00. Ocean Decade - Philippines
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://repository.unesco.gov.ph/handle/123456789/7
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.
Browse
41 results
Search Results
- Trends in growth and mortality of three coral species (Anthozoa: Scleractinia), including effects of transplantationYap, H. T.; Alino, P. M.; Gomez, E. D. (Inter-Research Science Center, 1992)Three ecologically dominant coral species in a northern Philippine reef were compared in terms of growth and mortality and responses to transplantation. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using the species concerned in establishing new coral populations through deliberate fragmentation. The species, Acropora hyacinthus, Pocillopora damicornis and Pavona frondifera, displayed distinct differences which could be related to their respective life-history strategies. A. hyacinthus showed tendencies towards an r-mode, with rapid linear growth but also high mortality rates. Response to transplantation was poor. Pocillopora damicornis had intermediate linear growth rates and relatively high mortality. Transplants fared poorly in the initial part of the experiment though they showed successful adaptation after a year. Mortality rates of both A. hyacinthus and P. damicornis were increased by high temperatures during certain times of the year. Pavona frondifera had the highest linear growth rates and no mortality, tending towards a K-mode of life history strategy. It showed the best response to transplantation This species is thus a suitable candidate for large-scale reef restoration.
- Detection of horizontal gene transfer in the genome of the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosettaMatriano, Danielle M.; Alegado, Rosanna A.; Conaco, Cecilia (Springer, 2021-03-16)Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), the movement of heritable materials between distantly related organisms, is crucial in eukaryotic evolution. However, the scale of HGT in choanoflagellates, the closest unicellular relatives of metazoans, and its possible roles in the evolution of animal multicellularity remains unexplored. We identified at least 175 candidate HGTs in the genome of the colonial choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta using sequence-based tests. The majority of these were orthologous to genes in bacterial and microalgal lineages, yet displayed genomic features consistent with the rest of the S. rosetta genome—evidence of ancient acquisition events. Putative functions include enzymes involved in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism, cell signaling, and the synthesis of extracellular matrix components. Functions of candidate HGTs may have contributed to the ability of choanoflagellates to assimilate novel metabolites, thereby supporting adaptation, survival in diverse ecological niches, and response to external cues that are possibly critical in the evolution of multicellularity in choanoflagellates.We thank Joshua Dizon and Francis Tablizo of the Philippine Genome Center Core Facility for Bioinformatics for assistance with scripts and database construction. We thank Becca Lensing (University of Hawai’i), Cheryl Andam (University of New Hampshire), Deo Onda and Ron Leonard Dy (University of the Philippines) for insightful comments and suggestions on the analysis and interpretation of the data. This work was supported by thesis grants from the Department of Science and Technology Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program-National Science Consortium (DOST-ASTHRDP-NSC) and the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute to DM.
- Limited progress in improving gender and geographic representation in coral reef scienceAhmadia, Gabby N.; Cheng, Samantha H.; Andradi-Brown, Dominic A.; Baez, Stacy K.; Barnes, Megan D.; Bennett, Nathan J.; Campbell, Stuart J.; Darling, Emily S.; Gill, David; Gress, Erika; Gurney, Georgina G.; Horigue, Vera; Jakub, Raymond; Kennedy, Emma V.; Mahajan, Shauna L.; Mangubhai, Sangeeta; Matsuda, Shayle B.; Muthiga, Nyawira A.; Navarro, Michael O.; Santodomingo, Nadia; Vallès, Henri; Veverka, Laura; Villagomez, Angelo; Wenger, Amelia S.; Wosu, Adaoma (Frontiers Media SA, 2021-09-29)Despite increasing recognition of the need for more diverse and equitable representation in the sciences, it is unclear whether measurable progress has been made. Here, we examine trends in authorship in coral reef science from 1,677 articles published over the past 16 years (2003–2018) and find that while representation of authors that are women (from 18 to 33%) and from non-OECD nations (from 4 to 13%) have increased over time, progress is slow in achieving more equitable representation. For example, at the current rate, it would take over two decades for female representation to reach 50%. Given that there are more coral reef non-OECD countries, at the current rate, truly equitable representation of non-OECD countries would take even longer. OECD nations also continue to dominate authorship contributions in coral reef science (89%), in research conducted in both OECD (63%) and non-OECD nations (68%). We identify systemic issues that remain prevalent in coral reef science (i.e., parachute science, gender bias) that likely contribute to observed trends. We provide recommendations to address systemic biases in research to foster a more inclusive global science community. Adoption of these recommendations will lead to more creative, innovative, and impactful scientific approaches urgently needed for coral reefs and contribute to environmental justice efforts.We acknowledge the contributions of the many unrecognized and undervalued individuals in coral reef research whose efforts have made it possible for the field to progress. These scientists have collected data, translated across languages, coordinated field work, welcomed foreign visitors to their countries, shared ideas, trained and mentored students, become friends, inspired, and built the foundation for the discipline we know today. We acknowledge the work of all coral reef scientists who continue day after day to pursue equity, inclusion, and justice in the field and for their colleagues and themselves.
