This article was written by Norberto Berida, Regional Director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region VIII Great biodiversity is very important in the fisheries industry, both for fisheries and for human well-being. For the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, marine protected areas can define the baseline for impact evaluation of the covered … Read more
This article was written by Diovanie De Jesus, Oceana Campaign and Science Specialist. Imagine an upside-down jellyfish with its tentacles up to gather food from the water and its body inside a calcium carbonate exoskeleton—that’s a coral polyp. Living within it are microscopic algae, the zooxanthellae, which help provide food to the coral through photosynthesis. These coral … Read more
Months after the expedition, we asked Oceana’s Senior Campaign Manager Danny Ocampo to look back at his favorite photos from Panaon Island. It wasn’t an easy task given how biodiverse Panaon’s reefscape is, but Danny lists down his three photos and anecdotes that go with it. Since returning to dry land a couple of weeks ago after the expedition, I only managed to sneak in one dive since I … Read more
For our final Scientist Spotlight, we feature no other than Oceana’s very own and Panaon Expedition Team Leader, Mar Saniano. From staying up late to watch documentaries on television, she ably coordinated the latest Oceana scientific expedition to protect the coral reefs of the Philippines. What made you decide to become a marine scientist? Early in my childhood, my sister and I were very fond … Read more
Yvette Lee is the Vice President of the Discovery Fleet but this award-winning underwater photographer found it hard to resist the call of the ocean. She volunteered to be part of the documentary team and we are more than thankful to have an eye like hers to capture the gems of Panaon. Can you tell us about how you got started … Read more
You might remember Bew from our first issue where we wrote about the expedition team’s birthday surprise for her onboard. Bew Pardo, who is part of the coral team, is a UP Los Baños alumna and is among those with the highest general weighted average among Master of Science in Environmental Science graduates. Let’s take a look at Bew’s usual … Read more
Aside from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Panaon Expedition also had to deal with the forces of nature. Let’s hear from Boat Manager Nori Tolibas how coordination with Oceana’s 24/7 Land Monitoring Team helped them brave all four storms during their journey. Can you tell us what your typical day is aboard M/V Discovery Palawan as the … Read more
While the science team was busy lugging their equipment for research, Marco Biemann’s weapon of choice was a video camera. Together with his team, their task was to film the entire expedition, especially underwater, and create a documentary that will allow others to see the beauty of Panaon Island. We talked to Marco to learn more about a filmmaker’s life … Read more
Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) was established in Belize in 1986 emerging from a need to take action and conserve coral reefs that were showing signs of degradation. With the Philippines located right in the heart of the Coral Triangle, this makes it a perfect project site for CCC. Tom Dallison, Head of Science, explains the reach and roots of CCC in Panaon Island. How did Coral … Read more
Planning an expedition under normal circumstance is hard enough in itself. But an expedition during a pandemic? No mean feat. Let’s talk to Dr. Edna De Castro, the expedition team’s doctor onboard and learn how meticulous planning kept the entire crew safe and healthy during their journey. How different is it to provide medical support to an expedition compared to … Read more