Biology
At Celebes Divers a small research laboratory is actively working on Indonesian reefs biodiversity. The biodiversity project cooperates with the Universities of Manado, Genova and Ancona. The biodiversity lab is located on Siladen Island. Activities so far include:
Study of biology and ecology of some animal groups: sponges, hydrozoans, vermetids, nudibranches, ovulids, mantis shrimps, barnacles.
Main objects of the research are the ecological role, feeding relationships and associations.
So far 3 new species have been described: 2 hydroids (Zanclea tipis and Zanclea exposita), and a mantis shrimp (Lysiosquilloides mapia) - in the picture.
Research by European Universities, about Bunaken Marine Park biodiversity, especially on black coral (Order Antipatharia); it has just been described a new specie, recently discovered in front of Onong and Mapia Resort, which has been called Pseudocirripathes mapia.
Celebes Divers organizes logistic of these scientific expeditions, which often require specialized operation.
Reef Monitoring using indicator species. Eight species of butterflyfishes, common in Bunaken sea, are obligate corallivorous (can only feed on coral), and are therefore very sensitive to the coral reef's health status.
Their variations over time indicate changes of the reefs' ecosystem. So far in Bunaken Marine Park the method highlights a fair health status of all its coral reefs.
Education: within the framework of a cooperation programme among the three Universities, a Master course on the study and management of biodiversity in the coastal marine ecosystems has been implemented at Manado University. It is open to Indonesian and Italian students.