FFM News – Indonesia is one of the biggest producers of seaweed in the world which contributes in providing raw materials for the value added products such as alginate, carrageenan, fucoidan and other food hydrocolloids. Indonesia has about more than 500 species of seaweed where only two cultivars widely used such as Gracilaria sp. (agar source) and Kappaphycus alvarezi (carrageenan source).  Furthermore, the research on the exploration of the benefit of other seaweed cultivars in Indonesia is highly crucial. Therefore, in the opportunity of education visit in the Borneo Marine Research Instutite at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Muhamad Nur Ghoyatul Amin (the young lecturer of undergraduate program of Fisheries Product Technology) gave a lecture series on “flavoring agents of sea grape (Caulerpa racemosa) protein hydrolysate” on the October 3^rd 2019 which was attended by researchers and undergraduate program of aquaculture students in that research institute. The course gave new insights to the students on the potential of sea grape as the raw material of flavoring agents due to the protein contained with a high amount. Ghoyatul have also delivered his recent study on the optimization of the production of protein hydrolysate from sea grape for the food flavor purposes. In that opportunity, he also did urge the students attended to explore the potential of other seaweed cultivars, apart from Gracilaria sp. and Kappaphycus alvarez, because the problem is apparently typical to what Indonesian people face currently in term of the exploitation of seaweed. Students were also very amazed of the presentation on the fact of Malaysian efforts to obtain the recognition from the UN that seaweed becomes super-food.

In that special occasion, Ghoyatul also shared with the students on the opportunity of undergraduate students of Aquaculture in that institute to attend short term program hosted by Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Universitas Airlangga such as summer course and international internship program, and current master courses offered by Faculty of Fisheries and Marine UNAIR such as Master Course of Fisheries and Marine Biotechnology and Master Course of Fisheries Sciences which both programs could be funded by Airlangga Development Scholarship (ADS) at Universitas Airlangga. Finally the course was closed by photo session and token of appreciation as a piece of evidence the good friendship between Universitas Airlangga and Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Author
M. Nur Ghoyatul Amin
Department of Marine
Email: m-nurghoyatulamin@fpk.unair.ac.id