Challenge 04: Develop a sustainable and equitable ocean economy

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Ocean Decade

Challenge 04:
Develop a sustainable and equitable ocean economy

Generate knowledge, support innovation and multi-sectoral partnerships and develop solutions for equitable, resilient and sustainable development of the ocean economy under changing environmental, social and climate conditions.

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Spatial planning insights for Philippine coral reef conservation using larval connectivity networks
Pata, Patrick R.; Yñiguez, Aletta T. (Frontiers Media SA, 2021-10-06)
The marine habitats of the Philippines are recognized to be some of the most biodiverse systems globally yet only 1.7% of its seas are designated as marine protected areas (MPAs) with varying levels of implementation. Many of these MPAs were established based on local-scale conservation and fisheries objectives without considering larger-scale ecological connections. The connectivity of reefs through larval dispersal is important in the regional-scale resilience against anthropogenic disturbances and is considered a significant criterion in planning for MPAs. In this study, we provide insights into the delineation of ecologically connected MPA networks using larval dispersal modeling and network analysis. We characterized the network properties of the Philippine coral reefs, organized as 252 reef nodes, based on the larval connectivity networks of a branching coral, sea urchin, and grouper. We then evaluated the distribution of the existing 1,060 MPAs relative to the connectivity patterns. All reef nodes were found to be highly interconnected with a mean shortest path ranging from 1.96 to 4.06. Reef nodes were then ranked according to their relative importance in regional connectivity based on five connectivity indices. Despite the between-organism and between-index variability in rankings, there were reefs nodes, mostly located offshore and at major straits, which consistently ranked high. We found that the distribution of existing MPAs partially capture some of the regional connectivity functions but there is a spatial mismatch between the primarily coastal MPAs and the high-ranking reef nodes. Furthermore, network partitioning identified subnetworks and dispersal barriers. The existing MPAs were found to be disproportionately distributed to a few subnetworks and that the largest subnetworks do not contain the greatest number of MPAs. Considering these gaps, we suggest expanding the coverage of protected areas especially in underrepresented reef networks to meaningfully capture national-scale connectivity and meet global conservation objectives.
We would like to thank Dr. Vera Horigue and Andrew Torres for constructive comments and suggestions during the early versions of this paper. We also thank the members of the Biological Oceanography and Modeling of Ecosystems (BiOME) Laboratory who assisted in running model simulations.
Strong genetic structure and limited gene flow among populations of the tropical seagrass Thalassia hemprichii in the Philippines
Nakajima, Yuichi; Matsuki, Yu; Fortes, Miguel D.; Uy, Wilfredo H.; Campos, Wilfredo L.; Nadaoka, Kazuo; Lian, Chunlan (MDPI AG, 2023-02-05)
Seagrasses are marine angiosperms, and seagrass beds maintain the species diversity of tropical and subtropical coastal ecosystems. For proper understanding, management and conservation of coastal ecosystems, it is essential to understand seagrass population dynamics. Population genetic studies can cover large geographic scales and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of reproductive dynamics and potential dispersal among locations. The clonal and genetic diversity and genetic connectivity of Thalassia hemprichii in the Philippines were estimated by a population genetics approach. The geographic scale of this study has a direct distance of approximately 1600 km. Although high clonal diversity was found in some sites (R = 0.07–1.00), both sexual and asexual reproduction generally maintains separate populations. Genetic diversity is not definitely correlated with latitude, and genetic differentiation is significant in all pairs of sites (FST = 0.026–0.744). Complex genetic structure was found in some regions, even at a fine geographic scale. The migration of fruits and seedlings was elucidated as an infrequent and stochastic event. These results suggest the necessity for the conservation of this species due to a deficiency in migrants from external regions.
We thank members of CECAM project.