- 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.
- Multifaceted assessment of wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 in selected urban communities in Davao City, Philippines: A pilot studyOtero, Maria Catherine B.; Murao, Lyre Anni E.; Limen, Mary Antoinette G.; Caalim, Daniel Rev A.; Gaite, Paul Lorenzo A.; Bacus, Michael G.; Acaso, Joan T.; Miguel, Refeim M.; Corazo, Kahlil; Knot, Ineke E.; Sajonia, Homer; de los Reyes, Francis L.; Jaraula, Caroline Marie B.; Baja, Emmanuel S.; Del Mundo, Dann Marie N. (MDPI, 2022-07-19)Over 60 countries have integrated wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) in their COVID-19 surveillance programs, focusing on wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). In this paper, we piloted the assessment of SARS-CoV-2 WBE as a complementary public health surveillance method in susceptible communities in a highly urbanized city without WWTP in the Philippines by exploring the extraction and detection methods, evaluating the contribution of physico-chemical–anthropogenic factors, and attempting whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Weekly wastewater samples were collected from sewer pipes or creeks in six communities with moderate-to-high risk of COVID-19 transmission, as categorized by the City Government of Davao from November to December 2020. Physico-chemical properties of the wastewater and anthropogenic conditions of the sites were noted. Samples were concentrated using a PEG-NaCl precipitation method and analyzed by RT-PCR to detect the SARS-CoV-2 N, RdRP, and E genes. A subset of nine samples were subjected to WGS using the Minion sequencing platform. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in twenty-two samples (91.7%) regardless of the presence of new cases. Cycle threshold values correlated with RNA concentration and attack rate. The lack of a sewershed map in the sampled areas highlights the need to integrate this in the WBE planning. A combined analysis of wastewater physico-chemical parameters such as flow rate, surface water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved solids provided insights on the ideal sampling location, time, and method for WBE, and their impact on RNA recovery. The contribution of fecal matter in the wastewater may also be assessed through the coliform count and in the context of anthropogenic conditions in the area. Finally, our attempt on WGS detected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in wastewater which included clinically reported and newly identified mutations in the Philippines. This exploratory report provides a contextualized framework for applying WBE surveillance in low-sanitation areas.The authors thank the Davao City Health Office, the local government units under the City Government of Davao, the partner hospitals for their support and assistance, and Diana Aga for discussions on sample collection and analyses. The authors would also like to thank the members of the Bortz Virology Laboratory at the University of Alaska Anchorage- Ralf Dagdag and Matthew Redlinger, Amanda Warr from the Roslin Institute, Nicole Wheeler from the University of Birmingham, Lara Urban, co-founder of PuntSeq, and Joe Russell from MRI Global for their expert advice in nanopore and wastewater sequencing.
- Two hidden mtDNA-clades of crown-of-thorns starfish in the Pacific OceanYasuda, Nina; Inoue, Jun; Hall, Michael R.; Nair, Manoj R.; Adjeroud, Mehdi; Fortes, Miguel D.; Nishida, Mutsumi; Tuivavalagi, Nat; Ravago-Gotanco, Rachel; Forsman, Zac H.; Soliman, Taha; Koyanagi, Ryo; Hisata, Kanako; Motti, Cherie A.; Satoh, Noriyuki (Frontiers Media SA, 2022-04-27)Recurring outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) severely damage healthy corals, especially in the Western Pacific Ocean. To obtain a better understanding of population genetics of COTS and historical colonization across the Pacific Ocean, complete mitochondrial genomes were sequenced from 243 individuals collected in 11 reef regions. Our results indicate that Pacific COTS (Acanthaster cf. solaris) comprise two major clades, an East-Central Pacific (ECP) clade and a Pan-Pacific (PP) clade, separation of which was supported by high bootstrap value. The ECP clade consists of COTS from French Polynesia, Fiji, Vanuatu and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The Hawaii population is unique within this clade, while California COTS are included in EPC clade. On the other hand, the PP clade comprises multiple lineages that contain COTS from Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, GBR, Vanuatu, Fiji and French Polynesia. For example, a lineage of the PP clade, which has the largest geographic distribution, includes COTS from all of these locations. These results suggest two alternative histories of current geographic distributions of COTS in the Pacific Ocean, an ECP clade ancestry or Western Pacific clade ancestry. Although further questions remain to be explored, this discovery provides an evolutionary context for the interpretation of COTS population structure which will aid future coral reef research in the Pacific Ocean, and ultimately improve reef management of COTS.We thank the following people for their help with sample collection: Dr. Hugh Sweatman and the AIMS Bioresources Library for GBR samples, Dr. Molly Timmers for Hawaiian samples, Geoff Jones and Jeff Kinch for Papua New Guinean samples, Monal Lal for Fijian samples, Christina Shaw for Vanuatu samples, Hoang Dinh Chieu for Vietnamese samples, and Hiromitsu Ueno for Japanese samples. The DNA Sequencing Section and IT section of OIST are acknowledged for its expert help with genome sequencing and bioinfomatic analysis. Last, but not least, we acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and sea country on which this research took place.
