UP Marine Science Institute

30/05/2026

The fight against plastic pollution starts with YOU 🌊🫵

From our streets to our seas, plastic pollution continues to affect our daily lives and harm marine ecosystems. 😷 That’s why the Microbial Oceanography Laboratory is working to streamline marine plastics research across the Philippines, and now they’re inviting YOU to help participate through PlastiZen! 📲

📹 Watch this video to learn more about their initiatives, which were recently awarded the Gawad Tsanselor sa Natatanging Programang Pang-Ekstensiyon. 🏆

Read more: https://msi.upd.edu.ph/up-msi-awarded-2026-gawad-tsanselor-for-plastics-research-capacity-building-initiatives

📁Photos and Videos from Microbial Oceanography Laboratory

27/05/2026

LAST 5 DAYS TO APPLY! The Kalalawdan Fellowship is open for the second batch of applicants. This fellowship is an all-expense-paid training program designed to bridge the gap between marine science research and policy, targeted towards Filipino researchers and policy reform advocates based in the Philippines. The first cohort of Lawod Fellows completed the program in 2024. Check the original post for full application details.

Be a champion of the Philippine Seas and apply now: https://forms.gle/8f75SVYFjAKdHEfr9

Read more about the Kalalawdan Fellowship: https://msi.upd.edu.ph/kalalawdan-fellowship-program/

The Kalalawdan Fellowship Program 2 is implemented under Project NEXUS 2.0, led by Dr. Deo Florence Onda of the UP MSI Microbial Oceanography Laboratory and the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation, funded by The Asia Foundation, and with support from the Austalian Government through the WAYPOINTS Project.

26/05/2026

The Plastics Research Capacity Building Initiatives of the Microbial Oceanography Laboratory earned the UP Marine Science Institute its fourth Gawad Tsanselor para sa Natatanging Programang Pang-ekstensiyon. Read more: https://msi.upd.edu.ph/up-msi-awarded-2026-gawad-tsanselor-for-plastics-research-capacity-building-initiatives/

22/05/2026

What is it like to conduct science in the country's westernmost inhabited island? In celebration of the International Day of Biological Diversity and Philippine Month of the Ocean, UP Marine Science Institute is launching "Pag-asa Island: A Hidden Pearl of Biodiversity" — a new webpage featuring the marine life and research done in the Kalayaan Island Group over the years.

Visit the webpage: https://msi.upd.edu.ph/research/pag-asa-island/

Read the official press release: https://msi.upd.edu.ph/up-msi-launches-webpage-on-wps-biodiversity/

This webpage and UP MSI's current research in Pag-asa Island are supported by the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.

19/05/2026

Today, we celebrate the woman who showed the world what Philippine marine pharmacology could achieve. Happy birthday, National Scientist Dr. Lourdes Cruz!

Her groundbreaking research began with a simple question: What was a project that could take the most advantage of Philippine resources? In a time when biotechnology was still a young field, Dr. Cruz chose to look at our unique marine biodiversity in a way that few have done before. Her studies on cone snails led to the discovery of conopeptides, their uses in medicine and neuroscience, and the development of an internationally recognized drug to treat chronic pain. It is her success that opened doors for further studies on marine pharmacology, whether by investigating more cone snail species or casting the net wider for other forms of marine life.

Dr. Cruz is as generous as she is accomplished. After building the field of Philippine marine toxinology, she went on to establish livelihood initiatives with Aeta communities. She is the founder of Rural Livelihood Incubator and the current chair of Future Earth Philippines. Dr. Cruz is actively committed to her vision for a sustainable and inclusive country, where science is used to alleviate poverty and recognize the value of knowledge found outside the laboratory.

Undoubtedly, Dr. Cruz is an inspiration for the whole nation. At UP MSI, she is affectionately known as Ma'am Luly: a dedicated mentor, a helpful colleague, and a generous friend.

Happy birthday, Ma'am Luly! 🎉

16/05/2026

Three days left to register! Meet Ysabel Wang, the next speaker in the MSI Lecture Series, who will discuss recent changes in warm core ring-driven shelf water export and examine how transient interactions between rings and Gulf Stream features influence their ability to entrain streamers.

