On Sunday, April 27, 2025, several students from the Department of Biology Education – Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta traveled to Bangsring-Banyuwangi to conduct field studies and collect marine data in the coastal waters of the Banyuwangi - Bali Strait and Tabuhan Island. Assisted by colleagues from Banyuwangi Diving School, students collected a number of data for research studies on coral reefs and reef fish. Originally, students collected data for 3 days, and during the first day's evaluation, there was a discussion about the condition of Bangsring waters which at that time a lot of plastic waste was seen, both on the surface, in the sand of the beach, and floating in the waters.

Responding to a discussion about the condition of Bangsring waters, Banyuwangi Diving School invited students to jointly conduct an underwater clean-up in Bangsring waters. The invitation was immediately welcomed positively by Rio Handziko (lecturer in the Biology Education department - one of the lecturers accompanying students who already have a diving certificate), and preparations were immediately made for the dive the next day, including a dive plan for underwater plastic waste cleanup.

Scuba diving equipment needed for underwater clean up, all organized and provided by Banyuwangi Diving School. Right at 09.00 after breakfast, Banyuwangi Diving School colleagues, along with two students from the marine faculty of Brawijaya University Malang and one lecturer from the biology education department of UNY, began to descend into the waters of Bangsring to carry out underwater cleaning.

The underwater cleaning team entered the water using the beach entry method right in front of the coral reef restoration area. This area is a top priority for underwater cleaning, given the large number of relatively new coral transplants, which are prone to breakage if caught in plastic waste. Cleaning was carried out at a depth of 4 meters and continued down the restoration area to a depth of 18 meters. Areas cleaned included fish apartments, wreck ships, gandrung statues, concrete chutes, rock pile, and coral transplant areas.

The cleanup continued south into a natural coral reef conservation area. This area was also the focus of the cleanup, as it is part of a Marine Protected Area managed by a local fishing group. The underwater cleanup took a total of about 2 hours. This is part of a real effort from various parties in the Bangsring water area. Previously, Bangsring fishermen collaborated with several parties to also carry out underwater cleaning, in order to maintain the underwater ecosystem in Bangsring waters.

Fishermen and tourism players here are well aware that their main commodity in Bangsring waters is the preservation of the underwater ecosystem. This makes the community also play an active role in being at the forefront of marine ecosystem protection. This is a real step of collaboration between many parties, and we all need more hands to help each other preserve the sea and its contents.

The discussions between the UNY faculty team and the local community covered several aspects regarding the utilization of natural resources—for instance, specifying the times and locations permitted for activities such as fishing. The talks also addressed limits on the catch and restrictions on the types of fishing gear allowed. Time-based restrictions are intended to provide marine organisms the opportunity to reproduce, while location-based restrictions ensure they have a safe habitat in which to do so.

Furthermore, there are restrictions on the equipment used; gear that tends to cause damage to the marine ecosystem is prohibited. These measures serve as a strategy to ensure the long-term sustainability of the marine ecosystem in Bangsring.

The following day, a team of lecturers from the Biology Education department held an in-person discussion on-site with representatives from local community groups, including the Samudera Bhakti fishermen’s group, the Banyuwangi Diving School, and the management of the Bangsring Underwater tourism site. The discussion focused on management strategies for the Bangsring marine protected area, which is divided into a core zone, a conservation zone, and a restoration zone.

Through this initiative, all involved stakeholders share a strong aspiration for Bangsring to evolve into a robust site—not only for tourism but also for marine conservation and the sustainable utilization of marine natural resources. This collaboration serves as an effort to preserve marine and coastal ecosystems in the waters of the Bali Strait, bringing together academics, the local community, and business operators. The activity was closed with a statement from Rio Handziko while cleaning up the diving equipment he used at the Banyuwangi Diving School office. “Need more tanks and hands for deeper and longer dives to encourage people to protect our ocean”.