Biodiversity Research

This project aims to identify marine hotspot areas in Busuanga Island and develop a conservation plan co-developed with local ethnic groups, local government agencies, and other stakeholders that will be incorporated into the Municipality of Busuanga’s integrated coastal management plan or fisheries plan to increase protection.

This project addresses the pressing problems and needs in the region by taking a comprehensive approach to marine conservation and management. In addition, the project tackles the identified issues such as overfishing, resource exploitation, and unsustainable tourism practices.

With this, our ultimate goal is for Busuanga’s communities to live harmoniously with their environment, respecting and protecting the rich biodiversity that makes this island so unique and safeguarding its pristine coastal resources.

Migratory birds play a crucial role in Philippine biodiversity. Their significance is recognized in ecology, tourism, and the local economy. However, they have also suffered countless anthropogenic threats such as habitat loss due to pollution or exploitation, illegal killing, taking, and trading.

With this, our goal is to implement new conservation programs around the Philippine ecological habitats used by migratory birds of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). This project seeks to augment conservation efforts by establishing new programs in locations that are not yet being preserved to conserve migratory bird habitats.

Preserving the habitats used by these birds is of utmost importance to maintain the biodiversity and ecological balance. By creating community-led conservation policies and programs we will be able to protect these high-value ecological habitats.

Philippines is one of the mega-diverse countries for harboring wildlife species , and home to unique species of corals and diverse fish which considers the country to be in the coral triangle along with Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. With the onset of global warming oceans and local threats, coral reefs are facing challenges to survive. Coral bleaching and mortality are becoming widespread.

Our goal is to collect real-time temperature data and detect increase in temperatures across the country and work together with local officials to reduce the local threats for the reefs to recover. This is one of our blue carbon projects that are expected to contribute to the worldwide data of coral reef monitoring.

Sensors deployed in:

Tubbataha UNESCO World Heritage Site

Busuanga Island

Lian, Batangas