Indo Ocean Foundation co-Founder to Lead Session at the 16th International Coral Reef Symposium

We are very excited to share that Pascal Sebastian, Co-Founder of Indo Ocean Foundation, has been accepted as a Session Leader for the 16th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS), to be held in Auckland, New Zealand in 2026.

This triennial event is the world’s largest gathering of coral reef scientists, conservationists, practitioners, and policymakers, bringing together thousands of experts from across the globe to share the latest research and strategies for safeguarding coral reefs.

Our accepted session is titled:
“Towards a Unified and Inclusive Framework for Multi-Stakeholder Coral Restoration in the Coral Triangle and Beyond.”

The International Coral Reef Symposium is held every three years and serves as the premier global forum for coral reef science and conservation. First convened in 1967, the symposium brings together thousands of participants from over 100 countries, including leading scientists, conservationists, policymakers, and community practitioners.

The 16th ICRS, hosted in Auckland, will provide a critical platform to exchange knowledge, strengthen collaborations, and set international priorities for coral reef management and restoration in the face of climate change and other threats. Sessions cover a wide range of themes, from cutting-edge science and monitoring to community-driven initiatives and policy frameworks.

By participating, Pascal and our team will help ensure that perspectives from Indonesia and the Coral Triangle—a region central to global marine biodiversity—are represented in these vital international conversations.

The Coral Triangle is often called the “Amazon of the Seas” due to its extraordinary biodiversity. However, it faces mounting challenges from destructive fishing, coastal development, pollution, and climate-driven thermal stress. In response, a wave of restoration initiatives has emerged across the region, led by NGOs, local communities, the private sector, and government agencies.

While these efforts are inspiring, their collective impact remains hard to measure. Approaches often differ in methodology, monitoring, and evaluation, making it difficult to compare outcomes or scale successes. Our session aims to tackle this issue by:

• Exploring ways to map ecological and socio-economic outcomes of restoration efforts

• Highlighting community-based evaluation protocols that integrate both scientific and traditional knowledge

• Discussing adaptive frameworks that make restoration work more actionable, comparable, and accountable across diverse contexts

We especially encourage contributions that bridge scientific rigor with real-world application and showcase interdisciplinary projects led by local researchers and communities.

This session will be led by Pascal Sebastian (Indo Ocean Foundation) as Lead Chair, supported by an exceptional group of co-chairs from across Indonesia, including academics, NGO leaders, and early-career scientists. Together, this diverse team reflects the collaborative spirit that underpins our work and the future of coral reef restoration.

The call for abstracts will open in September 2025, giving researchers and practitioners the opportunity to submit presentations under our session. We look forward to reviewing contributions and curating a program that showcases innovative approaches to coral restoration in the Coral Triangle and beyond.

We are honored to represent Indonesia and the Coral Triangle on this international stage, and we look forward to contributing to a more unified and inclusive approach to coral reef restoration.

Are you heading to the symposium in 2026? We’d love to connect with you! Contact pascal@indooceanproject.org.