“The impact of Gulf Stream warm core rings on shelf-slope variability” will be held on May 19, 2026, 10:00 AM at the MSI AVR and Zoom. Register now: https://bit.ly/MSITalk_Wang

14/05/2026

“[El Nido and Metro Manila] are experiencing sea level rise at 3-4 times the global average… We live the reality that sea level change is here and increasing as time goes by.”

🎙️ UP MSI Assistant Professor Dr. Charina Lyn Amedo-Repollo talks with BBC about the science behind sea level rise in the Philippines. Listen to the full episode:

Sea levels are rising due to climate change, but why are some places noticing it more?

13/05/2026

The UP Marine Science Institute invites everyone to “The impact of Gulf Stream warm core rings on shelf-slope variability”, a talk by PhD candidate, Ysabel Wang of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The talk will discuss recent changes in warm core ring-driven shelf water export and examine how transient interactions between rings and Gulf Stream features control their ability to entrain streamers.

Ms. Wang’s talk will be held on May 19, 2026, 10:00 AM at the MSI AVR. Register now: https://bit.ly/MSITalk_Wang

12/05/2026

URGENT HIRING: The Marine Biodiversity and Evolution Laboratory is looking for a Research Assistant who can assist in documenting local ecological knowledge and biodiversity of shipworms from different localities. This role will be based in UP Diliman and hired under Phase 2 of the “Teredinids and Associated Microbes: A Multi-level Investigation of Lifestyles and Outstanding Compounds as Sources of Novel Therapeutics” (TAMMILOC) Project funded by DOST.

Interested applicants must send their applications to Dr. Maria Celia D. Malay at [email protected] by May 22, 2026. For more details on the job requirements and application, visit bit.ly/MSIHiring_TAMMILOC

12/05/2026

Only two days left to register! For the next entry in the MSI Lecture Series, Dr. Paul Sikkel of the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami will discuss high-biodiversity ecosystems such as coral reefs and the host-parasite interactions that occur within them.

“Ecology of Host-Parasite Interactions in Coral Reef Ecosystems” will be held at the MSI AVR on Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 2 PM to 4 PM (PHT). The seminar is now hybrid, and participants may attend onsite at the MSI AVR or online via Microsoft Teams. Register now: bit.ly/MSILS_Sikkel

09/05/2026

The UP Marine Science Institute was honored with the 2026 Gawad Tsanselor sa Natatanging Programang Pang-ekstensiyon for the Plastics Research Capacity Building Initiatives of the Microbial Oceanography Laboratory led by Dr. Deo Florence Onda.

Director Dr. Arturo O. Lluisma received the award together with Dr. Onda and Norchel Corcia Gomez during “Nilinang sa Kalinga: Linggo ng Parangal 2026” held at the Institute of Biology Auditorium held on May 8, 2026.

In response to the heavy plastic pollution in Philippine waters, the Microbial Oceanography Laboratory has launched several programs and activities to build a national network of plastics researchers across the country. Activities were designed to address the limitations in manpower discussed in the National Plan of Action on Marine Litter. Capacity building targeted stakeholders across sectors – national government agencies, non-government organizations, private industry, early-career researchers, academics, students, and the general public – using various approaches to manage plastic pollution, expand its research methods, and even invite ordinary citizens to contribute.

Since the initiatives were first launched in 2019, the Microbial Oceanography Laboratory has organized and conducted 2 national conferences, more than 10 workshops, and 5 community education campaigns on plastic pollution. The initiatives have trained 6 government agencies, 21 personnel, and over 150 early-career researchers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. More programs are still being planned towards a vision of a robust Philippine plastics research network.

This marks the fourth time that UP MSI has received the award. UP MSI was previously awarded the Gawad Tsanselor sa Natatanging Programang Pang-ekstensiyon for the establishment of the Bolinao Marine Laboratory, capacity-building efforts for the Philippine Coast Guard, and the establishment of the National Academic Research Fleet.

Padayon, Mandaragat ng Bayan!