‘King of Krakatoa’ Professor Tukirin: The volcano teaches the succession of life

Ash from the continuing eruptions of Anak Krakatau and Rakata has spread from Sumatra to Java, disrupting air travel, closing schools in some areas and prompting heightened caution along ferry routes. Yet for Professor Tukirin Partomihardjo, the volcano is more than a symbol of disaster and destruction. It is also a living lesson in how ecosystems begin again.

Tukirin, a former researcher at Indonesia’s Institute of Sciences, has spent more than 30 years studying Krakatoa, Rakata and the surrounding islands. A documentary video called him the “King of Krakatoa” because of his expertise in the highly unstable region. Although his last visit to Rakata came in 2018, after the devastating tsunami, he said he was ready to return when conditions allowed.

He recalled that he first stepped onto Anak Krakatau in 1981. In the early 1980s, the volcano stood about 150 to 200 metres above sea level. Before the 2018 tsunami, it had reached about 300 metres. The eruption and landslide that caused the tsunami transformed it, cutting its height back to 150 metres. Vegetation that once covered about 17 percent of Rakata disappeared entirely, and no life remained after the latest eruption and landslide.

The return of life is difficult to observe directly, Tukirin said, but earlier scientific literature offers clues. Spiders may be among the first animals to arrive because they can disperse across very wide areas. They cannot survive alone, however, and need insects for food. Among plants, moss may be one of the first forms of life to establish itself.

Tukirin said he continues to communicate with Banten’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency to monitor Krakatoa’s situation. His research presents the volcanic islands not only as a hazardous landscape, but also as a place where the sequence of ecological recovery can be seen.

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I continue to communicate with the Banten Natural Resources Conservation Agency to monitor the situation at Krakatoa.