00. Ocean Decade - Philippines
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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:
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 challenges.
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- Spatial planning insights for Philippine coral reef conservation using larval connectivity networksPata, 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.
- Global mass spectrometric analysis reveals chemical diversity of secondary metabolites and 44-Methylgambierone production in Philippine Gambierdiscus strainsMalto, Zabrina Bernice L.; Benico, Garry A.; Batucan, Jeremiah D.; Dela Cruz, James; Romero, Marc Lawrence J.; Azanza, Rhodora V.; Salvador-Reyes, Lilibeth A. (Frontiers Media SA, 2022-02-04)Surveillance and characterization of emerging marine toxins and toxigenic dinoflagellates are warranted to evaluate their associated health risks. Here, we report the occurrence of the ciguatera poisoning-causative dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus balechii in the Philippines. Toxin production and chemical diversity of secondary metabolites in G. balechii GtoxSAM092414, G. balechii Gtox112513, and the recently reported Gambierdiscus carpenteri Gam1BOL080513 were assessed using targeted and untargeted UPLC-MS/MS analysis and radioligand receptor-binding assay (RBA). 44-methylgambierone was produced by all three strains, albeitwith different levels based on RBA and UPLC-HRMS/MS analysis. The fatty acid composition was similar in all strains, while subtle differences in monosaccharide content were observed, related to the collection site rather than the species. Molecular networking using the GNPS database identified 45 clusters belonging to at least ten compound classes, with terpene glycosides, carbohydrate conjugates, polyketides, and macrolides as major convergence points. Species-specific peptides and polyhydroxylated compounds were identified in G. balechii GtoxSAM092414 and G. carpenteri Gam1BOL080513, respectively. These provide a glimpse of the uncharacterized biosynthetic potential of benthic dinoflagellates and highlight the intricate and prolific machinery for secondary metabolites production in these organisms.We would like to thank H. Junio and the Secondary Metabolites Profiling Laboratory of the Institute of Chemistry, University of the Philippines Diliman and K. B. Davis for assistance in the conduct of this study.
- Clay mineral nanostructures regulate sequestration of organic carbon in typical fluvial sedimentsSong, Hongzhe; Liu, Zhifei; Lin, Baozhi; Zhao, Yulong; Siringan, Fernando P.; You, Chen-Feng (Elsevier, 2024-02-15)The association between clay minerals and organic carbon is pivotal for understanding transport, burial, and preservation processes of sedimentary organic carbon. However, fine-scale microscopic studies are still limited in assessing the effect of diverse clay mineral structures and properties on organic carbon sequestration. In this study, we employed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses to investigate the nanoscale interaction between clay minerals and organic carbon of two typical fluvial sediment samples with contrasting clay mineral compositions and organic carbon origins. Sample from Taiwan shows abundant illite and chlorite with petrogenic organic carbon, while sample from Luzon has significant smectite with pedogenic organic carbon. We observed that the nanostructure of the clay minerals controls the distribution of organic carbon. In the Luzon sample, the organic carbon is tightly associated with smectite, occupying expandable interlayer spaces. In the Taiwan sample, however, the organic carbon is primarily confined on the surface and edge of illite. These findings offer valuable insights into the selective association of organic carbon with clay minerals and underscore the role of clay mineral nanolayer structures in governing the occurrence and preservation of organic carbon in sediments. A comprehensive understanding of these interactions is crucial for accurate assessments of carbon cycling and sequestration in the natural environment.We sincerely thank Shunai Che and Lu Han for their help in TEM experiments and data processing. We thank Editor Dr. Andrew Hursthouse for handling the manuscript and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on the early version of this paper. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42130407, 42188102, 42306066) and the Interdisciplinary Project of Tongji University (ZD-22-202102).
- Strong genetic structure and limited gene flow among populations of the tropical seagrass Thalassia hemprichii in the PhilippinesNakajima, 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 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.
- Complex patterns of genetic structure in the sea cucumber Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra from the Philippines: implications for aquaculture and fishery managementLal, 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.
- Evolving governance structures in community-based sandfish mariculture and their interactions with livelihood outcomes: Evidence from the PhilippinesFabinyi, Michael; Gorospe, Jay R; McClean, Nicholas; Juinio–Meñez, Marie Antonette (Frontiers Media SA, 2022-11-02)Sea cucumber mariculture is an important emerging field of practice and applied research in the coastal tropics. This is due to the existing importance of tropical sea cucumber fisheries for wealth generation and poverty reduction, and the potential for mariculture to contribute to the longer term sustainability of these fisheries while generating benefits additional to those from wild caught sea cucumber. Understanding the optimal institutional arrangements for sea cucumber mariculture is an important area of focus in this field, with a variety of arrangements currently in place. This paper documents the establishment of a communal form of sea ranching in the Philippines, as a case study of community level institutional processes. It describes the background to establishment of the sea ranch in the community of Victory, challenges encountered and how these were managed, and the evolution of governance arrangements. In charting this process, we assess the impacts on livelihood outcomes, highlighting this as a crucial aspect influencing this evolution and the nature of community involvement in the sea ranch. While the sea ranching project generated a range of benefits for livelihoods, including possible spillover effects for the surrounding fishery, substantial economic returns from harvests did not occur. Thus, the system of governing the sea ranch evolved from a communal model to a more exclusive household model primarily to improve operational efficiency. In order for possible benefits of the sea ranch to be sustained and enhanced, greater integration with fisheries management and government support will be needed.We are grateful to the Samahan ng Maliliit na Mangingisda ng Barangay Victory, Inc., the local government unit of Barangay Victory and Bolinao for their support to the Sea cucumber Research Program. We are also thankful to Tirso Catbagan, Josh Caasi, Rona Cabanayan-Soy, and Garry Bucol for their invaluable assistance during the field monitoring of sandfish in the sea ranch.
- Mining small molecules from Teredinibacter turnerae strains isolated from Philippine TeredinidaeVillacorta, 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 PhilippinesCabral, 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.
- 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.