RP is world’s center of marine biodiversity

The Philippine Islands, located in the Southeast Asian marine biodiversity golden triangle, has the riches concentration of marine life on the entire planet, according to a study conducted by Kent Carpenter, associate professor of biological sciences at Old Dominion University, Virgnia, USA. The results of these findings will be published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes under the title, "The Center of the Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiveristy: The Philippine Islands."

The article is co-authored by Victor Springer of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D The computer analysis was done with the support of Conversation International.

The WorldFish Center, which has operated in the Philippines for over 25 years also collaborated on the project that was the basis for the discovery of the Philippines as a marine biodiverity epicenter.

The study also found that this center of marine biodiversity has comparatively high number of species that are only found in the Philippines. Therefore, there is the real threat of extinction, including some species that have yet to be discovered by scientists.

These findings will be presented in the Philippines by Dr. Carpenter at a seminar at the Museum of the Filipino People in Manila on Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. This seminar is co-hosted by the WorldFish Center Philippine Office, based on Los Baños and coincides with the new release of an important global information system called "FishBase" produced by the WorldFish Center.

Based on the findings of this scieintific study, one of the most important places in the world to focus attention on conversation is in the waters of the Philippine Island.

The seminar presentation and visit of Dr. Carpenter to the Philippines is part of a WorlfFish Center project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which also includes training of Philippine scientists in identifying fish species, and application of Internet technology in training scientists.