Dr Handoko Adi Susanto is the Interim Executive Director of the Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) Regional Secretariat. He was the Regional Project Manager of the ATSEA-2 Project. He has more than 20 years of experience in marine ecology and integrated coastal management across Indonesia and the wider Asia Pacific region. Before joining ATSEA, he worked with organisations such as The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, RARE Indonesia, and USAID. He holds a PhD in Marine Biology and Conservation from Kyushu University, Japan, and an MSc in Integrated Tropical Coastal Zone Management from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.
In his current role, Dr Handoko oversees the implementation of the ATSEA Program’s regional priorities, fostering collaboration among Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste to address shared marine challenges in the Arafura and Timor Seas. Under his leadership, the Regional Secretariat coordinates efforts to strengthen regional governance, promote ecosystem based management, and support sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities across the ATS region.
Indar serves as the Senior Policy and Partnership Specialist at the ATSEA Secretariat, supporting regional governance and partnership engagement. Indar brings more than 17 years of professional experience in sustainable development, with a focus on marine debris, waste management, marine tourism, and community development. She has worked with a range of international and national organisations, including WWF Indonesia, the World Bank, GIZ, and most recently the USAID SELARAS Program. Indar holds a Master’s degree in Environment, Leisure and Tourism from Wageningen University & Research and a Bachelor’s degree in Economic Development from Halu Oleo University, Southeast Sulawesi.
Cassie is the Program Specialist at the ATSEA Regional Secretariat. She is an experienced marine biologist, diver and conservationist. She has worked on whale shark protection in Teluk Cenderawasih National Park and contributed to the GEF-funded Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project with WWF-Indonesia. She also brings strong technical expertise and a deep commitment to marine conservation in the Arafura and Timor Seas region. She holds an Erasmus Mundus MSc in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Ghent University, Belgium, and an MPhil in Conservation Leadership from the University of Cambridge, UK.
Ismail is a marine conservation officer with over eight years of experience in marine biodiversity research, megafauna surveys, and conservation-based ecotourism management in Indonesia. His work focuses on the conservation and management of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), particularly whale sharks, combining long-term population monitoring with science-based policy and management approaches. He has collaborated with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and various conservation partners to support research initiatives and contribute to Indonesia’s National Plan of Action (NPOA) for Elasmobranchs during his tenure with Conservation International and Konservasi Indonesia. His interests include migratory species conservation, marine protected area development, and strengthening science–policy linkages to support sustainable marine resource management. Ismail holds a Master’s degree in Marine Science from Universitas Indonesia and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta.
Yulia serves as the communications officer at the ATSEA Regional Secretariat, helping to deliver clear and engaging materials that reflect the ATSEA Program’s work and drive awareness of regional marine conservation efforts. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Governmental and International Relations from Griffith University. During her time at university, she served as a Diplomacy Delegates Officer for the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnerships (AASYP) initiative, where she developed and managed the AASYP Digital Dialogue platform.
Chyntia is the Project Assistant at the ATSEA Regional Secretariat. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Gadjah Mada University and spent 1.5 years studying abroad at Ubbo Emmius and Utrecht University in the Netherlands, where she also developed fluency in Dutch. Before joining ATSEA, Cynthia worked as a Junior Technical Officer for the RPOA-IUU Secretariat, supporting coordination, meetings, and daily operations to promote responsible fishing practices and combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the region.