Emerging pharmaceutical contaminants in key aquatic environments of the Philippines
Mariano, Shyrill Mae F.; Angeles, Luisa F.; Aga, Diana S.; Villanoy, Cesar L.; Jaraula, Caroline Marie B. (Frontiers Media SA, 2023-09-13)
Pharmaceuticals in natural waters are considered emerging pollutants due to their low concentrations and the negative effects they pose to the environment. Common sources of such pollutants include untreated wastewater from hospitals, residential, industrial, and agricultural sources. Many wastewater treatment methods only remove a subset of all pharmaceuticals from the wastewater; remaining pharmaceuticals are discharged into natural waters, and ultimately drain into coastal areas. Regions without proper wastewater treatment are especially susceptible to such contamination. This study deals with the distribution, sources, and seasonal variability of pharmaceuticals in key aquatic systems in the Philippines. Two watershed continuums (Davao Gulf, Davao City; Macajalar Bay, Cagayan de Oro City); two tourist areas (Boracay Island, Aklan; Mabini, Batangas); and one pristine atoll (Tubbataha Reefs, Palawan)—all with varied prevailing human population pressures—were studied. Samples of hospital wastewater as well as groundwater, surface and bottom water samples from rivers and coastal seas collected during dry and wet seasons were analyzed using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Thirty-four target pharmaceutical residues and antibiotics were extracted and quantified. Acetaminophen was detected at concentrations of up to 289.17 ppb in freshwater samples, and at concentrations of up to 253.39 ppb in seawater samples. Ubiquitous to all the sites was caffeine, reaching 1848.57 ppb. Sulfamethazine, a commonly used veterinary antibiotic, was detected at 764.91 ppb in a river site in Cagayan de Oro. Untreated hospital wastewater contained metformin, iopamidol, sulfamethoxazole, acetylsulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin, but these pharmaceuticals were not detected in other river and coastal waters. Samples collected during the dry season exhibited higher concentrations than those from the wet season, which appears to be related to increase in transient populations from tourism activities as well as dilution. The presence of pharmaceutical residues and antibiotics in these areas and the potential impact on the environment indicate the need for stricter wastewater management measures, particularly in communities located near water bodies. As the results of this study show, such measures might be most beneficial and effective if imposed during dry season and in areas open to tourism.
We thank the crew and researchers aboard M/Y Panata expedition PA0421 to Tubbataha in October 2019 and cruise to Boracay December 2019. Our gratitude to Mary Antoinette Limen, Mishel Valery Rañada, Gio Ferson Bautista, and Ernest Guiller Pineda for helping us in the field, and to Lahiruni Halwatura for assisting in the creation of a standard calibration curve for saltwater.
Complex patterns of genetic structure in the sea cucumber Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra from the Philippines: implications for aquaculture and fishery management
Lal, Monal M.; Macahig, Deo A. S.; Juinio-Meñez, Marie A.; Altamirano, Jon P.; Noran-Baylon, Roselyn; de la Torre-de la Cruz, Margarita; Villamor, Janine L.; Gacura, Jonh Rey L.; Uy, Wilfredo H.; Mira-Honghong, Hanzel; Southgate, Paul C.; Ravago-Gotanco, Rachel (Frontiers Media SA, 2024-06-04)
The sandfish Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra, is a high-value tropical sea cucumber harvested from wild stocks for over four centuries in multi-species fisheries across its Indo-Pacific distribution, for the global bêche-de-mer (BDM) trade. Within Southeast Asia, the Philippines is an important centre of the BDM trade, however overharvesting and largely open fishery management have resulted in declining catch volumes. Sandfish mariculture has been developed to supplement BDM supply and assist restocking efforts; however, it is heavily reliant on wild populations for broodstock supply. Consequently, to inform fishery, mariculture, germplasm and translocation management policies for both wild and captive resources, a high-resolution genomic audit of 16 wild sandfish populations was conducted, employing a proven genotyping-by-sequencing approach for this species (DArTseq). Genomic data (8,266 selectively-neutral and 117 putatively-adaptive SNPs) were used to assess fine-scale genetic structure, diversity, relatedness, population connectivity and local adaptation at both broad (biogeographic region) and local (within-biogeographic region) scales. An independent hydrodynamic particle dispersal model was also used to assess population connectivity. The overall pattern of population differentiation at the country level for H. scabra in the Philippines is complex, with nine genetic stocks and respective management units delineated across 5 biogeographic regions: (1) Celebes Sea, (2) North and (3) South Philippine Seas, (4) South China and Internal Seas and (5) Sulu Sea. Genetic connectivity is highest within proximate marine biogeographic regions (mean Fst=0.016), with greater separation evident between geographically distant sites (Fst range=0.041–0.045). Signatures of local adaptation were detected among six biogeographic regions, with genetic bottlenecks at 5 sites, particularly within historically heavily-exploited locations in the western and central Philippines. Genetic structure is influenced by geographic distance, larval dispersal capacity, species-specific larval development and settlement attributes, variable ocean current-mediated gene flow, source and sink location geography and habitat heterogeneity across the archipelago. Data reported here will inform accurate and sustainable fishery regulation, conservation of genetic diversity, direct broodstock sourcing for mariculture and guide restocking interventions across the Philippines.
