SLSU Bontoc Conducts Training workshops on Mangrove Biodiversity Assessment to Partner Institutions

Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) Bontoc Campus recently conducted two training workshops on mangrove biodiversity assessment, with the goal of capacitating partner institutions to propagate best practices for sustainable use of seas and its resources.

The first training workshop, a virtual event, was held from May 2-5, 2023. It was attended by faculty and students from various universities across the Philippines, including Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) and Central Luzon State University (CLSU). The workshop covered topics such as mangrove protection, conservation, and significant pointers as biodiversity assessment.

The second workshop, an in-person event, was held from July 24-28, 2023. It was attended by faculty researchers from NEUST's Center for Environmental Research. Dr. Mario Abesamis, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of the said university also participated the event. Present also were the selected students of SLSU-Bontoc who are pursuing degrees in marine biology and fisheries. The workshop featured skill-enhancement activities necessary to implement mangrove biodiversity assessment, including strategies in establishing mangrove nursery with actual hands-on on mangrove wildlings collection, potting and out-transplantation. The training workshop also included an educational tour to best-managed mangrove eco-parks within the Eastern Visayas. A side survey on the population of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), a corallivore, in Sogod Bay was also conducted where the participants get to experience actual COTS morphometric measurements.

The workshops concluded with participants presenting their field data. They also visited Liloan's mangrove ecosystem, which provided valuable insights into site-specific mangrove community structures and allowed them to identify species declared under the IUCN Red List.

The workshops were a great success, and participants from both NEUST and SLSU-Bontoc expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to learn from experts in the field of mangrove conservation. They further expressed that the training workshop was “highly informative and an engaging experience”. Dr. Jude A. Duarte, the University President of SLSU, was also present at the closing ceremony and expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the workshops. He expressed his full support to assure continuity and replication of such capacity-building initiative.

Southern Leyte State University through Bontoc campus has been recognized by Times Higher Education for its high rating on SDG "Life Below Water." This is a testament to the university's commitment to environmental stewardship and its dedication to protecting, conserving, and sustainably using our seas and their resources and these workshops are just one example of the university's commitment to promoting sustainable sea resource management.