UPV Fisheries and Otolith Research and Analytics Laboratory

𝔽𝕆ℝ𝕖𝔸𝕃 𝕒𝕥

Last week, from May 3–8, our own Asst. Prof. Christian James Morales presented his work entitled “Seasonal Atmospheric Forcing and Shelf-scale Oceanographic Variability Influences Demersal Fisheries in the Visayan Sea, Philippines” at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly in Vienna, Austria.

The study examines how demersal fisheries in the Visayan Sea vary in response to seasonal changes associated with the reversal of local winds, surface currents, and ocean mixing, which have influenced the industry over the last decade. The findings help address existing gaps in understanding the link between environmental variability and fisheries dynamics in the region.

Furthermore, the study highlights the need for continuous and regular monitoring of local ocean-atmosphere conditions, as well as improved reporting of local fishing catches, to enable more robust interpretation of fisheries–environment relationships.

The EGU General Assembly is the largest geosciences conference in Europe, bringing together around 20,000 scientists from all over the world. Asst. Prof. Morales’ participation reflects the lab’s commitment to advancing and communicating impactful research.

📢 ℕ𝕖𝕨 𝕊𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥: ℝ𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟 𝔻𝕒𝕥𝕒-𝕃𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕖𝕒𝕤 🌊🐟

Tropical fisheries catch many species at once, but current monitoring often fails to reliably record which species and what sizes are being caught, especially when onboard human observers are not present. This makes it extremely hard to assess stock status, catch composition, and ecosystem impacts in multispecies systems like those of Southeast Asia.

In the recent study published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the authors compared traditional statistical methods and machine learning (ML) models to estimate fish length using otolith measurements across several pelagic and demersal species. Otoliths are often recovered even when species composition data are missing, making them a valuable source of biological information.

✅ Otolith length and area were strong predictors of fish body length, especially for demersal species
✅ Machine learning models (e.g., Random Forest) outperformed classical approaches in complex cases
✅ This opens the door for more cost-effective, scalable ways to reconstruct catch size structure and species identity even when traditional monitoring is weak or absent
✅ When paired with advanced tools like deep learning or image recognition, these methods could revolutionize biodiversity monitoring, stock assessment, and electronic monitoring systems in data-limited fisheries

This shows great potential especially for tropical, small-scale, or mixed-gear fisheries where onboard data collection is minimal but otoliths are available from landings. With smart modeling and simple biological samples, we can start filling critical data gaps in multispecies fisheries, improving sustainability and our understanding of tropical marine ecosystems.

Read more: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1711110/full

📢 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓!

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐞-𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 is now officially published open access!
Our study provides the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 of the Ivatan people’s traditional pole-held cast nets, 𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒖𝒚/𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒘𝒖𝒚, a unique fishing gear that has been part of their culture for generations.

🔍 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 (𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬):
• These nets are used by 𝟒𝟕𝟐 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, showing how deeply rooted this practice is in local life.
• We documented 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐬, mayripid and ipayvuya, each reflecting long-held ecological knowledge passed across generations.
• Monitoring in five municipalities showed that fishers catch 𝟏𝟒 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬, mostly reef fish that support household food needs.

🌱 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
This work highlights the importance of 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞, provides a scientific baseline for local fisheries management, and strengthens evidence for including small-scale subsistence fisheries in 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠.

🙏𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the 𝐈𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 for their generosity and cooperation, and to the 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐨, 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐨, 𝐈𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐚, 𝐔𝐲𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐧, 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐭 for supporting the field activities.
This research was funded by 𝐃𝐎𝐒𝐓-𝐒𝐄𝐈 (𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐃𝐏) and the 𝐔𝐏 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐞-𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.
A special thank you to the 𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐇 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 for the APC Grant that made this open-access publication possible.

Read/download here:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41208-025-00996-z

FOReAL joins the Philippine Delegation at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission's 22nd Regular Session at the Philippine Trade Training Center, Pasay City, Metro Manila 🤩🤩

𝐊𝐓𝐌𝐏𝐎 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 | 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝟎𝟐 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐏 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬-𝐢𝐧-𝐀𝐢𝐝 (𝐆𝐈𝐀)

Cagayan State University (CSU) recently hosted a significant collaborative initiative to advance research, innovation, and biodiversity conservation in the Cagayan River Basin. On October 24–25, 2025, CHED Regional Office 02, in partnership with UP Visayas, brought together key State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the region, including CSU, Isabela State University (ISU), Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU), and Quirino State University (QSU), to collaboratively develop a proposal for the Cagayan River Basin Biodiversity Project under the Research, Innovation, and Extension Grants-in-Aid (GIA). The two-day event took place at the SMART Conference Room, CSU Andrews Campus.