Mining small molecules from Teredinibacter turnerae strains isolated from Philippine Teredinidae
Villacorta, Jamaine B.; Rodriguez, Camille V.; Peran, Jacquelyn E.; Batucan, Jeremiah D.; Concepcion, Gisela; Salvador-Reyes, Lilibeth A.; Junio, Hiyas A. (MDPI, 2022-11-21)
Endosymbiotic relationship has played a significant role in the evolution of marine species, allowing for the development of biochemical machinery for the synthesis of diverse metabolites. In this work, we explore the chemical space of exogenous compounds from shipworm endosymbionts using LC-MS-based metabolomics. Priority T. turnerae strains (1022X.S.1B.7A, 991H.S.0A.06B, 1675L.S.0A.01) that displayed antimicrobial activity, isolated from shipworms collected from several sites in the Philippines were cultured, and fractionated extracts were subjected for profiling using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry quadrupole time-of-flight mass analyzer (UHPLC-HRMS QTOF). T. turnerae T7901 was used as a reference microorganism for dereplication analysis. Tandem MS data were analyzed through the Global Natural Products Social (GNPS) molecular networking, which resulted to 93 clusters with more than two nodes, leading to four putatively annotated clusters: lipids, lysophosphatidylethanolamines, cyclic dipeptides, and rhamnolipids. Additional clusters were also annotated through molecular networking with cross-reference to previous publications. Tartrolon D cluster with analogues, turnercyclamycins A and B; teredinibactin A, dechloroteredinibactin, and two other possible teredinibactin analogues; and oxylipin (E)-11-oxooctadec-12-enoic acid were putatively identified as described. Molecular networking also revealed two additional metabolite clusters, annotated as lyso-ornithine lipids and polyethers. Manual fragmentation analysis corroborated the putative identification generated from GNPS. However, some of the clusters remained unclassified due to the limited structural information on marine natural products in the public database. The result of this study, nonetheless, showed the diversity in the chemical space occupied by shipworm endosymbionts. This study also affirms the use of bioinformatics, molecular networking, and fragmentation mechanisms analysis as tools for the dereplication of high-throughput data to aid the prioritization of strains for further analysis.
The research was completed under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), Philippines in compliance with Prior Informed Consent (PIC) certificate requirements and all required legal instruments and regulatory issuances covering the conduct of the research. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Department of Science and Technology-funded Discovery and Development of Health Products Program (DOST-DDHP) for the LC-MS Facility of the Institute of Chemistry, University of the Philippines Diliman.
Ensuring aquatic food security in the Philippines
Cabral, Reniel; Geronimo, Rollan; Mamauag, Antonio Samuel; Silva, Juan; Mancao, Roquelito; Atrigenio, Michael (National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, 2023-12)
The human population of the Philippines is expected to reach 158 million by the year 2050, or an increase of 37% relative to 2022. This implies increased demand for aquatic food (or “fish” hereafter). This begs the question of whether the Philippines can meet the expected increase in fish demand. We estimate that even if the Philippines can maintain its current fish production, the Philippines will still require 1.67 million metric tons more fish per year by 2050 to at least maintain its current per capita fish consumption of 34.27 kg per year. Continued mismanagement of inland and marine fisheries will further widen the gap in fish supply. However, we argue that simultaneously rebuilding overfished fisheries, restoring degraded habitats crucial to supporting productive fisheries, addressing current threats to fisheries sustainability, and expanding sustainable marine aquaculture (or mariculture) have the potential to meet future fish demand in the Philippines. Sustainably expanding mariculture requires careful siting and management of mariculture development areas so that mariculture can improve food security without disenfranchising and marginalizing local coastal communities.
This policy brief is the product of the address delivered by RBC during the 44th Annual Scientific Meeting of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines, last July 2022, with the theme Foresight 2050: Science for a Sustainable Future. We dedicate this work in memory of our friend, Lito Mancao, who championed good governance in the Philippine fisheries and has generously supported numerous fisheries researchers and practitioners.