National Committee on Marine Sciences (NCMS)
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- Tolerance of Fucus vesiculosus exposed to diesel water-accommodated fraction (WAF) and degradation of hydrocarbons by the associated bacteriaRyzhik, Inna; Pugovkin, Dmitriy; Makarov, Mikhail; Roleda, Michael Y.; Basova, Larisa; Voskoboynikov, Grigoriy (Elsevier BV, 2019-11)The viability and physiological state of brown macroalgae Fucus vesiculosus and its associated epiphytic bacteria exposed to diesel water-accommodated fraction (WAF), as well as the capacity of this association to deplete petroleum hydrocarbons (HCs) were experimentally tested. After a 6-day exposure treatment, the algal-surface associated bacteria were identified as primarily hydrocarbon-oxidising bacteria (HOB), and the algal-HOB association was able to deplete petroleum hydrocarbons from the diesel WAF by 80%. The HOB density on the algal surface exposed to diesel WAF was 350% higher compared to the control (i.e. HOB density on the algal surface exposed to ambient seawater), which suggest that they actively proliferated in the presence of hydrocarbons and most likely consumed hydrocarbons as their primary organic substrate. Exposure to diesel WAF did not affect the metabolic activity of F. vesiculosus. Higher lipid peroxidation was observed in F. vesiculosus exposed to diesel WAF while catalase concentration decreased only during the first day of exposure. Results suggest F. vesiculosus is tolerant to oil pollution and the algal-HOB association can efficiently deplete petroleum hydrocarbons in oil-contaminated seas.
- PCG: Oil siphoning ops completed by June 19Tupas, Emmanuel; Villeza, Mark Ernest (Philippine Star Printing Co., Inc., 2023-06-11)Siphoning of oil from the sunken motor tanker Princess Empress is expected to be completed by June 19, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday. PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said the dynamic support vessel Fire Opal is on schedule in removing the remaining oil from the motor tanker. “Dapat by June 19 nasipsip na nila. Mukhang on target naman sila,” Balilo told a news forum.
- Marine environmental problems: Experiences of developing regionsYap, Helen T. (Elsevier BV, 1992-01)The marine environmental problems of developing regions are a particular cause for concern because of the great dependence of their human populations on marine resources for survival, and because a significant portion of the world's natural heritage is threatened. Of the problems, the destruction of shallow-water ecosystems and organic (sewage) pollution are the most prominent. The environmental issues typical for Third World countries are clearly related to their socioeconomic conditions, so that attempts at solutions must possess an adequately broad perspective, i.e. they must consider all relevant aspects of a problem. There is also a great need to strengthen the capabilities of developing nations to care for their own environment.
- Emerging pharmaceutical contaminants in key aquatic environments of the PhilippinesMariano, 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.
- Interactions between marine megafauna and plastic pollution in Southeast AsiaOmeyer, Lucy; Duncan, Emily M.; Abreo, Neil Angelo S.; Acebes, Jo Marie V.; AngSinco-Jimenez, Lea A.; Anuar, Sabiqah T.; Aragones, Lemnuel V.; Araujo, Gonzalo; Carrasco, Luis R.; Chua, Marcus A.H.; Cordova, Muhammad R.; Dewanti, Lantun P.; Espiritu, Emilyn Q.; Garay, Jovanie B.; Germanov, Elitza S.; Getliff, Jade; Horcajo-Berna, Eva; Ibrahim, Yusof S.; Jaafar, Zeehan; Janairo, Jose Isagani B.; Gyi, Thanda Ko; Kreb, Danielle; Lim, Cheng Ling; Lyons, Youna; Mustika, Putu L.K.; Neo, Mei Lin; Ng, Sirius Z.H.; Pasaribu, Buntora; Pariatamby, Agamuthu; Peter, Cindy; Porter, Lindsay; Purba, Noir P.; Santa Cruz, Ernesto T.; Shams, Shahriar; Thompson, Kirsten F.; Torres, Daniel S.; Westerlaken, Rodney; Wongtawan, Tuempong; Godley, Brendan J. (Elsevier, 2023-05)Southeast (SE) Asia is a highly biodiverse region, yet it is also estimated to cumulatively contribute a third of the total global marine plastic pollution. This threat is known to have adverse impacts on marine megafauna, however, understanding of its impacts has recently been highlighted as a priority for research in the region. To address this knowledge gap, a structured literature review was conducted for species of cartilaginous fishes, marine mammals, marine reptiles, and seabirds present in SE Asia, collating cases on a global scale to allow for comparison, coupled with a regional expert elicitation to gather additional published and grey literature cases which would have been omitted during the structured literature review. Of the 380 marine megafauna species present in SE Asia, but also studied elsewhere, we found that 9.1 % and 4.5 % of all publications documenting plastic entanglement (n = 55) and ingestion (n = 291) were conducted in SE Asian countries. At the species level, published cases of entanglement from SE Asian countries were available for 10 % or less of species within each taxonomic group. Additionally, published ingestion cases were available primarily for marine mammals and were lacking entirely for seabirds in the region. The regional expert elicitation led to entanglement and ingestion cases from SE Asian countries being documented in 10 and 15 additional species respectively, highlighting the utility of a broader approach to data synthesis. While the scale of the plastic pollution in SE Asia is of particular concern for marine ecosystems, knowledge of its interactions and impacts on marine megafauna lags behind other areas of the world, even after the inclusion of a regional expert elicitation. Additional funding to help collate baseline data are critically needed to inform policy and solutions towards limiting the interactions of marine megafauna and plastic pollution in SE Asia.
