IPB University Students Win International Ocean Monitoring Challenge

Students from IPB University have achieved a significant international victory, securing first place in the IEEE OES Ocean Decades Challenge 2026. Their winning innovation, "Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Real-Time Rapid Soundscape Health Index," offers a novel approach to monitoring the health of marine ecosystems.

The system works by recording and analyzing underwater soundscapes. It distinguishes between biological sounds, natural environmental noises, and human-generated sounds to assess the condition of the marine environment. This method provides a non-invasive way to observe the ocean's state.

As a result of their win, the Marine Instrumentation, Telemetry, and Robotics (MITR) Club team from IPB University has been invited to present their findings at the IEEE OES Summer School 2026 and the OCEANS 2026 international conference in Sanya, China. The team, comprising Daniel Hermans Manurung, Tiara Anggraeni, Nabila Aishi Octaviana, Muhammad Ridha Ramadhan, and Akbar Hannan Ibrahim, was guided by Indra Jaya and Muhammad Iqbal.

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The ocean holds a lot of information through sound. Through a passive acoustic approach, we want to present a system that does not disrupt the ecosystem, but can still provide a quick overview of the underwater environment conditions.

The team leader, Daniel Hermans, explained that the project was born from a need for continuous, non-invasive coastal ecosystem monitoring technology. "The ocean holds a lot of information through sound," he stated. "Through a passive acoustic approach, we want to present a system that does not disrupt the ecosystem, but can still provide a quick overview of the underwater environment conditions."

Hermans further elaborated on the project's focus, which extends beyond mere sound recording. "We are developing a system that can help read changes in the soundscape in real-time," he said. "Hopefully, this technology can become one of the marine observation instruments that support the conservation, restoration, and management of coastal ecosystems." The initiative aligns with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

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We are developing a system that can help read changes in the soundscape in real-time. Hopefully, this technology can become one of the marine observation instruments that support the conservation, restoration, and management of coastal ecosystems.