Universitas Hasanuddin (Unhas) develops and supports programs that encourage responsible stewardship of aquatic ecosystems through partnerships with anothe country, government, research institutions, NGOs, industry, and coastal communities. These initiatives combine scientific research, ecosystem restoration, capacity building, and community participation to promote the sustainable management of marine and freshwater resources.

To conserve aquatic biodiversity, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries leads the House of Conservation program for the endemic fish Oryzias eversi. In collaboration with BRIN, the University of Bonn, ARTIS Netherlands, Zoo Augsburg, Zoo Dortmund, and other international partners, Unhas develops captive breeding, scientific monitoring, and restocking strategies to restore wild populations in their natural habitat in Tana Toraja.

In 2025, Unhas collaborated with the South Sulawesi Provincial Government and Partnership for Australia–Indonesia Research (PAIR) to strengthen research and stakeholder engagement for sustainable coastal development. The partnership focused on strengthening coastal community resilience and sustainable seaweed management through evidence-based policy and collaborative governance, as demonstrated through an initiative in Kasibumbung Beach, Takalar, that empowered seaweed farmers to develop environmentally friendly derivative products using a circular economy approach.

Unhas also supports community-based ecological mangrove rehabilitation through a partnership with Blue Forests. Students from multiple faculties participate in mangrove restoration, post-rehabilitation monitoring, and baseline research in Tanakeke Islands and Kuri Caddi, while contributing to sustainable mangrove–aquaculture integration and coastal food security. This program equips students as future practitioners of ecosystem-based coastal management while strengthening local community capacity.

Unhas further promotes stewardship through collaboration with the Puntondo Coastal Environmental Foundation (YPLH) to develop long-term seahorse conservation programs and research-based breeding initiatives. Student organizations also contribute through the Academic Sailing Expedition (EPA III), combining scientific exploration, coastal community education, marine seminars, and environmental outreach across Indonesia and Southeast Asia to strengthen awareness of sustainable maritime stewardship.

Across these initiatives, Unhas consistently brings together local communities, government agencies, and international partners around ecosystems that coastal residents directly depend on and share responsibility for protecting. Rather than one-off interventions, each programme builds lasting local capacity: trained youth, community-managed nurseries, and resident-led restoration groups able to sustain these efforts independently of ongoing Unhas involvement. This model — pairing scientific expertise with genuine community ownership — reflects Unhas’s broader approach to shared aquatic ecosystem management across South Sulawesi’s diverse coastal habitats.