IFCBs in Floating Labs: Bringing Technology to the Field

by Maria Beverly Sambajon

Published: MAY 24, 2024

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How is the HABs Watch Project utilizing IFCBs?

Did you know that there's equipment that can be used to count and photograph phytoplankton in situ?

The Imaging FlowCytobot or IFCB can take high-resolution images of particles 10-150 micrometers and generate around 33,000 images per cycle! It is very useful for studies on phytoplankton and a perfect equipment for the HABs Watch Project.

In pursuance of the HABs Watch Project’s objectives of conducting real-time monitoring, detection and early warning for harmful algal blooms, the project has implemented the use of floating labs that will house the IFCBs. Equipped with solar panels that will power the IFCBs and allow them to continuously transmit data to the project servers, the floating labs are stationed in two of the HABs Watch Project’s regular sampling sites in Bolinao, Pangasinan and in Puerto Princesa City for real-time monitoring in the area. The first IFCB floating lab is now fully operational in Bolinao since April, closely followed by the Puerto Princesa City floating lab last May.

This is a very significant milestone, not just for the project but for harmful algal bloom (HABs) management and mitigation in the country. Housing the Philippines’ only field-deployed IFCBs can change the way we monitor HABs. As Bolinao and Puerto Princesa City are consistently affected by harmful algal blooms, the deployment of these floating labs housing the IFCBs can potentially save lives and the livelihood of a lot of people in the area.

While the deployment of the floating labs in the field may seem as the conclusion of a project-wide objective we have been building up to since the start of the HABs Watch Project, we have just reached the exciting part, the actual data gathering and information generation that can be accomplished with a fully operational floating lab and continuing to fulfill the project’s promise to safeguard the Filipino people through science, technology and innovation.