The USU Professor Mengabdi Community Service Team, chaired by Prof. Mohammad Basyuni, S.Hut., M.Sc., Ph.D (USU Faculty of Forestry) with members Prof. Dr. Dwi Suryanto (USU Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences) and Ipanna Enggar Susetya, S.Kel., M.Sc. (USU Faculty of Agriculture), assisted by three USU Forestry Masters Program students (Yuntha Bimantara, Salma Safrina Harahap, and Mikrajni Harahap), and five USU Forestry and Aquatic Resources Management Undergraduate Program students, on July 21, 2021, carried out ecology and hydrology-based planting activities.

The activity involved Mugiono, a local resident who is the head of a fishermen's group, as the partner leader, who, together with his members, planted 2,000 Avicennia spp (api-api) seedlings, consisting of Avicennia alba and Avicennia marina. This community service activity also synergizes with the research of 3 undergraduate students who studied the effect of restoration activities on changes in biota, including crabs, arthropods, mollusks, and polychaeta, which was carried out before and after (3 months) after the restoration activity.

Although it is recognized that restoration failures may have occurred in the past, no specific study evaluates past restorations to guide future targets effectively. The Pak Mugiono Fishermen Group, when visited by the USU Professor Mengabdi Community Service Team, agreed when their abandoned ponds were used for restoration activities and, in the future, could be used for silvofishery ponds or used as a model for the success of mangrove restoration in former ponds.

This study includes measuring vegetation analysis, taking soil samples for nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon analysis, and measuring pond water's physical and chemical properties. The natural mangrove forest adjacent to the pond location and ponds with natural regeneration of Avicenni seedlings next to them are used as a reference or standard.

The Professor Mengabdi community service activity is expected to solve partner problems and be an initial step in utilizing ponds for conservation activities by restoring the ecological and hydrological approach. It will be monitored periodically using water loggers and mini buoys.

The Professor Mengabdi community service scheme is expected to contribute to restoration activities and also become a model for restoring former ponds that are not functioning properly by improving water management (pond gates) and fortifications, planting appropriate plant species, namely Avicennia spp., and measuring the success of restoration (before and after the ecological and hydrological approach is applied).

One of the main motivations for mangrove restoration is to restore the high value of the mangrove ecosystem for biodiversity and various ecosystem services such as coastal protection, improving fish products, and other products that directly and indirectly benefit local and global residents. Deforestation has negatively impacted 16% of global mangrove forests and endangered species (Richards & Friess, 2016) and reduced mangrove biodiversity and carbon storage in forest biomass (Polidoro et al., 2010; Simaliki et al., 2012). Mangrove conservation and sustainable mangrove management are needed to maintain the existence of mangrove forests and improve rehabilitation and restoration programs.