A framework for an effective nationwide seagrass data collection: a case study for Indonesia

Seagrass is globally important in supporting food security, mitigating climate change, and supporting biodiversity. Despite the growing conservation efforts, seagrass ecosystems remain under significant anthropogenic pressures, leading to degradation globally. Effective management strategies to reverse the degradation require comprehensive data and information regarding the current state of these ecosystems. Collecting seagrass data has been particularly challenging for a large archipelagic country, such as Indonesia, resulting in a fragmented and limited dataset scattered among various stakeholders. In this paper, we described how a multi-stakeholder collaboration could address the challenges associated with seagrass data collection in such regions, using Indonesia as a case study. We assessed the strategies employed to overcome the barriers and discussed the role of each party in the multi-stakeholder collaboration in improving the capacity for data collection, mapping, and monitoring seagrass ecosystems in Indonesia. The results showed that the strategy was effective, and the key factors include establishing partnerships, standardizing data collection methods, stakeholder mapping, and capacity building. In conclusion, this study proposed a seagrass data collection framework by promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration at a national level, which could be adapted for use in other countries facing similar challenges. The approach is expected to yield standardized and reliable nationwide data on seagrass ecosystems, thereby supporting effective management against the increasing anthropogenic pressures and rapid environmental change.