I S S U E 0 2 | J U N E 2 0 2 0

*Mangadlay is a local name of a

The Official Newsletter of the Sea Cucumber R&D Center of MSU-Naawan

Participants, along with the esteemed guests doing the "One for Naawan" gesture DOST UNDERSECRETARY I N T H I S I S S U E : VISITS NICER FOR SEA CUCUMBER PROGRAM DOST UNDERSECRETARY VISITS NICER FOR SEA CUCUMBER Department of Science and Technology (DOST) PROGRAM Undersecretary for Research and Development, Dr. A GLIMPSE ON THE LIFE OF SEA Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, along with DOST-X Director Alfonso Alamban, came to visit MSU-Naawan last March CUCUMBER GATHERERS IN 1, 2020, to see the facilities, updates, and highlights of MINDANAO the NICER Program for Sea Cucumber as well as to chat SPOTTED! COMMON SEA with the staff behind the Program. CUCUMBERS ENCOUNTERED IN Project leaders, along with the Director of Research, Dr. Gonzales, and Chancellor, Dr. Roa, gave a tour of THE FIELD the facilities of the Program. The esteemed guests were JUST QUARANTHINGS enthusiastic during the tour as they continuously MARTECH BREAKS THROUGH engaged in a conversation with the leaders regarding BALIK-TANAW sea cucumbers, their respective projects, and current facilities. Program highlights and updates were presented by F O R M O R E I N F O : Dr. Wilfredo Uy. The presentation sparked a discussion Sea Cucumber Research and among the project members and collaborators to Development Center explore more collaborators from different sectors to MSU Naawan, 9023 Naawan, upgrade the Program. Usec Guevara also emphasized Misamis Oriental, Philippines the need to have a bigger, and centralized database [email protected] since the Program is and will be handling a great deal www.msunaawan.edu.ph/seacucumber/ of data as it is gearing towards becoming a Center for fb.com/NICERforSeaCucumber Sea Cucumbers. Furthermore, Usec. Guevara lauded the +63 88 826 725 NICER Program team for their tireless efforts in +63 88 825 805 achieving the targets of the Program. I S S U E 0 2 | J U N E 2 0 2 0

A GLIMPSE ON THE LIFE OF SEA CUCUMBER GATHERERS IN MINDANAO by: Marnelle Sornito - NICER P1 Sea cucumbers provide a substantial source of income along the Indo-Pacific region for over 1000 years. As a result, increasing exploitation of these is observed in the wild. Sea cucumbers are given as gifts, or used as special ingredients in Asian cuisine. They have also been discovered to have therapeutic compounds such as anti-aging, Sea cucumber gatherer processing H. scabra by removing the internal organs. anticancer properties among others. The inclination of these nutritional and health benefits Gatherers like the Badjaos can skin dive up to 10-15 encourage the active harvesting of sea cucumbers fathoms, and can stay underwater up to 15 minutes globally. without any equipment in collecting high-valued Sea cucumber gatherers usually sell their sea cucumbers like White Teatfish ( products as dried known as beche-de-mer or fuscogilva), Curryfish (Stichopus hermanni), and trepang. These processed products generate good Prickly Redfish (Thelenota ananas). Gatherers are money, but the process in making high quality, also experts in handling different sea cucumber stone-dried sea cucumbers with 90-100% dryness species. After collection, sea cucumbers are sorted requires 3-5 days of tedious drying and processing. by species and gutted to remove the internal Great skill and knowledge is required throughout organs. They are then boiled for 5-30 minutes the whole process. During gathering, gatherers depending on the species. Some are smoke-cured depend on the tides, and take around 4-6 hours in after boiling or sun-dried for several days gathering. depending on the species, and demand of the buyers. Sea cucumbers must be as hard as a rock to be considered for export. Gatherers could get a net income of PhP 500-3000/week. The rarer and bigger the species are, the higher their monetary value is. However, health risks are higher in collecting these high valued sea cucumbers. Sea cucumber livelihood is not an easy task. It requires time, and effort from gathering to processing. However, what is more important to contemplate in this livelihood is a passionate soul who does not only think about the income, but as well as the sustainability of sea cucumbers to last for generations to come. Variety of stone-dried sea cucumbers ready for export SPOTTED!

Scientific name: Holothuria scabra Scientific name: Holothuria fuscogilva Scientific name: argus Local name: Kagisan/Putian/Mangadlay Local name: Sus-an/Susuan/Duruan Local name: Matang Itik/Lawayan

Scientific name: Pearsonuthuria graeffei Scientific name: Holothuria fuscopunctata Scientific name: Bohadschia marmorata Local name: Hangad-hangad Local name: Sapatos Local name: Tagukan I S S U E O 2 | J U N E 2 0 2 0

