UNACOMODELI
UNESCO-Philippine National Commission (UNACOM) Online and Digital Enabling Library and Index
The UNESCO-Philippine National Commission Online and Digital Enabling Library and Index (UNACOMODELI) aims to disseminate its publications, reports, and policies and also promote the works of its national committee members.
Initially, the UNACOM Online and Digital Enabling Library and Index is developed to support the alignment of research, investments, and community initiatives toward contributing to a well-functioning, productive, resilient, sustainable, and inspiring ocean. The goal is to enable the government, partner agencies, and UNESCO to develop more robust Science-Informed Policies and facilitate a stronger Science-Policy Interface through the gathered data, information, and knowledge related to the Ocean Decade in the Philippines.
Particularly, it aims to:
- Gather and index all publications, reports, policies, laws, legislations, articles, and other documents of the Philippine National Committee on Marine Sciences (NCMS) related to the Ocean Decade
- Disseminate and promote these publications, reports, policies, and other documents on the initiatives and actions to address the Ocean Decade challenge
Collections in UNACOMODELI
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Recent Submissions
Institutional dimensions of coral reef restoration in the Philippines
Matorres, Dane Erlo; Fabinyi, Michael; Horigue, Vera; Novilla, Carmela Therese; Baria-Rodriguez, Maria Vanessa (Elsevier Ltd, 2024)
While the Philippines is mostly known for its experiences on marine protected areas, local governments and non-government organizations are increasingly using coral restoration with the aim of rehabilitating degraded reef areas. Since the establishment of artificial reefs in the 1970s, the application, techniques and corresponding policy directives for reef restoration have evolved over time, and restoration has recently generated significant interest and investments from donors and government agencies. As the Philippines does not have a policy framework to support effective and sustainable practices for the use of different coral restoration techniques, the increase and unregulated use of restoration may result in unintended consequences and pose potential challenges to coastal management. To address this gap, we conducted a review of existing coral restoration policies, programs and projects across the country, with a focus on social, economic and governance aspects. The study collated existing published literature and unpublished information on coral restoration in the country, and conducted key informant interviews. The results show that coral restoration continues to increase, and that existing guidelines on coral restoration are poorly implemented and not widely understood among practitioners. While coral restoration projects reported ecological benefits, socio-economic impacts are limited. The evidence supports the need to review existing policies and contextualize coral restoration to contribute to relevant policy decisions about the restoration and protection of reefs. © 2024 The Authors
Pseudocryptic diversity and species boundaries in the sea cucumber Stichopus cf. horrens (Echinodermata: Stichopodidae) revealed by mitochondrial and microsatellite markers
Lizano, Apollo Marco D.; Kim, Kenneth M.; Juinio-Meñez, Marie Antonette; Ravago-Gotanco, Rachel (Nature Research, 2024)
Morphologically cryptic and pseudo-cryptic species pose a challenge to taxonomic identification and assessments of species diversity and distributions. Such is the case for the sea cucumber Stichopus horrens, commonly confused with Stichopus monotuberculatus. Here, we used mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and microsatellite markers to examine genetic diversity in Stichopus cf. horrens throughout the Philippine archipelago, to aid species identification and clarify species boundaries. Phylogenetic analysis reveals two recently diverged COI lineages (Clade A and Clade B; c. 1.35–2.54 Mya) corresponding to sequence records for specimens identified as S. monotuberculatus and S. horrens, respectively. Microsatellite markers reveal two significantly differentiated genotype clusters broadly concordant with COI lineages (Cluster 1, Cluster 2). A small proportion of individuals were identified as later-generation hybrids indicating limited contemporary gene flow between genotype clusters, thus confirming species boundaries. Morphological differences in papillae distribution and form are observed for the two species, however tack-like spicules from the dorsal papillae are not a reliable diagnostic character. An additional putative cryptic species was detected within Clade B-Cluster 2 specimens warranting further examination. We propose that these lineages revealed by COI and genotype data be referred to as Stichopus cf. horrens species complex. © The Author(s) 2024.
