SDG 14

Indicator 14.3.1

Teaching and Learning

RUTS Partners with Libong Island
Community to Host the Youth Marine Science Camp

Reporters:	Asst. Prof. Porntep Wirachwong
	Dr. Chanyut Sudtongkong

October 22, 2024

The Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RUTS), in partnership with the Libong Island community, organized the fourth RUTS Marine Science Camp for high school students from Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani, and Trang provinces. Held on February 11-12, 2023, the camp focused on activities aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.

Assistant Professor Pornthep Wirachwong, along with faculty and students from RUTS’s Marine Science and Environmental Science Program, engaged 23 youth participants through various activities aimed at promoting marine and coastal ecosystem conservation. These included:

Educating on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on SDG 14: Life Below Water.

Providing lectures on the importance of seagrass ecosystems.

Conducting research on the coral reef systems of Libong Island.

Studying dugong behavior within seagrass beds.

Implementing seagrass restoration programs in the Libong Island area.

Mr. Prachum Charoenrit, village headman of Libong Sub-district, delivered a lecture on the history, cultural heritage, and current status of seagrass ecosystems, dugongs, and other marine species dependent on seagrass habitats. The lecture also offered recommendations for sustainable coastal resource management.

The youth participants in the project acquired significant insights into the conservation and sustainable management of marine resources, while simultaneously experiencing the cultural and spiritual hospitality offered by the Libong Island community.