Students from the Biology Education Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) carried out activities to monitor the growth and identify mangrove species on the coast of Pasir Mendit Beach, located in Kalurahan Jangkaran, Temon District, Kulon Progo Regency.

This activity is a follow-up to the 100 mangrove saplings planting program conducted previously in October and serves as a field learning experience for students to directly observe mangrove diversity.

On December 21, 2025, Sobat Bumi UNY — a student environmental community from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) — carried out a mangrove planting activity at Baros Beach in Bantul Regency. The event was part of UNY’s commitment to preserving coastal ecosystems and raising environmental awareness among students and the wider public.

About 60 participants took part in the mangrove planting initiative, including UNY students, high school students, members of the 4K Yogyakarta community, Relawan Gesit Yogyakarta, Komunitas Mangrove Baros, and volunteers from various universities.

Students of the D4 Marketing Management Study Program, Faculty of Vocational Studies, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), through the Sustainable Development Education course, organized a Beach Clean-Up Action at Goa Cemara Beach, Bantul. This activity represents a tangible academic contribution to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 14: Life Below Water, which emphasizes the importance of preserving coastal and marine ecosystems.

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) reaffirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability by planting mangrove trees along the coastal area of Pasir Mendit Beach in Jangkaran, Temon, Kulon Progo, on Sunday, October 12, 2025.

This initiative is part of UNY's ongoing efforts to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land), as well as to contribute to the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, which assesses universities' commitment to sustainability.

On Sunday, April 27, 2025, a number of students from the Department of Biology Education - Yogyakarta State University traveled to Bangsring-Banyuwangi, in order to conduct field studies and collect marine data in the coastal waters of 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.

UNY shopping centers, Plaza UNY and Koperasi Mahasiswa UNY, also contribute to the aquatic ecosystem's long-term viability. The administrators of these two shopping complexes have implemented an appeal to limit the amount of plastic bags utilized for carrying shopping products. The appeal is placed near the checkout area in the hopes that all customers will notice and respond to it.

Rio Christy Handziko, S.Pd.Si., M.Pd, a lecturer at the Department of Biology Education of UNY, participated in the Faculty Mentoring Network - Online Content for Experiential Learning of Tropical Systems (FMN - OCELOTS) 2024. Rio Christy has been teaching courses related to tropical ecology and researching intensively in the field of Tropical Ecology.

Bangsring is a tourist destination on Java Island's east coast, bordering immediately with the Bali Strait. This place is referred to as Bunder, which means Bangsring Underwater. This tourism destination grew from a marine protected area (MPA) run by the Bangsring fishing community. The floating house manned by fellow Bangsring fisherman serves as a coral fish acclimation pool before they are discharged. Typically used as a preparation pool for both white-tip and black-tip reef shark species.

The Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta carried out a series of activities in Kalurahan Bugel, Kapanewon Panjatan, Kulon Progo — namely the planting of trees at Pantai Bidara on Saturday.

The tree-planting was done by the Regional Secretary’s Expert Staff of the Kulon Progo Regency, Drs. Eko Pranyoto, UNY’s Vice-Rectors and several local officials.

Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, offers students chances to participate in MBKM activities, including the 2023 innovative research program. One of the student teams taking part in the 2023 MBKM innovative research activity is a Biology Education Department team made up of three students and one of their teachers.