By: Bima Prasena (Escapade)

On board the Menami, there are at least three languages spoken. Indonesian, local language, and...Latin! With a social background, I admit that I am completely stuttering about Acropora, Zoanthids, Fungia, Alveopora,or also Oriza Sativa (rice).

Working alongside the researchers, I saw how easily they chatted about what biota they had encountered on the dive with their difficult-to-pronounce (for me) Latin names. I felt cool to be on an expedition with real divers, who go to great lengths to collect data on reef health to preserve marine ecosystems.

A simple analogy goes like this.
"Uh, I saw Buto Ijo earlier!" you say, for example, to which your colleague immediately replies.
"That wasn't Buto Ijo, because his family is different, and his tribe is not Javanese, but Sundanese. That was Buta Hejo."

Now, please translate it into Latin. These researchers easily identify a biota straight to its roots (Family - Genus - Species) by looking at its physical and behavioral characteristics. Like a fortune teller who guesses the origin, condition of the heart, as well as the future, but the difference is that this uses original science, without engineering.

There was something funny and thrilling when we were taking underwater data. We were divided into two dive teams with different points, Team A and B, each of which had a fixed group member.

Now, every time we finished taking underwater data, each team would expect that it was their team that encountered a "charismatic" marine animal such as a dolphin, shark, manta, or sea turtle - and enter its Latin name into the dive data.

After the team gathered in Menami, instead of immediately bragging about how many sharks the team had recorded, we waited for the "right" moment to brag a little more, during the evening evaluation and briefing.

This is what always makes Menami boisterous with laughter and jokes. But when they talk about marine life in Latin, I just gawk, while sometimes smiling along.

If you don't happen to have a science background like me, don't throw away your high school Biology books! Seriously, deh, at least you can be a little 'stylish' to name living things with Latin. If you can 'style' it, then you're already pede and gaining knowledge becomes easier, as long as you don't get too big!