The Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK) at Diponegoro University successfully held the 6th International Conference on Tropical and Coastal Region Eco-Development (ICTCRED) 2020 virtually on October 27–28, 2020, through Zoom Meeting. The annual international conference served as an academic forum to discuss climate change issues affecting coastal health, socio-economic conditions, fisheries, and marine environments.
The conference was officially opened by the then Rector of UNDIP, Prof. Dr. Yos Johan Utama, S.H., M.Hum., and attended by university leaders, deans from various faculties, researchers, and academics from several countries. ICTCRED 2020 carried the theme “Sustainable Development in Coastal Area” as part of its commitment to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 13 on Climate Action, Goal 14 on Life Below Water, and Goal 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.
A total of 10 keynote speakers from 7 countries participated in the conference. The speakers represented leading institutions worldwide, including the University of Tokyo (Japan), Pukyong National University (South Korea), Boston University (United States), Edinburgh Napier University (Scotland), National Central University (Taiwan), and the International Islamic University Malaysia. They presented various strategic topics ranging from aquaculture, oceanography, and marine ecology to food technology, infectious disease modeling, and GIS-based spatial analysis.
Chairman of the organizing committee, Dr. Aris Ismanto, S.Sc., M.Sc., stated that despite being conducted online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the conference received strong enthusiasm from participants. More than 200 research abstracts were submitted, with 107 presenters successfully passing the selection process. The presenters came from Indonesia, the Netherlands, the United States, and Japan.
Research papers presented at ICTCRED 2020 were planned for publication in various internationally reputable proceedings and journals indexed by Scopus, including the Institute of Physics (IOP), International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Biodiversitas, Bioflux AACL, as well as several nationally accredited SINTA journals.
At the event, Dean of FPIK UNDIP Prof. Tri Winarni Agustini, M.Sc., Ph.D., emphasized that ICTCRED 2020 reflected multidisciplinary collaboration integrating coastal health, socio-economic studies, and marine sciences. The conference covered topics such as aquaculture, fisheries, biotechnology, coastal engineering, disaster mitigation, coastal resources, oceanography, and coastal health.
ICTCRED 2020 was also supported by several national and international institutions, including the Indonesian Association of Oceanology Scholars (ISOI), Center for ICZM UNDIP, CoREM UNDIP, TU Delft Netherlands, NWO Netherlands, and Tufts University USA. The conference was expected to contribute significantly to the advancement of science and technology, particularly in fisheries and marine sciences.