- Moving towards open data, public access, and information sharing to combat marine plastics pollution in the Philippines and the Southeast Asian regionAlindayu, Ricardo C.; Licnachan, Lance Oliver C.; Luzadas, Ramgem L.; Ignacio, Paul Samuel P.; Onda, Deo Florence L. (Elsevier, 2023-09-01)Despite the consistent tagging of countries in Southeast Asia as among the top polluters of plastics in the oceans and the increasing local literature documenting the presence and abundance of plastics in marine environments, there still lacks a comprehensive, open, and accessible repository for marine plastics pollution data in the region. As such, this study presents the development of the PlastiCount Pilipinas portal in line with the call for a common data repository by the Philippines’ National Plan of Action for the Prevention, Reduction, and Management of Marine Litter and the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States. A total of 14 existing databases were reviewed to identify key features for the online portal implemented to promote ease of access and diversified functionality. For the database, a total of 38 publications, 2 reports, 1 scientific poster, and 3 baselining studies were used to develop the initial ground-truthed baseline for marine plastic pollution, covering 23 provinces and 14 regions across the Philippines. The challenges presented by an observed variation across different methodologies and reporting styles emphasize the critical need to harmonize methods toward generating a more refined national baseline for marine litter. The initial baseline data and other resources such as manuals, information sheets, photographs, news, and publications are uploaded onto a public online portal for viewing and download (https://plasticount.ph/). Data and resource submissions from the public are also accepted and considered for inclusion in the database. The insights gained from developing the online portal and database for the Philippines can be used to inform the development of a regional database for Southeast Asia towards reducing marine litter.
- Assessing the efficiency of microplastics extraction methods for tropical beach sediments and matrix preparation for experimental controlsBonita, Jan Danielle P.; Gomez, Norchel Corcia F.; Onda, Deo Florence L. (Frontiers Media SA, 2023-11-03)Introduction: Microplastic pollution has become a global issue, eliciting attention not just from the scientific community but also both from the public and governmental bodies. Drawing data-driven policies and interventions, however, remain difficult due to the severely lacking baseline information from different environments such as beaches. One of the challenges in doing baseline studies is the lack of harmonized methodologies that will allow for comparison of results, integration of data, and its effective translation to evidence-based policies. Emphasis on quality control measures among baselining efforts through the proper implementation of experimental controls is also lacking. Methodology: To address these gaps, we compared methodologies for preparing the sediment matrix for experimental controls, as well as evaluated protocols for extracting microplastics from tropical beach sediments. Beach sediments were collected, dried, sieved, and spiked with known amounts of microplastics of different polymer types. The removal and extraction efficiencies of the protocols being compared were evaluated. Results and discussion: Our results showed that subjecting beach sediments to a furnace at 550° C for 4 hours is the most efficient way to remove plastic contamination, implying its applicability for preparing experimental controls. Meanwhile, a modified version of Masura et al. (2015), one of the widely cited methodologies for microplastics extraction, exhibited the highest mean extraction efficiency (99.05 ± 0.82%) among the protocols being compared. Results of this work will be useful in identifying methods that can be adopted and utilized for research and baselining efforts not just in the Philippines but also in Southeast Asia. This will also be helpful in the harmonization of methods, data reporting, and even skills as implemented through the regional and national action plans to address marine plastic pollution.The authors would like to thank the members of the Microbial Oceanography Laboratory of the University of the Philippines, The Marine Science Institute, especially Mark Prudente and Kim John Balboa who provided assistance during the conduct of the experiment, and the staff and administrative personnel of the Bolinao Marine Laboratory.
- To fight sea pollution, Marina to hike inspection of CV shipsPadronia, Earl (Sun • Star Publishing, 2023-09-23)The Philippines, regarded as among the world’s largest contributors of marine plastics, is moving to reverse this situation, with Cebu’s maritime industry players and authorities ramping up inspection and monitoring of vessels to raise awareness among seafarers on the need to prevent pollution. To protect the country’s sea waters against the proliferation of marine pollution, Cebu’s maritime industry players and regulators have also renewed their commitment to the MARPOL convention against the discharge of sea pollutants.
- Coast Guard enhances readiness for search and rescue, marine pollutionMasculino, Glazyl Y. (Daily Guardian Multi-Media Services, Inc., 2022-10-21)The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) District Western Visayas highlighted the significance of the stakeholders and government agencies in search and rescue (SAR) operations. PCG northern Negros conducted exercises on marine pollution and search and rescue at the Banago seaport here yesterday to check the readiness of the Coast Guard personnel, and assistance of stakeholders and government agencies in case of a sea mishap, oil spill, or any emergency at sea.
- Rampant illegal fishing in Quezon waters alarms group(Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc., 2022-06-04)Rampant destructive fishing methods were again reported in the bays of Tayabas and Lamon in Quezon province, prompting an environmental group to urge the local government to curb the illegal activities. Jay Lim, project officer of Tanggol Kalikasan (TK), said the resurgence of illegal fishing activities was confirmed by a local fisherman in this city’s coastal village of Dalahican along the Tayabas Bay. TK is a public interest law office that advocates environmental protection. A local fisherman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, blamed the presence of large commercial fishing operations for the dwindling catch in the bay area.