SDG Impact Detail

Work directly (research and/or engagement with industries) on technologies or practices that enable marine industry to minimise or prevent damage to aquatic ecosystems

        PSU Pattani Project to Restore and Sustainably Manage "Blue Lake" Ecosystem

            Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus (PSU Pattani), has launched a collaborative research project focused on restoring the ecosystem of "Blue Lake" and upgrading the area into a learning center for biodiversity, integrated with practical, outside-the-classroom instruction. The ultimate goal is to achieve sustainable participatory management of the natural resources.

            The project involves academic cooperation among multiple faculties, including the Faculty of Science and Technology, the Faculty of Education, and the Faculty of Communication Sciences.

            Assoc. Prof. Supaporn Saengkaew, a co-researcher, stated that the initiative aims to collect comprehensive biodiversity data for the Blue Lake area. This data will be used to establish participatory resource management practices with the local community, emphasizing sustainable and responsible resource utilization.

            "Today’s activity integrates the research into the curriculum of the required major course, 722-352 Ecology Laboratory, for more than 50 third-year Bachelor of Science students (majoring in Chemistry-Biology, Biology, and General Science)." The activity involved bringing the students to the Blue Lake area to survey the Nile Tilapia population and collect various data. The students participated in hands-on, out-of-classroom fieldwork to study the fish population in the pond using the Capture-Mark-Recapture (CMR) method.

            The process included catching the fish with cast nets and traps, measuring their length, recording their weight, and applying a distinct mark to every fish before releasing them back into the pond. Students also used instruments to measure the water quality parameters of each pond to collect biodiversity data for Blue Lake.

            "This is vital learning that goes beyond classroom theory. Students learn methods, management systems, and real-life problem-solving, along with observational skills from the researchers and their peers. This hands-on approach stimulates learning and enables them to solve immediate problems. Most importantly, by learning about the ecosystem data themselves, the students will be able to effectively serve as knowledge providers regarding the ecosystem and its diverse organisms to both internal and external visitors to Blue Lake," she concluded.

            This research directly aligns with the goal of reducing or preventing damage from aquaculture industry to aquatic ecosystems through:

            The core of the project involves revitalizing and managing the Blue Lake area, a vital aquatic ecosystem. This research provides the data and guidelines necessary for effective ecological recovery.

            By engaging the community in participatory management, the project implements sustainable practices for resource use. This model moves beyond theory, establishing a local framework that ensures human activities—whether related to small-scale fishing, tourism, or other uses—do not cause long-term harm, thus preventing ecosystem damage.

            Integrating the project’s findings into the curriculum builds future human capacity equipped with the knowledge and practical skills needed to champion proper aquatic resource management and conservation.

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