The Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPK), Universitas Airlangga, reaffirmed its commitment to delivering internationally oriented education through a guest lecture entitled Freshwater Fish Diversity and Biogeography in Southeast Asia. Held online on Tuesday (June 9, 2026), the event featured Dr. Sébastien Lavoué, an ichthyology expert from the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). The lecture was attended by FPK UNAIR’s 2024 cohort students and several faculty members, including Dr. Veryl Hasan, Dwi Yuli Pujiastuti, and Lailatul Lutfiyah.
The guest lecture formed part of FPK UNAIR’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international academic collaboration while broadening students’ global perspectives on fisheries science. Through its partnership with Universiti Sains Malaysia, students gained direct exposure to the expertise of an internationally recognized researcher whose work focuses on fish systematics, phylogenetics, evolution, and biogeography using molecular genetics and morphological approaches.
During his presentation, Dr. Lavoué introduced biogeography as a scientific discipline that examines the spatial and temporal distribution of biodiversity. He explained that species distribution is influenced not only by present-day environmental conditions but also by evolutionary history, geological processes, and long-term climatic changes. Through biogeographical approaches, scientists can better understand how species originate, evolve, and disperse across different regions.
“Biogeography is not only about where species live today. It is about understanding why they occur in certain places and how geological history, climate change, dispersal, and evolution have shaped their present distribution. Every fish species carries an evolutionary history that helps us understand biodiversity and guides future conservation efforts,” explained Dr. Sébastien Lavoué.
Understanding the Drivers of Freshwater Fish Distribution
Dr. Lavoué further elaborated that fish distribution patterns are shaped by a combination of abiotic and biotic factors. Abiotic factors include water temperature, salinity, depth, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, turbidity, and water flow velocity. Meanwhile, biotic factors such as predation, competition, and symbiotic interactions play crucial roles in determining whether a species can survive and thrive within a particular habitat.
Understanding these factors is essential for sustainable fisheries management and aquatic resource conservation. By identifying the environmental and ecological requirements of different fish species, researchers and policymakers can develop more effective conservation strategies and management practices to protect aquatic biodiversity.
In the context of Southeast Asia, Dr. Lavoué highlighted the region as one of the world’s most significant centers of freshwater fish diversity. Indonesia is home to more than 5,000 fish species, while Malaysia hosts over 2,000 species. This remarkable biodiversity is influenced by tropical environmental conditions, continental formation processes, sea-level fluctuations, and complex landscape dynamics that have shaped diverse aquatic ecosystems over millions of years.
The lecture also explored a wide range of tropical aquatic habitats, including rivers, lakes, estuaries, mangrove forests, coral reefs, and deep-sea environments. Each ecosystem supports unique fish communities with distinct adaptive characteristics, demonstrating the extraordinary ecological diversity found throughout the region.
Biogeography, Evolution, and the History of Southeast Asian Fishes
One of the most engaging topics discussed during the lecture was the concept of vicariance and dispersal, two major mechanisms that explain how species become distributed across different geographical regions. Dr. Lavoué described how tectonic movements, continental shifts, fluctuations in sea levels during the Pleistocene epoch, and the formation of ancient river systems across the Sunda Shelf significantly influenced the distribution of freshwater fish species in Southeast Asia.
To illustrate these concepts, he presented findings from his research on the distribution of the Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus), Boraras maculatus, and catfish species belonging to the family Clariidae. Using phylogenetic and biogeographical approaches, the studies revealed that present-day species distributions are not solely determined by current environmental conditions but are also shaped by millions of years of evolutionary and geological history.
The research examples demonstrated how modern scientific methods can reconstruct the historical processes underlying biodiversity patterns. Such knowledge contributes not only to taxonomy and evolutionary biology but also to practical conservation efforts aimed at protecting vulnerable aquatic ecosystems and maintaining ecological resilience.
“Southeast Asia is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots for freshwater fishes. Understanding this diversity is essential not only for taxonomy and evolutionary biology, but also for protecting aquatic ecosystems that support millions of people’s livelihoods,” stated Dr. Sébastien Lavoué.
Strengthening Global Learning and Research Collaboration
The guest lecture was designed to broaden students’ understanding of biogeography, evolution, and freshwater fish biodiversity while introducing them to current international research developments in ichthyology. Beyond enhancing conceptual knowledge, the activity was expected to encourage students to pursue research on biodiversity, aquatic resource conservation, and science-based fisheries management.
Through the organization of this international guest lecture, FPK Universitas Airlangga continues to strengthen its commitment to creating a collaborative and globally competitive learning environment. The partnership with Universiti Sains Malaysia represents a tangible effort to expand international academic networks and improve the quality of higher education through cross-border knowledge exchange.
The event also supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) by providing access to high-quality learning experiences delivered by international scholars. In addition, it contributes to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through the strengthening of global partnerships in education, research, and scientific development, reinforcing FPK UNAIR’s vision of fostering internationally connected and research-driven academic excellence.
