Muhammad Ichsan
MMF Research Associate, Indonesian Board
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ichsan[@]marinemegafauna.org
Research Interests
Ichsan's research interest has focused on shark and ray biology, ecology, and fisheries management. Ichsan’s research on reef sharks has built fundamental knowledge for conservation and marine tourism in Morotai, Indonesia. Ichsan’s shark fisheries work is also establishing baseline information on understudied shark fisheries in Aceh and North Maluku, Indonesia. Currently, Ichsan is focusing on learning about shark genetics, biology, and ecology. Looking forward, Ichsan strives to work on management implementation of sharks and rays at the national level especially for endangered, understudied, and CITES-listing species.
Education
2016 Masters of Conservation Biology (MConsBiol)
The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
2009 Bachelor of Marine Science (BSc)
Thesis title: Temporal Distribution of Reef Manta Ray (Manta alfredi) in Karang Makassar Waters, Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara.
Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia.
Biography
Born and raised in Indonesia, Ichsan interacted with the animal world from an early age. Ichsan learned marine science and how to SCUBA dive in university to get closer to marine life. His research of manta rays in Komodo National Park set his interest and a foundation for his career.
After graduating from university, Ichsan became a divemaster working in newly-established marine tourism destinations in eastern Indonesia, where he learned more about reef sharks and sustainable tourism. Ichsan continued his studies at the University of Queensland in Australia majoring in Conservation Biology with support from the Indonesia Endowment Fund (LPDP) Scholarship.
After receiving his Masters in 2016, Ichsan began working with a conservation organization in Indonesia with a focus on shark and ray conservation. He also works with an international development program designed to promote and improve sustainable fisheries. Meanwhile, he received a fellowship program to conduct a research program for endangered thresher sharks in Aceh, Indonesia. At the moment Ichsan is preparing for Shark Genetic Seascape study in the Indian Ocean with international collaborators and MMF, also for his upcoming doctoral study in hammerhead shark biology and ecology in Queensland, Australia. When he is not working with marine animals, Ichsan enjoys photography and learning world history.
Current projects
Ichsan will focus on supporting researchers from Stanford University in developing an innovative ‘Genetic Seascape’ of reef shark populations within the British Indian Ocean Territory Marine Protected Area (BIOT MPA) and regionally to other countries including Indonesia.
The project aims to investigate genetic connectivity, population health, and the vulnerability of reef sharks to illegal fishing at a fine spatial scale in and around BIOT. The results will inform the design of a sustainable and nuanced science-based conservation strategy to protect sharks and marine ecosystems in BIOT from depletion. Further, the project will build capacity in regional countries for ecological assessments of marine species, and thereby foster equity and diversity in marine science and conservation.
Media
Locally-appropriate solutions to saving globally-threatened marine megafauna | ICCS
Sustainably managing shark fishing for livelihoods and food security in Indonesia | The Darwin Initiative
Chinese boat that dumped Indonesian crews at sea was also shark-finning | Mongabay
As COVID-19 batters fishery, Indonesia’s sharks get a respite | Mongabay
Pertama Kali di Indonesia, Ditemukan Hiu ‘Living Fossil’ Goblin di Aceh | Mongabay
Pertama Kali di Indonesia, Ditemukan Hiu ‘Living Fossil’ Goblin di Aceh | Mongabay
Hiu Masih Saja Diburu, Mengapa? | Mongabay
Featured papers
Genetic connectivity of the scalloped hammerhead shark Sphyrna lewini across Indonesia and the Western Indian Ocean. 2020. Hadi, S., Andayani, N., Muttaqin, E., Simeon. B.M., Ichsan, M., Subhan, B., et al. (2020). PLoS ONE 15(10): e0230763.
Thresher sharks (Alopiidae) catch in the pelagic fisheries of Western Indonesia. 2020. Ichsan, M., Ula, S., Simeon, B., Muttaqin, E. and Booth, H. (2020).In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. (Vol. 420). IOP Publishing.
Shark fisheries and trade characteristic in North Maluku, Indonesia. 2019. Ichsan, M., Simeon, B.M., Muttaqin, E., Ula, S. and Booth, H. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 348, No. 1, p. 012013). IOP Publishing.
Size distribution and sex ratio of scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) in Banda Aceh fisheries. 2019. Ichsan, M., Simeon, B.M. and Muttaqin, E. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 278, No. 1, p. 012038). IOP Publishing.
The economic value of shark and ray tourism in Indonesia and its role in delivering conservation outcomes. 2018. Mustika, P.L.K., Ichsan, M., Booth, H. Frontiers in Marine Science. 7, 261
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