The proposal packaging was spearheaded by Dr. Ricardo P. Babaran, former Vice Chancellor for Research at UP Visayas, alongside his research staff, Mr. El Andro Obar and Mr. Christian James Morales. The initiative aligns with CHED’s Study PH Edu-Tourism Program, which seeks to promote the Philippines as a premier educational tourism destination, linking scientific research with sustainable tourism, economic development, and community engagement.

Representing CHED Regional Director Julieta Paras, Dr. Jocelyn Carag and Dr. Pillar Acorda, both Education Program Supervisors, attended on her behalf. Aquatic and fisheries researchers from the four SUCs actively participated in discussions, sharing expertise on the impacts of human activities—such as mining, environmental pollution, and introduction of invasive species—on fish biodiversity. The discussions highlighted how these ecological challenges ultimately affect food security, poverty alleviation, and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing the need for research-driven solutions.

As the host institution, CSU, through VP Dr. Junel B. Guzman on behalf of OIC President Dr. Arthur G. Ibañez, welcomed the participants, highlighting the importance of inter-institutional collaboration in addressing regional environmental challenges. He also stressed the link between biodiversity conservation and Edu-Tourism, noting that sustainable tourism can serve as a strategy for community development while preserving the ecological integrity of the river basin.

This initiative is to be supported by Dr. Hiroyuki Motomura of Kagoshima University Museum, leveraging previous and ongoing collaborations. A key contributor to this effort is Ms. Roxanne Cabebe-Barnuevo, a CSU and UPV alumna, who will complete her PhD in taxonomy this coming March. Her expertise will strengthen the project’s scientific rigor and contribute to sustainable biodiversity management strategies in which she will be actively involved in implementing the project.

This initiative strengthens regional cooperation among SUCs and underscores the vital role of research in conserving the Cagayan River Basin, a key ecological and economic resource. By integrating scientific research with the Edu-Tourism platform, the project seeks to create sustainable solutions that benefit both the environment and the communities that depend on it.

👀 It's happening!

ABANGAN!
🐟🐟🐟

𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡?! 😲 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙣𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡! 🤩👌

The 𝗨𝗣𝗩 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 (𝗨𝗣𝗩 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗲𝗔𝗟) extends its warmest congratulations to the passers of 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗙𝗣𝗟𝗘), taken last October 9-10, 2025. With great pride and delight, we recognize our alumni and current members for their well-deserved achievement.

This significant milestone is a indeed a testament of your perseverance and dedication. We look forward to your impact in the field of fisheries! 🐟

ℙ𝕒𝕘𝕡𝕦𝕡𝕦𝕘𝕒𝕪 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕒 𝕤𝕒 𝕞𝕘𝕒 𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕡𝕠𝕤 𝕟𝕒 𝕀𝕤𝕜𝕠𝕝𝕒𝕣 𝕟𝕘 𝔹𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕟!!

Ngayon, ipinagdiriwang natin ang pagsusumikap, dedikasyon, at husay ng mga mag-aaral na magsisipagtapos. Ipinagmamalaki namin ang bawat isa sa inyo, at inaasahan naming makita kung saan kayo dadalhin ng inyong kadalubhasaan. Nasasabik kaming patuloy na suportahan kayo habang sinisimulan ang inyong bagong pakikipagsapalaran sa inyong mga karera.

The UPV Fisheries and Otolith Research Applications Laboratory is part of the team that will be implementing the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-funded project “Towards a sustainable and integrated pen shell fishery in northern Panay, Philippines” that is to be led by the Northern Iloilo State University. Check out the link below for more details.

https://www.nisu.edu.ph/index.php?view=article&id=111%3Aa-collaborative-research-project-of-cfas-main-campus-successfully-secured-financial-assistance-from-ched&catid=9%3Anews-and-events&fbclid=IwY2xjawLJtYtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHrEoFDce9xr7mek1DbhRdMLNI5aJuVCwOT0SCgluI8Sl2e5Lud9taAh95_E-_aem_SjDoM6nHJqTxCYVOifcGWg

When night divers found a glow-in-the-dark animal hiding in the Red Sea, they uncovered a mystery | Discover Wildlife Researchers noticed tiny gall crabs fluorescing among the coral reefs and decided to try to figure out what was going on.