This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: For Dr. Jamaluddin Jompa, the ocean has never been simply a subject of scientific study.
He was born in Takalar, a coastal region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and his connection with the sea was forged early. Witnessing the degradation of Indonesia's coastal waters made him wonder: What happens when the ecological relationships that sustain marine ecosystems begin to break down and, more importantly, can they be restored? More than three decades later, that question has taken him from the biology of coral–algal competition to large-scale reef rehabilitation, and from biodiversity monitoring using environmental DNA (eDNA) to artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled acoustic monitoring.
Today, as rector of Hasanuddin University (UNHAS) and professor of marine ecology, he continues to pursue a vision that extends beyond individual discoveries. "Building a holistic approach to marine conservation has always been my underlying motivation," says Jompa. His goal is outcome-driven—using science to identify and understand the problem, building technology to solve it, launching restoration projects that work and establishing policies that protect both the environment and the communities that rely on it.
Jompa began his academic journey in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in aquaculture at UNHAS. He went on to pursue a master's in marine ecology and management at McMaster University in Canada, followed by a doctorate in marine biology at James Cook University in Australia. These experiences shaped his holistic approach to marine conservation.
As Jompa puts it, "I wanted to understand why reefs degrade, prove that we can restore them, create new tools to monitor them, and ultimately shape the policies that govern them." Today, his research spans marine ecology, coral reef ecosystems, marine conservation and climate change resilience. At UNHAS, he leads the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Sustainability (CORES) Research Group, where his team works across the scientific value chain—from understanding basic ecological processes to implementing ecosystem restoration and developing new approaches for biodiversity monitoring. This breadth of research builds on Jompa's longstanding scientific work.
Early in his research career, he investigated the mechanistic interactions of coral–algal competition, demonstrating how factors like nutrient availability and herbivory influence reef health. But understanding why reef health declines was only part of the challenge. The next question was whether damaged ecosystems could be restored.
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