HABs Watch 18th Month Report
HABs Watch 18th Month Report Title Slide
HABs Watch Team Delivers 18th Month Report
HABs Watch 18th Month Report Title Slide
HABs Watch Team Delivers 18th Month Report
The entire HABs Watch Consortium led by Project Leader Dr. Deo Florence Onda and composed of staff and researchers from the UP Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Central Luzon State University, Mariano Marcos State University, Mindanao State University at Naawan, Palawan State University, University of the Philippines Baguio, University of the Philippines Tacloban College, Western Philippines University and Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology were present to deliver the 18th Month Report to the CHED-LAKAS Project Management and Coordination Office. Dr. Adonis Floren from Siliman University Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences and NAST Academician and former DOST Secretary Dr. William Padolina served as technical reviewers.
Real-time monitoring and early warning for HABs using high throughput imaging and molecular methods or HABs Watch has had a lot of milestones since the start of project implementation, including conducting 283 fieldworks in 49 sampling locations across the country, establishment of the largest collection phytoplankton cultures in the Philippines to date, optimization of field and lab methods, and conducting 14 trainings and workshops on various topics, methods and techniques. The field and laboratory work conducted within the project has yielded the first recorded presence of five species in the Philippines and the discovery of two potential novel species.
The project has also consistently created and released informative and educational materials including laboratory manuals for optimized methods and social media posts about HABs, and alerts during blooms. The project also has a Guidebook on Marine Phytoplankton in the Philippines, a children’s book about Harmful Algal Blooms and the HABs Watch website currently in development
The project has also helped establish different laboratories and facilities within the different institutions, most notably the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology’s Molecular Facility, UP Baguio’s AI Facility, UP MSI’s High Resolution Imaging Facility and the currently in construction UP MSI - BFAR NBFTC - CHED LAKAS – PCAARRD Joint R&D Facility in Pagbilao, Quezon.
One of the most recent accomplishments of the project is the field deployment of the Imaging Flow Cytobot or IFCB in Bolinao, Pangasinan. Through this technology, combined with the artificial intelligence model specifically developed for the project by collaborators from UP Baguio, we can monitor, quantify and identify potential HABs species in real-time, fulfilling one of the major project objectives.
The technical advisers both recognized the significance of the HABs Watch Project and acknowledged the accomplishments of the project so far. Dr. Floren even suggested possible collaboration with private higher learning institutions for an expansion of the project and Dr. Padolina suggested close collaboration with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to maximize the benefits of the project nationwide.
The HABs Watch Team, while very proud of its accomplishments so far, will continue to consistently work towards accomplishing more goals until the project’s end in June this year, including the drafting and publication of at least 27 studies developed within the project.