Zainab is a Marine Heritage Analyst and Assistant Coordinator for the Shipwrecks Management Unit at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia. She has a bachelor’s degree in Archaeology from Hasanuddin University in South Sulawesi and completed her master’s degree at the School of Earth and Environmental Science (James Cook University, Australia) focusing on Marine Protected Area Management. Her primary responsibilities at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries are conducting assessment on underwater sites management and establishing a management plan for approximately 300,000 artifacts recovered from Indonesian territorial waters during a period of private-public partnership. In addition to these responsibilities, she establishes community-based programs related to engaging locals for sustainable management of underwater cultural heritage in their areas.   

As part of the CO-OP team, she will contribute critical thinking to post-restitution management strategies and capacity-building initiatives, ensuring the long-term preservation and significance of cultural heritage. By engaging with experts and other CO-OP teams from diverse disciplines and regional cultural contexts, she will be better equipped to contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding underwater cultural heritage management and restitution, ultimately working towards more equitable and sustainable solutions in the preservation of Indonesian cultural heritage.