Reef location and season, but not recruitment substrate contour and composition, affect coral recruitment patterns
dela Cruz, Dexter W.; Harrison, Peter L. (Elsevier B.V., 2024)
Most studies have quantified coral recruitment using recruitment tiles temporarily deployed on reefs. However, the wide range of tile types used in different studies potentially influences recruitment patterns thereby hindering accurate comparisons among reef areas. We examined the effect of different tile types with different surface structure and composition on spatial (reef locations) and temporal (season) patterns of coral recruitment in the northwestern Philippines. Dead coral skeleton, terracotta, and fibre-cement tiles were deployed and retrieved quarterly over a 15-month period. In contrast to previous studies, patterns of standardized density and composition of recruits were consistent among tile types. Recruits varied spatially and were highest in Caniogan reef, followed by Cory reef and Lucero reef, suggesting that coral recruitment in the Bolinao-Anda Reef Complex (BARC) is influenced by reef location and existing coral cover. Highest recruitment was also found during the peak coral spawning season. The results of this study contrast with some previous reports which indicate that coral recruitment patterns are strongly influenced by recruitment substrate types. Our study suggests that once sufficient biological conditioning of the tile surfaces has occurred, the microbial and algal community present on the different tile surfaces are similarly conducive to larval settlement of some coral taxa. © 2024 The Authors
Trace metals in phytoplankton: Requirements, function, and composition in harmful algal blooms
Manic, Dolly; Redil, Richard; Rodriguez, Irene (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024)
In a constantly changing environment brought about by the climate crisis and escalated anthropogenic perturbations driven by the growing population, harmful algal bloom dynamics and their impacts are expected to shift, necessitating adaptive management strategies and comprehensive research efforts. Similar to primary productivity, HABs have been thought to be driven primarily by major nutrients such as N, P, and Si. However, recent investigations on the role and importance of micronutrients as limiting factors in aquatic environments have been highlighted. This paper provides a review of metal and phytoplankton interactions, with a specific emphasis on pertinent information on the influence of trace nutrients on growth, toxin production, and other underlying mechanisms related to the dynamics of HABs. Low to near-depleted levels of essential nutrients, including Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mn, Co, and Mo, negatively impact cell growth and proliferation of various marine and freshwater HAB species. However, evidence shows that at elevated levels, these trace elements, along with other non-essential ones, could still cause toxic effects to certain HAB species manifested by decreased photosynthetic activities, oxidative stress, ultrastructure damage, and cyst formation. Interestingly, while elevated levels of these metals mostly result in increased toxin production, Co (i.e., yessotoxins, gymnodimine, and palytoxins) and Mn (i.e., isodomoic acid, okadaic and diol esters) enrichments revealed otherwise. In addition to toxin production, releasing dissolved organic matter (DOM), including dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and humic substances, was observed as an adaptation strategy, since these organic compounds have been proven to chelate metals in the water column, thereby reducing metal-induced toxicity. Whilst current research centers on free metal toxicity of specific essential elements such as Cu and Zn, a comprehensive account of how trace metals contribute to the growth, toxin production, and other metabolic processes under conditions reflective of in situ scenarios of HAB-prone areas would yield new perspectives on the roles of trace metals in HABs. With the growing demands of the global population for food security and sustainability, substantial pressure is exerted on the agriculture and aquaculture sector, highlighting the need for effective communication of information regarding the interactions of macro- and micronutrients with HABs to improve existing policies and practices. © 2024 by the authors.
Genome analysis reveals three distinct lineages of the cosmopolitan white shark
Wagner, Isabel; Smolina, Irina; Koop, Martina E.L.; Bal, Thijs; Lizano, Apollo M.; Choo, Le Qin; Hofreiter, Michael; Gennari, Enrico; de Sabata, Eleonora; Shivji, Mahmood S.; Noble, Leslie R.; Jones, Catherine S.; Hoarau, Galice (Cell Press, 2024)
The white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) (Linnaeus, 1758), an iconic apex predator occurring in all oceans, is classified as Vulnerable globally—with global abundance having dropped to 63% of 1970s estimates,—and as Critically Endangered in Europe. Identification of evolutionary significant units and their management are crucial for conservation, especially as the white shark is facing various but often region-specific anthropogenic threats. Assessing connectivity in a cosmopolitan marine species requires worldwide sampling and high-resolution genetic markers. Both are lacking for the white shark, with studies to date typified by numerous but geographically limited sampling, and analyses relying largely on relatively small numbers of nuclear microsatellites, which can be plagued by various genotyping artefacts and thus require cautious interpretation. Sequencing and computational advances are finally allowing genomes to be leveraged into population studies, with datasets comprising thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Here, combining target gene capture (TGC) sequencing (89 individuals, 4,000 SNPs) and whole-genome re-sequencing (17 individuals, 391,000 SNPs) with worldwide sampling across most of the distributional range, we identify three genetically distinct allopatric lineages (North Atlantic, Indo-Pacific, and North Pacific). These diverged 100,000–200,000 years ago during the Penultimate Glaciation, when low sea levels, different ocean currents, and water temperatures produced significant biogeographic barriers. Our results show that without high-resolution genomic analyses of samples representative of a species’ range, the true extent of diversity, presence of past and contemporary barriers to gene flow, subsequent speciation, and local evolutionary events will remain enigmatic.