Campaign: Strengthen Coral-Rich Marine Protected Areas

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

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