Campaign: Strengthen Coral-Rich Marine Protected Areas

  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

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

Off Liloan Port | A sleepy-looking cuttlefish (Sepia sp.) poses for a photo.  © Oceana/Danny Ocampo

  This article was written by Alvin Simon, Oceana Marine Scientist.  We have lost half of the world’s coral reefs in the last 30 years. It is projected that in the next century, only about 10 percent of our coral reefs will survive if we do not put an end to unsustainable practices and overexploitation … Read more