Cameroon, Gambia, Iran, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Singapore, Sudan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uganda, USA, and Yemen.
The international tropical summer course, abbreviated as ITroSCo, was organized by the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP). This year’s theme is “Tropical Marine Ecosystem & Marine Products”. The program combines class sessions and practical fieldwork to equip the students with basic experience in tropical fisheries and ecological restoration and conservation.
The students attended a series of class sessions with two sessions per day. The topics covered were Diversification of Marine Products, Associated Mangrove Aquaculture for Coastal Protection and Sustainable Aquaculture, Stock of Marine Fish Resources and Fishing Gear Analysis based on Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, Mangroves as Coastal Conservation and Restoration Plant, Marine Flora and Fauna of KarimunJawa Islands, and Cultural Heritage Embedded in Fashion and Buildings in Semarang City, Indonesia.
After the class sessions, the students traveled to KarimunJawa Island in the town of Jepara to get up close with the island’s rich and diverse marine ecosystems through various land and water activities such as trekking, swimming, snorkelling, diving, beach cleaning, and releasing of baby marine turtles.
Also one of the highlights of the two-week program was the cultural exchange. The students were immersed in various cultures through their traditional food, clothes, dances, historical places, and languages which enabled them to share their similarities and celebrate their differences.
