The WESTPAC Training course on Molecular Taxonomy based on Single DNA Barcoding and Metabarcoding was held at the Regional Training and Research Center on Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health (MarBEST Center), Research Center for Oceanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (RCO-LIPI), Jakarta, Indonesia, on 25 September – 6 October 2017.

Total 21 trainees were young scientists coming from countries such as: Banglades, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. The lecturers were experienced experts on molecular taxonomy of marine organisms within and outside the region coming from countries such as: America, China, France, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, South Africa and Thailand.

The training covered topics related to Molecular Taxonomy based on Single DNA Barcoding and Metabarcoding study of various marine organisms in the tropical region including marine vertebrate, invertebrate (Insects, Mollusk, Polychaeta & Annelids, Crustaceans, Coelenterate, Cnidarians, Echinoderms), marine planktons, marine bacteria and virus, and marine plants (algae and sea grass).

The trainees were also practiced field sampling to collect genetic materials and total DNA extraction from environmental DNA samples at Pari and Burung islands, then genetic analysis in Genetic Labs of RCO-LIPI and Research Center for Biotechnology-LIPI.

The outcomes of the training course were the establishment of the regional network of marine diversity research and improvement of understanding of Molecular Taxonomy based on Single DNA Barcoding and Metabarcoding study of the trainees.