Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we unfortunately had to postpone our planned fieldwork in Indonesia and therefore also the Network Training Activity that was scheduled to take place in Makassar. This NTA would have included training in field techniques and explorations of the turbid reef environments in the Spermonde Archipelago in south Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Instead, we filled this NTA program with other activities including a training on science communication, topical discussion groups, and a panel session around Indonesian perspectives to coral reef management.
Figure 1. Thirza Stam, Science Communicator at Naturalis Biodiversity Center, provided an engaging training on how to use social media and write concise short stories about your research.
ESR2, Elsa B. Girard, wrote the following summary about NTA2:
To keep the conversation going…
First reactions of the 4D-REEF consortium when we heard that NTA2 would be online for a second time: “Really!?”, “Can’t we postpone it instead?”, “Not again…”. Such reactions are understandable, as it means hours of virtual interactions, and especially because the consortium has not yet had the chance to meet in person since the ESRs have been appointed.
Once NTA2 was settled, a positive wave hit the consortium and we definitely looked forward to “getting together” again. During three half-days, we discussed the advancement of each ESR’s project and the preparation for future fieldwork. We also had the pleasure to hear about the Indonesian socio-economic perspectives surrounding coral reef management by a distinguished panel with Indonesian managers and scientists:
This NTA was a success at all levels! Not only collaborations between ESRs and between different institutions are flourishing, but we also feel more and more connected to one another.
Written by ESR: Elsa B. Girard
MSc in Geobiology and Paleobiology
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Netherlands
