With the support of the Blue Marine Foundation, we successfully wrapped up the project’s first year of mangrove rehabilitation activities. In partnership with the Bitaugan West Fisherfolks Association (BWFA), we planted the last batch of mangrove saplings, 9,764, hitting our target of 25,000 saplings for the year! The BWFA, with 55 members (24 women and...
We have seen the potential of AI in supporting our conservation work. Figures 1-2. Workshop participants during the Community-Based Rehabilitation and Conservation Training last December 3-4. Sources: Andreu Bayongasan, Oceanus Conservation; Dafrose Bajaro, Thinking Machines In 2022, Oceanus partnered with Thinking Machines Data Science and Gainforest to improve monitoring of mangrove forests through mobile data...
The Sibugay Wetland Nature Reserve (Site no. 2552) has been officially recognized as the ninth (9th) Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar Site) in the Philippines! Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay, part of the Sibugay Wetland Nature Reserve, is one of Oceanus’ key project sites. Oceanus Conservation has partnered with the Kapunungan sa Gagmay’ng Mangingisda sa Concepcion (KGMC),...
Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration: A Joint Effort by Oceanus Conservation and Bitaugan West Fisherfolks Association Author: Emmanuel Cababarros Jr. Oceanus Conservation in partnership with the Bitaugan West Fisherfolks Association (BWFA), conducted an ecological restoration initiative from June 25 to July 2, 2024, in Barangay Bitaugan West, Cagwait, Surigao del Sur. This collaborative effort focused on...
Oceanus Conservation recently hosted the Ocean Summit on June 7th during World Ocean’s Day, held at Coron Westown Resort, Coron, Palawan. This year’s theme, “Collaboration in Conservation: Catalyzing Action for our Ocean and Climate”, brought together an impressive assembly of about 80 participants from various sectors! A Collective Effort The summit was organized in collaboration...
We conducted a biodiversity assessment at the mangrove restoration sites in Poblacion and Bitaugan West, Cagwait, Surigao del Sur. This evaluation aimed to gather baseline data on various environmental factors to gauge the success of the ongoing restoration projects. Oceanus collected data on water quality, soil samples, mangrove biodiversity, and macroinvertebrate biodiversity, ensuring a comprehensive...
On 29-30 January 2024, the Embassy of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) paid a monitoring visit for the pilot project initiated by Oceanus Conservation – Prioritizing Conservation Efforts: Mapping Biodiversity Hotspots in Marine Ecosystems in Busuanga Island, Palawan. The two-day event consisted of a presentation of the survey results to the...
Just in time for Wetlands Day this February 2, 2024, Grid Magazine featured Oceanus Conservation and our continuous efforts to showcase the beauty of mangrove ecosystems across the Philippines! Blue carbon restoration also encompasses other coastal wetlands that store carbon such as seagrasses and tidal marshes. Despite the importance of mangroves in the Philippines and...
Last week, Batangas State University played host to a pivotal event in the field of marine science – the 17th National Symposium on Marine Science, organized by the Philippine Association of Marine Science (PAMS). This year’s theme, “Saving Our Seas: Restoring marine systems for people and nature,” resonated deeply with over 500 attendees from various...
Why are we losing mangroves? The mangrove ecosystem is one of the most valuable ecosystems on earth. They help mitigate climate change with their capacity to store carbon in the atmosphere. However, the state of the world’s mangroves is declining by 0.2 to 0.7% every year. In relation to that, Super Typhoon Rai (Odette) greatly...
