SLSU Bontoc - RIES Staff joins forces in STOP-COTS research project
Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) – Bontoc Campus represented by Ms. Janine C. Dimzon Head of In-house Research, Innovation, and Extension Services (RIES) and divemaster Ryan P. Tomol, RIES Coastal Resources Field Assistant, participate in the consultation meeting for the implementation of research project STOP-COTS held at the Function Hall, DENR-CENRO Baybay City Leyte on August 20, 2024
The research project “Application of Geo-Spatial Technologies and Online Public Monitoring Tool for Understanding Crown-of-Thorns Seastar (COTS) Acanthaster cf. solaris (Schreber, 1793) Outbreak Patterns and Trends in the Philippines (STOP-COTS PROJECT)” aims to understand the outbreaks of crown-of-thorns seastar (COTS) through stakeholder analysis, and conducted orientation on the online COTS outbreak tools.
“This engagement is so relevant to us, primarily because in Sogod Bay Area and in Panaon Island, we have observed significant presence of COTS. Our team has been actively engaged in monitoring and we are working hand-in-hand with the local and provincial government of Southern Leyte as we look for strategies to utilize these biological resources” Campus Director, Gladys Pascual said.
The inception and consultative meeting were led by the Coastal Resources and Ecotourism Research, Development and Extension Center (CRERDEC) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB).This event brought together stakeholders from various agencies engaged in monitoring the outbreak of crown-of-thorns sea stars.
“As a resident divermaster, I've also been advocating for measures to mitigate their outbreak beyond my professional work. I’ve gathered fellow marine life advocates, like the Dap-ag boys, to help us tackle this issue together," Tomol shared.
Under this initiative, the Cuatro Islas Protected Landscape and Seascape (CIPLS), located in the municipalities of Hindang and Inopacan in Leyte, has been selected as one of the primary pilot sites for this research project.