Hon. Roy Y. Salinas, Mayor of San Ricardo, Southern Leyte reveals their municipality’s initiatives to strengthen their MPAs. Can you tell us about the Benit-Timba MPA? What can be found in this MPA? Benit-Timba MPA was established in 1996 through an initiative of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ Fishery Sector Program. It was managed by … Read more
Hon. Rustico Estrella Sr., Mayor of Pintuyan, Southern Leyte reveals their municipality’s initiatives to strengthen their MPAs. Can you tell us about the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Pintuyan? What can be found in these MPAs? Pintuyan has six MPAs and two marine reserves. These are situated in the following coastal barangays, namely: Nueva Estrella Norte – Nueva Estrella Norte MPA/MR (total area: … Read more
Hon. Fe G. Maruhom, Mayor of San Francisco, Southern Leyte reveals their municipality’s initiatives to strengthen their MPAs. Can you tell us about the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in San Francisco? What can be found in these MPAs? San Francisco currently has three MPAs, as follows: Napantao MPA This was established in the 1990s after Mr. Rio Cahimbing discovered the famous “Rio’s Wall” which … Read more
October 30 Today is a milestone for the expedition as we finally managed to visit and survey all the locally managed MPAs in Panaon Island. Our general impression is that the MPAs are functioning as areas where fish and other marine life are protected which help adjacent and nearby areas in regenerating fish, corals, and other marine life. There are … Read more
October 28 (Wednesday) Calm waters again today, perfect for today’s fieldwork. We came back to the southern tip of the island. In Pintuyan, some outriggers came near our ship. They were curious. It would have been nice to really visit the barangay captains for courtesy calls but this pandemic has made courtesy calls an impossibility. I was … Read more
For the 9th day of the expedition, the team went on several dives for a detailed survey of the coral population in Panaon. They had a few things to say on what they saw. What looks like a love declaration on Valentine’s Day is actually the result of nightly chemical warfare for space on the reef … Read more
Submassive coral surrounded by a harem of Red-cheeked fairy basslets (Pseudanthias huchtii). © Oceana/Danny Ocampo
Planning the safety and health protocols was crucial to making the Panaon expedition possible. Let’s learn how measures were kept in place and followed strictly through Dr. Marisse Nepomuceno, medical consultant for the safety of the expedition team against COVID-19 threats. Is this your first time supporting an expedition? If yes, how is it different from other situations where you provide … Read more
This post was written by Alvin Simon, Oceana Marine Scientist. Corals are living organisms; in fact, they are colonies of animals that build up most reefs. They are made up of hundreds to thousands of tiny creatures called polyps. These polyps excrete calcium carbonate which surrounds their soft bodies and create the rock-like structure … Read more
October 18 Excited for my first dive in Panaon Island. We have with us a team of scientists who will do the coral and fish survey. They are known for their work in the field for gathering data to support the establishment and management of marine protected areas. We also have with us a documentation team composed of well-known underwater photographers, videographers, and … Read more