- Anti-inflammatory activity of monosubstituted xestoquinone analogues from the marine sponge Neopetrosia compactaSusana, Shalice R.; Salvador-Reyes, Lilibeth A. (MDPI, 2022-03-22)Chronic inflammation is recognized as a contributor to multiple chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular, and autoimmune disorders. Here, a natural products-initiated discovery of anti-inflammatory agents from marine sponges was undertaken. From the screening of 231 crude extracts, a total of 30 extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity with no direct cytotoxic effects at 50 μg/mL on RAW 264.7 (ATCC®TIB-71™) murine macrophage cells stimulated with 1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Bioactivity-guided purification of the anti-inflammatory extract from the sponge Neopetrosia compacta led to the isolation of xestoquinone (1), adociaquinone B (2), adociaquinone A (3), 14-hydroxymethylxestoquinone (4), 15-hydroxymethylxestoquinone (5), and an inseparable 2:1 mixture of 14-methoxyxestoquinone and 15-methoxyxestoquinone (6). Compounds 1–6 caused a concentration-dependent reduction of nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, with 4–6 having low micromolar IC50 and acceptable selectivity index. Gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR showed that 1, 5, and 6 downregulated Il1b and Nos2 expression by 2.1- to 14.8-fold relative to the solvent control at 10 μM. Xestoquinone (1) and monosubstituted analogues (4–6), but not the disubstituted adociaquinones (2 and 3), caused Nrf2 activation in a luciferase reporter MCF7 stable cells. Compounds 5 and 6 caused a modest increase in Nqo1 gene expression at 10 μM. The anti-inflammatory activity of xestoquinone (1) and monosubstituted analogues (4–6) may, in part, be mediated by Nrf2 activation, leading to attenuation of inflammatory mediators such as IL-1β and NOS2.Samples were collected under gratuitous permit numbers GP-0084-15 and GP-0123-17, issued by the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines. We thank the municipalities of Bolinao, Pangasinan, and Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro for permission for sample collection. We acknowledge assistance from Z. L. Malto and DDHP chemical ecology group in obtaining the mass spectrometric data and sample collection, respectively.
- 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.
- The complete mitochondrial genome of a wild-collected Kappaphycus malesianus (Solieriaceae, Rhodophyta)Crisostomo, Bea A.; Dumilag, Richard V.; Roleda, Michael Y.; Lluisma, Arturo O. (Taylor & Francis, 2023-03-04)Kappaphycus malesianus is a red seaweed farmed primarily for its carrageenan, a polysaccharide important in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Among the commercially cultivated Kappaphycus species, only K. malesianus has no mitogenome data available. Here, we assembled the mitochondrial genome of K. malesianus from next-generation sequencing data. The circular mitogenome consisted of 25,250 base pairs (bp) with a GC content of 30.25%. These values were comparable to previously sequenced solieriacean mitogenomes. Structural features, such as the stem-loop and hairpin, which were previously reported in other rhodophytes mitochondrial DNA, were also identified. The annotated genes (24 protein-coding genes, 24 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes) were arranged in an order similar to the other available solieriacean mitogenomes. Lastly, phylogenetic analysis using 23 predicted protein domains showed the sister relationship of K. malesianus with other Kappaphycus species.The authors are grateful to Z.-Z. Aguinaldo, S. Damsik, and J. Turong for aiding during laboratory and field works. The authors also acknowledge the LGU of Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi for granting permission for the collection activities. This is contribution no. 495 from the University of the Philippines the Marine Science Institute (UPMSI), Diliman, Quezon City.
- 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).