In August 2016 LINI team conducted a population survey of the Banggai Cardinalfish in seven sites in Banggai Island. The sites were Bongo, Kapela, Tolokibit, Monsongan, Tinakin Laut, Popisi, and Bone Baru. The survey aimed to monitor the distribution and population density of BCF that were conducted by LINI since 2007.
The Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) is a species of reef fish endemic to the Banggai Archipelago in Northeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, and has a very limited geographical range. It is a popular marine aquarium fish that has been exploited for overseas markets since the mid-1990s. IUCN listed Banggai Cardinalfish as an endangered species in 2007, and it was proposed to Appendix II CITES during CoP 14 in 2007, and again in the coming CoP 17 in September 2016.