SURABAYA (ISL News, 10/2/2026) – PT Terminal Petikemas Surabaya (TPS) has prioritized its sustainability program, "Planting Hope, Maintaining Sustainability," to maintain coastal ecosystems sustainably. Through mangrove nurseries, TPS strives to preserve coastal ecosystems while expanding the benefits of mangrove conservation, ensuring they are felt not only within the terminal's operational area but also by surrounding coastal communities.
These efforts are being undertaken amidst the complex challenges of mangrove nurseries. TPS recognizes that one of the main challenges to mangrove rehabilitation in coastal areas is the limited availability of seedlings suited to coastal conditions facing the sea. Changing ocean currents and abrasion prevent all mangrove species from growing optimally, resulting in rehabilitation efforts often failing to achieve the desired results, despite increasing awareness among coastal communities.
In response to this challenge, TPS collaborated with the local mangrove farmer group Kompak Mandiri Lestari to provide Rhizophora mucronata seedlings, cultivated under controlled conditions and ready for planting. This species was chosen for its high resistance to exposed coastal conditions and its prop root system, which can dampen waves and reduce abrasion.
Unlike some other mangrove species that spread naturally, Rhizophora mucronata requires a nursery process before being planted in the field. Therefore, TPS implements adaptive nursery as a continuous process that places learning, adjustment, and collaboration as part of the mangrove rehabilitation strategy. This approach allows the nursery process to continuously respond to changing coastal conditions, enabling dynamic environmental challenges to be addressed more precisely and measurably, while ensuring the sustainability of the program.
In practice, adaptive seeding involves adjusting species selection, seeding techniques, planting media, and planting time to suit the dynamic characteristics of coastal environments. Tidal factors, salinity exposure, current conditions, and abrasion are key considerations, ensuring the resulting seedlings are more resilient when planted in rehabilitation areas.
This approach is further strengthened through close collaboration with local mangrove farmers who have a deep understanding of local coastal conditions. Through technical assistance and a sustainable nursery process, TPS strives to optimize seedling quality and increase planting success rates, while simultaneously creating opportunities for economic growth in coastal communities through mangrove nursery activities.
TPS Corporate Secretary, Erika A. Palupi, said that this program is designed to provide a broader impact, not only from an ecological perspective, but also from a social and economic perspective for coastal communities.
"Planting Hope, Maintaining Sustainability is a priority program at TPS, designed to address coastal challenges more comprehensively. Through adaptive mangrove nurseries, we strive to maintain coastal ecosystems while expanding conservation benefits, despite the various challenges faced by nurseries in the field," said Erika.
The mangrove nursery program, targeted for planting by April 2026, is expected to strengthen shoreline protection, reduce the risk of abrasion, and maintain the quality of coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, the active involvement of mangrove farmer groups is expected to promote economic independence in coastal communities and expand mangrove rehabilitation efforts in the coastal areas of Surabaya and the surrounding areas.
"We recognize that protecting the coast requires consistency and collaboration. Through this program, TPS aims to play a sustainable role as a partner to coastal communities, providing relevant solutions with real impact," Erika concluded.
(ISL News Editorial Team/Corcom TPS Surabaya).
