14.3.3 Research Supporting the Maintenance of Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA) contributes to the maintenance of aquatic and coastal ecosystems through research on ecosystem health, biodiversity, climate adaptation, and nature-based approaches.
In 2025, UNISSULA researchers contributed to studies published in the proceedings of The 6th International Conference on Coastal and Delta Areas (ICCDA 2025) in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Volume 1543. The studies address threatened coastal and river environments and explore approaches that can support ecosystem resilience, biodiversity monitoring, and sustainable environmental management.
ICCDA 2025 Proceedings:
Nature-Based Solutions for the Threatened Coastal Area of Sayung, Demak
One of the key UNISSULA studies published in 2025 is entitled “Climate Change Disaster Risk Reduction in Coastal Settlements of Sayung Demak, With Nature-Based Solutions.”
The research was authored by Jamilla Kautsary, Tiaranoor Andolia, and Dewi Ilma, affiliated with Urban and Regional Planning at Universitas Islam Sultan Agung. It was published in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Volume 1543, article 012041.
The study examines the coastal area of Sayung, Demak, which faces significant environmental pressures from climate change, tidal flooding, waves, and changes to the coastline.
The research investigates Nature-Based Solutions as part of climate-disaster risk reduction in the coastal area. This approach is relevant because it works with natural systems and ecosystem functions while addressing environmental and climate-related risks.
Public evidence:
Research on an Ecosystem Under Environmental Pressure
Sayung represents an important area for ecosystem-related research because the coastal environment is exposed to multiple environmental pressures.
Changes in wave conditions and increasing tidal flooding have contributed to substantial changes to the coastline and affected productive and inhabited areas.
UNISSULA’s research in this setting contributes to understanding how environmental planning and nature-based approaches can support the resilience of a threatened coastal ecosystem.
The focus on an environmentally vulnerable coastal area strengthens the relevance of the research to ecosystem maintenance and long-term environmental sustainability.
Environmental DNA for River Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity
A second major ICCDA 2025 study involving UNISSULA researchers is entitled “Leveraging DNA Analysis in River Water: A Catalyst for Flood Prevention, Ecosystem Health, and Community Resilience.”
The authors include Ari Sentani and Selamet Imam Wahyudi from Civil Engineering, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, together with researchers from Politeknik Negeri Semarang and Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.
The study examines the potential use of Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis in river systems to support ecosystem-health monitoring, biodiversity assessment, water-quality assessment, pathogen detection, flood-risk understanding, and community resilience.
Public evidence:
Monitoring Biodiversity Through Environmental DNA
Environmental DNA provides an important approach for understanding biological communities in aquatic environments.
Analysis of environmental DNA can provide information about water quality and biodiversity, allowing researchers to better understand the condition of river ecosystems and identify environmental changes that may affect ecosystem health.
In this context, the research supports a scientific pathway from:
biodiversity → water quality → ecosystem condition → environmental change
This strengthens UNISSULA’s contribution to research that can support the maintenance of aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity.
International Research Collaboration
The river ecosystem research also demonstrates international academic collaboration.
The study involved researchers from:
- Universitas Islam Sultan Agung;
- Politeknik Negeri Semarang; and
- Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands.
This collaboration strengthens the exchange of knowledge and research methods related to aquatic ecosystem monitoring and environmental risk.
Linking Coastal Resilience and Ecosystem Maintenance
The two ICCDA 2025 studies address complementary aspects of aquatic ecosystem sustainability.
The Sayung research addresses a threatened coastal environment and explores Nature-Based Solutions for climate adaptation and disaster-risk reduction.
Sayung–Demak research:
https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1543/1/012041
The river eDNA research focuses on methods for understanding ecosystem health and biodiversity through environmental monitoring.
River eDNA research:
https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1543/1/012045
Together, these studies demonstrate UNISSULA’s research activity addressing both the physical resilience of aquatic ecosystems and the biological information required to understand their condition.
Supporting Research on Mangrove Ecosystem Management
UNISSULA’s 2025 research on mangrove environments provides additional supporting evidence.
A study published in Jurnal Kajian Ruang examined community participation in environmental management in the mangrove ecotourism area of Tapak Village, Semarang.
The study discusses mangrove ecosystem functions, environmental degradation, biodiversity, and community participation in environmental management.
Tapak Mangrove Research 2025:
https://jurnal.unissula.ac.id/index.php/kr/article/download/44112/12346
This evidence complements the ICCDA studies because it examines how local communities participate in maintaining an environmentally sensitive coastal ecosystem.
Mangrove Edupark Tambakrejo Research
Another UNISSULA study in 2025 examined Mangrove Edupark Tambakrejo and community participation in its management.
The research addresses the importance of the mangrove environment for coastal protection and the role of communities in managing and maintaining mangrove diversity.
Mangrove Edupark Tambakrejo Research 2025:
https://repository.unissula.ac.id/46641
This study provides additional local evidence connecting university research with the management of existing coastal ecosystems.
Evidence of Implementation
- UNISSULA researchers conducted and published 2025 research on the environmentally vulnerable coastal area of Sayung, Demak, examining Nature-Based Solutions for reducing climate-related risks.https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1543/1/012041
- The Sayung research addresses a coastal environment affected by shoreline change, tidal flooding, and climate-related pressures, making it relevant to an ecosystem under threat.
- UNISSULA researchers also contributed to 2025 research on environmental DNA in river water for ecosystem-health and biodiversity monitoring.https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1543/1/012045
- The river research explicitly connects environmental DNA analysis with water quality, biodiversity, pathogens, and ecosystem-health monitoring.
- The eDNA research was conducted collaboratively by UNISSULA, Politeknik Negeri Semarang, and Hanze University of Applied Sciences, strengthening research engagement on aquatic ecosystem monitoring.
- Additional 2025 UNISSULA research examined community-based management of the Tapak mangrove ecosystem.https://jurnal.unissula.ac.id/index.php/kr/article/download/44112/12346
- Research at Mangrove Edupark Tambakrejo further examined community participation and mangrove ecosystem management.https://repository.unissula.ac.id/46641/