Tropical oceans are among the first places to exhibit climate change signals, affecting habitat distribution and abundance of marine fish. These changes stocks, subsequent impacts on fisheries production, may have considerable implications for coastal communities dependent food security livelihoods. Understanding tropical is therefore an important step towards developing sustainable, climate-ready management measures. We apply established method spatial meta-analysis assess species modelling...

The paper describes the diversity and structural complexity of mangrove forest along Puerto Princesa Bay, Palawan Island, Philippines. Occurrence 28 species 11 floral associates were found, which identifies entire bay as one most diverse forests in country. Of six coastal barangays surveyed, San Pedro had highest index, H′ = 0.912 while Sta Monica lowest, 0.349. Mangrove stands are structurally simple with two types vegetation, fringe riverine that further constitute five distinct zones...

Deep-sea species, although bizarre and odd-looking organisms, also warrant scientific conservation attention. However, information on their occurrence fishery throughout distribution remains limited, hindering the development of effective strategies. This paper contributes to addressing this gap by providing Sickle Pomfret Taractichthys steindachneri (Döderlein, 1883) in Palawan waters notes pomfret Philippines. Two individuals were encountered for sale at Puerto Princesa City New Public...

Tropical marine fisheries substantially contribute to societal well-being, particularly in coastal communities dependent on for food security, livelihoods and economic development. However, tropical capture are increasingly vulnerable several climate change impacts, affecting the habitat distribution abundance of fish stocks consequently, production. Understanding impacts is therefore an important step towards developing sustainable, climate-adaptive management measures. We apply established...

In this study of marine bivalves and gastropods Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP), Palawan, Philippines, we photo-document 96 species, including 17 species (in seven families), 79 29 families). Of these, 64 (eight 56 species) were new recorded from the park. The list also includes giant clams which are protected under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Wild Fauna Flora (CITES) three nationally gastropod (Cassis cornuta, Charonia tritonis Tectus niloticus). Thirty-six...

“For more than two decades, the Philippine government has protected giant clams (Bivalvia: Cardiidae: Tridacninae) from exploitation and trade. However, there still is lack of information on impact these protective measures in conserving species richness density, especially Palawan, country’s last stronghold reef-associated bivalves. Hence, to assess density we conducted 57 photo-transect surveys six sites covering 12,325 m 2. Out transect, 15 measured 5 × 25 rest 50 m. For historical trends...

Identifying the collection sites for wild seeds of a highly valued species is crucial conservation and management its population habitat. This study first to document distribution characteristics spiny lobster puerulus in Palawan, Philippines. The data were obtained from various key informants, site visits, historical imagery Google Earth Pro Sentinel 2A Copernicus between January 2021–December 2023. loaded into QGIS v3.28 software produce map each locality projecting sites. results showed...

Tridacna gigas (Cardiidae: Tridacninae) is the largest extant reef-associated bivalves that occur abundantly in Indo-West Pacific Region. However, unregulated exploitation had caused localized extinction many parts of its distribution range. In Palawan, species was considered virtually extinct 1980s, and since then, no study has been done to monitor their status wild. absence updated studies about T. gigas, we gathered information through field reports, key informants, visits. Within five...

The horned helmet Cassis cornuta, a protected species in some countries, is one of the largest reef gastropods that had been traditionally collected for food and its shells as ornaments. In Philippines, this rarely seen habitats close to human settlement. However, area like Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP), C. cornuta are commonly encountered at vicinity Ranger Station. With dearth information about giant gastropod, notes on marked-recaptured TRNP were taken from December 2009 until...

Intentional release of wild-caught individuals has been widely used to establish new populations the commercially valuable but threatened reef gastropod Trochus niloticus in oceanic islands. Is this also a viable strategy enhance depleted species and other marine invertebrates? We monitored growth survival 765 translocated 486 their original habitat for 5–9 months. Individuals severely overexploited (mainland Palawan) grew 2–3 times faster than those at Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park,...

Abstract The high demand for shells of the large reef-associated gastropod Trochus niloticus in manufacture mother-of-pearl buttons has resulted a widespread decline its population. As consequence, juvenile mass production and restocking been practiced as one many conservation measures. long successfully bred captivity, but culturing juveniles until ready release is faced with problems, including shortage natural food. Terrestrial plants have traditionally used by fishermen food keeping wild...

Benthic macroinvertebrates are essential components of the marine ecosystem and a source food livelihood in many coastal communities. However, lack knowledge about their status has resulted overexploitation areas where they openly harvested. In this paper, we assessed species composition, population density, uses, conservation economically important benthic coral reefs West Sulu Sea, Palawan, Philippines. A total 100 transects from six sites (3–10-m depth) covering reef area 25,000 m2 were...

Hippopus porcellanus is a rare and heavily exploited giant clam species with limited distribution range in the Indo-West Pacific Region. Overharvesting has resulted localized extinction of H. Philippines, but its populations appeared to have recovered Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) after more than 20 years protection. As one least studied species, shell dimension-live weight relationships were determined. In addition, growth parameters TRNP monitored mark-recapture method. All three...

A mangrove-inhabiting porcelain crab, Enosteoides philippinensis sp. nov., is described based on material collected from Palawan Island, the Philippines. It fifth species of genus and different its congeners in having an extremely setose body, one to five spines proximal half outer margin chela, two lobes anterior basal article antennular peduncle, four strong mesobranchial regions.

The crocus clam Tridacna crocea, one of the seven known giant species in Philippines (Poutiers 1998), is widely distributed IndoPacific Region but possibly extinct Guam and Northern Mariana Islands (IUCN 2014). In Philippines, exploitation all prohibited under Fisheries Administrative Order No. 208, series 2001 (DA 2001). However, illegal clams many parts country has greatly reduced natural stock populations (Gomez MingoaLicuanan 2006; Gonzales et al. 2014; Picardal Dolorosa 2014), only...

The illegal wildlife trade is a significant threat to global biodiversity, often targeting already threatened species. In combating the trade, it critical know provenance of traded animal or part facilitate targeted conservation actions, such as education and enforcement. Here, we present compare two methods, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) stable isotope analysis (SIA), determine both geographic source (captive wild) animals their parts. Using three critically endangered, frequently...

The first record of Tridacna noae in the province Palawan, Philippines was documented on June 21, 2018, at Paraiso Resort, Albaguen Island, Port Barton municipality San Vicente. single specimen measured 4.5 cm shell length and partly buried a massive coral rock. mantle edge species is lined with teardrop-like patches white margins. This recent finding an addition to seven previously reported giant clam Palawan confirms new sighting location existing geographic range. habitat semi protected...

Sea cucumbers have great potential for managing water resources because they filter feeder properties that can clean from harmful substances. Apart that, sea also contain active compounds which as functional foods and help prevent cancer. Samples of were collected Karimunjawa, Central Java, Surabaya. The research included tests bacteria, chemicals, heavy metals on dried cucumbers, well amino acid analysis. Two species identified: Holothuria atra Stichopus variegates. H. had a higher content...