Overview
Calvin joined MMF Indonesia in 2025 after graduating. As a Research Assistant, he helps monitor manta ray and sea turtle populations around Derawan, Nusa Penida, Komodo, and the Lesser Sunda Seascape, working on the Indonesia Manta Ray Project and the Indonesia Sea Turtle Project. He is also helping the team expand its acoustic telemetry work to track mantas.
Education
2025 Bachelor of Science with Honours, Biology
Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Thesis title: Diet Analyses of Halmahera Walking Shark through Cloacal Swabs Faecal DNA (fDNA) Metabarcoding
Biography
Calvin grew up in Tarakan, an island in North Kalimantan. He spent many weekends trekking through forests, hills, and rivers with his dad, or at home watching wildlife documentaries. That curiosity led him to study Biology at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. He wasn’t sure where it would take him, but he knew he wanted to work in the field, close to wildlife.
At university, a friend talked him into joining the campus dive club, and Calvin quickly became obsessed with the ocean. He looked for every chance to get in the water. That led to his first marine research project, an Honours thesis that used DNA traces from non-invasive cloacal swabs to find out what Halmahera walking sharks eat.
Outside work, Calvin is happiest recharging with some quiet time at home, though every now and then he heads out to wander the island with his camera or catch the sunset.
Current research
Team member
- Education and OutreachIndonesiaTeam
- Indonesia Manta Ray ProjectTeam
- Indonesia Sea Turtle ProjectTeam
- The Lesser Sunda Seascape Tracking NetworkIndonesiaTeam
