The Philippine government launched early this year a coastal and marine environmental campaign to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay. Dubbed “Battle for Manila Bay,” the move is in compliance with a Supreme Court decision. It also tests the political will of the government. Clearly, this noble task is aligned with Section 16 of the Constitution, to wit: “The…
GloFouling Partnerships: A collaboration of GEF, UNDP and IMO to address bioinvasions on ships’ hulls and other marine structures IMO Launches Biofouling Initiative. A new international effort to combat the negative environmental impacts of the transfer of aquatic species through ships has been launched in November 2018. The GloFouling Partnerships Project, a collaboration between the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the…
The Bicol Peninsula is rich in natural resources and is a region known for its scenic destinations. The most famous lake in the Bicol region is Lake Buhi for its serene panorama. It is a 1,800 hectare freshwater lake, 8 meters deep, created out of volcanic activity, and is located in the town of Buhi, Camarines Sur. The lake derived…
Using data from underwater robots, scientists discovered that Beaked Whales prefer to feed within a Navy sonar test range off Southern California that have dense patches of deep-sea squid. A new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology shows that Beaked Whales need these prey hotspots to survive, and that similar patches do not exist in nearby “sonar-free” areas….
The U.S. Navy is contemplating on building a high 14-foot seawall to protect the Navy Yard in Southeast Washington, D.C. from rising sea levels, an effect of climate change. The Navy Yard is the Navy’s oldest installation. It was established in 1799 as a shipbuilding facility and port, and later used for making ordnance, and then turned into an administrative…
The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (Consortium), the first federally funded public-private partnership focused on advancing research and development to accelerate the offshore wind industry in the United States, today announced the release of its first Research and Development Roadmap (Roadmap) to advance offshore wind technology, drive wind innovation and combat climate change. Established in response to industry-led…
The Taal Lake, also known as Talisay Lake and Bombón Lake, is a circular fresh water lake located in the Province of Batangas, in Southern Luzon with over 26,700 hectares. As a child, I frequented my great grandaunt’s house by the ridge of Tagaytay City, overlooking Taal Lake. Every year, I was awestruck by the beauty of Taal Volcano, its…
The Philippines is endowed with thousands of beautiful beaches. Except for the Cordilleras, there are beach destinations in all regions. Coastal attractions can be found from the northernmost islands of Batanes to the southernmost parts of Tawi-Tawi. The Philippines is one of the favorites of foreign tourists, and beaches still remain as their top destination. Statistics show that the lion’s…
In the Netherlands, the GoodShipping Program bunkered the first batch of biofuels into a container vessel that otherwise would have entirely run on fossil fuels. The first 5 pioneering cargo shippers to join the program are Tony’s Chocolonely, Dopper, Blygold, Magic Marine, and Mystic. Altogether, they avoided over40 tons of CO2 emissions and significantly reduced local emissions like sulphur, soot…
Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface area, forming the largest habitat on the planet. Coastal and shallow-water areas contain some of the world’s most diverse and productive ecosystems, including seagrass beds, mangroves, and coral reefs. The 7000 islands of the Philippines are home to an enormous number of coral reef systems that not only contribute to global atmosphere health…
Marikina City, the shoe capital of the Philippines, is located by the banks of the Marikina River and is thus regularly prone to flooding and is also at risk from sea level rise. Marikina River flows into the Pasig River, which ultimately flows out to Manila Bay. During the typhoon season between August and November, floodwaters overflow into the riverbanks…
Ocean noise refers to sounds made by human activities that can interfere or obscure the ability of marine animals to hear natural sounds in the ocean. Many marine organisms rely on their ability to hear for their survival. Sound is the most efficient means of communication underwater and is the primary way that many marine species gather and understand information…
The Tañon Strait is a body of water, situated between the islands of Negros and Cebu in the Visayas region. The Strait is about 100 miles (161 km) long, and connects the Visayan Sea in the north to the Bohol Sea in the south. Its width varies from 3-17 miles (5 to 27 km), with the narrowest point in the…
Maersk Supply Service will, in the coming months, provide marine support to The Ocean Cleanup, the Dutch non-profit that is developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans from plastic, and install their first cleanup system in the North Pacific. This moment will mark the start of the World’s first large-scale initiative for collection of floating ocean-plastic debris. Global plastic production…
We are killing the Earth with pollution. It’s true. Just have a look at the recent local news regarding Boracay Island and other notable tourist-resort areas in the Philippines. The problem is extensive and growing. But don’t stop there. Have a look at this problem on a global level. The world’s oceans are awash in trash. Due to ocean currents…
With the culmination of the second Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan (MMK) The Search for the Country’s Outstanding Coastal Community, the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) is now accepting nominations for the third season of MMK. An annual program by the DA through the BFAR, MMK gives recognition and incentives to outstanding coastal communities for their…
Very early on Wednesday, 18 July, while enroute from Dasmariñas City to my office in Makati, I was mentally debating what specific topic I would address for this issue of the Review. Three major issues our Advocates for National Interests (ANI) group would like to delve on initially are: (1) the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), (2) the West Philippine Sea…
What once was a beacon of loveliness that would first catch your eye with its glorious sunset is now a down drum of uncleanliness, an eyesore of unseemliness that casts a sty. This is not the result of a mere slip-up but rather continuous discharge of toxic oil, industrial effluents, agricultural runoffs, untreated wastewater, and city garbage over the decades….
In my column in the MR 18-1 (Jan-Feb 2018) issue of this magazine, I wrote about the need to look at coastal towns with tourism potential and figure out how to turn around development deficiencies (e.g., correcting zoning, construction and, environmental violations). I wrote in particular about Coron for four reasons: (1) I’ve been familiar with most coastal communities, including…
Scientific Family. The Giant Clams belong to the genus Tridacna (Bruguière 1797), of which Tridacna gigas is the largest living immobile bivalve mollusk in the world. The Giant Clam is known as “Taklobo” in the Philippines. They live in the shallow coral reefs of the South China Sea, West Philippine Sea, Sulo Sea, Red Sea, but mainly in the Indian…
Our seashores are drenched with discarded plastics, particularly plastic bags and water bottles. What is astonishing to know is that this very same debris often washed ashore could be found in our deep waters as well. Deep-sea mammals such as whales, for instance, digest this debris, which is often the cause of finding them washed ashore lifeless. Floating plastic bags…
Having been an enthusiastic follower of environmental issues (In fact we placed it on the Agenda of the NDCP Strategic Studies Group in 2002-2010), I have gone from naysayer to believer back to naysayer, then to a pragmatist, which certainly is a dynamic one. The reality for me today is that certainly the problem exists, as I have seen in…
Beaches around the world are disappearing. Riverbanks are getting wider and deeper, as large sections of riverbanks collapse. Most people would not know about this because sand mining is an invisible problem until it’s too late. Sand is used mainly to make cement for construction projects. Yet after decades of continuous hauling and dredging, the negative impacts have become too…
The Talangka in the Philippines is from the scientific family Grapsidae and species Varuna litterata. Apart from the Philippines, Varuna litterata is also known to exist in Australia, China, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nansha (Spratly) Islands, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paracel Islands, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. The Varuna Litterata was named in 1798…
Many scientific researches indicate that some celestial objects collided with Mother Earth millions of years ago creating incredibly powerful explosions that led to life extinction of the dinosaurs and other pre-historic creatures. Recently there was news on a certain Planet X Nibiru that some predicted to hit the earth last month. While such risk of collision remains Mother Earth presently…