JUST QUARANTHINGS MARTECH BREAKS THROUGH

by: Sheena Quimson - NICER P3 The Community Quarantine proved to be ineffective in obstructing the progress of NICER for Sea Cucumber Project 3 also known as MarTech. During the height of the quarantine period, the staff prepared for the preplanned installation of hatchery equipment and materials for future induction activities. The whole month of April was dedicated to building the spawning tank for the broodstock as well as broodstock maintenance. On May 7, 2020, the first trial for spawning induction was conducted. H. fuscogilva broodstocks from Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga Peninsula were induced through desiccation, salinity shock, and food bath. Unfortunately, the broodstocks from Tawi-Tawi eviscerated after the trial, and died the next day. There were no spawning events recorded during the first trial. Different activities maximizing the efforts of the Program The Project traveled to Laguindingan on May 27, The recent health crisis has undeniably slowed 2020 to collect H. fuscogilva broodstock. the Program from accomplishing its target Unexpected turn of events led to a series of deliverables, but the Program rose above, and spawning wherein 2 females released their egg found safe ways to achieve its goals. Data, human, cells which affected the males to release their and physical resources were maximized to cater gametes as well. The spawning happened in a the needs of the Program. Flexible work schedule, plastic box during transport to the Project and work from home schemes were implemented. hatchery. The eggs were cleaned, and checked Interestingly, there were activities that were under the microscope prior to stocking in the larval common among all the projects: data processing, rearing tanks. There were about 22,000,000 reviewing related literature, and active community fertilized eggs counted. The next day, the Project participation. was able to collect additional broodstocks from Multitasking is not a stranger to all the Projects Laguindingan which also spawned during the in the Program. While waiting for the data from transport. The Project's hatchery is now operating, enumerators in each area covered by Project 1, and is able to rear the larvae up to the present members of the Project were processing data they pentactula stage. gathered from Focus Group Discussions (FGD), and These are just some of MarTech's feats within 3 household surveys. months. All the staff are exuberant to take more Project 2 also had their own strategy in bold, and systematic steps toward pulling off the maximizing their efforts. Part of the Project's project goals. objective is to determine Holothuria fuscogilva's reproductive biology through gonad analysis. To be able to still continue with the research, members of the project designated a "laboratory" in their homes to observe the specimens, and still be productive despite the quarantine. Program members were not the only ones busy with productivity, and growth, but the Sandfish juveniles as well. These juveniles, originally from ACIAR, were used to test the feasibility of having it reared in the fishpond within the MSUN Campus as part of Project 4's goals. Fortunately, the juveniles are responding positively. Overall, the quarantine only limited the transmission of the virus, not the Program's capabilities. H. fuscogilva gametes released into the water I S S U E 0 2 | J U N E 2 0 2 0

BALIK-TANAW by: Dr. Venus Leopardas

Various photos of the white teatfish, Holothuria fuscogilva The White Teatfish, Holothuria fuscogilva, is one collection sites, as well as to establish linkages of the most fished and poached sea cucumbers in with local partners. Project members have gone to the tropical Indo-Pacific region, with value highest several places in Mindanao since September 2019 among others and, thus, under greatest demand. to collect data, and consult numerous In August 2019, this species was listed under the stakeholders from different sectors regarding the CITES Appendix II, to ensure that fishing and conduct of the research. international trade of this species are sustainable, Over the months of being in and out of the field, and do not contribute to further decline. In the and some project activities placed into hiatus due Philippines, the biology, and ecology of this to COVID-19 threats, members appreciated the species is less understood, although in 2012, there value of communication, collaboration, and was already a breakthrough in its captive breeding transparency. Despite the challenges, the project and hatchery technology by MSU Naawan was able to forge collaborations with other SUCs, researchers under the DOST – PCAARRD funding. and LGUs, collected data, signed Prior Informed The life history-traits of teatfish in general are Consents, capacitated partners on research contributing factors to their vulnerability to protocols, established the upgrading of the MSU overfishing. The extent of overfishing in the Naawan Genetics Laboratory, and resumed country may also become aggravated by the lack activities using new-norm work arrangements. of knowledge on the species habitat, behavior, and The NICER Program will commemorate its 1st genetic diversity. This gap should be addressed in Anniversary in July 2020. It is with high hope and order to promote the conservation, and fervent prayers that everyone in the Program, MSU sustainable use of this species. Naawan, partner SUCs, NGAs, LGUs, local The NICER Program investigates the ecology, communities, and DOST will continue to rise above biology, and population genetic diversity of H. the pressing unprecedented, and emerging fuscogilva, locally called sus-an, duruan or susuan in challenges during these trying times of Covid-19 Mindanao. The reconnaissance survey is an initial pandemic. step to select monitoring and/or sample May the force be with us. Para sa bayan!

C O N T R I B U T O R S T O T H I S I S S U E :

Marnelle B. Sornito is a Science Research Sheena A. Quimson is a Science Research Venus E. Leopardas, Ph.D. is the Project Assistant of Project 1 Fisheries Assessment Assistant for Project 3-MarTech. She was a Leader of the “Ecology, biology, and genetic of Sea Cucumber in Mindanao. She took up former MSU-IIT student who was chosen as diversity of white teatfish Holothuria Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and BFAR-X grantee for Bachelor of Science in fuscogilva (Cherbonnier 1980) in Mindanao” currently having her graduate studies of the Fisheries. She is now taking her masters project. She is a faculty of College of Science same specialization. She takes challenge for degree in Aquaculture. She is a people and Environment, Department of Marine Project 1 in identifying the sea cucumbers person and loves to take the challenges that Biology and Environmental Science of MSU encountered during their field sampling. She come with the NICER program. It is an Naawan. Her field of interest is on marine loves to discover new things as she travel exciting idea for her to be part of something aquatic ecology, specifically on benthic with her colleagues. big, and novel as the NICER Program. communities.

OUR COLLABORATORS:

H f il t l d i t th t