NFRDI Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center

This World Ocean Day, we emphasize the critical role that evidence-based science plays in safeguarding our marine resources. Protecting these complex ecosystems requires a collective commitment, one rooted in research, innovation, and shared responsibility. Together we can turn knowledge into action and ensure healthy oceans for future generations.

|| DA-NFRDI, through its Philippine Aquatic Red List Committee Project, participated in an Irrawaddy dolphin population assessment boat survey conducted on June 1-5, 2026, in Malampaya Sound, Palawan.

The survey was funded by the Malampaya Foundation, Inc. (MFI) and implemented in partnership with the Protected Area Management Office of the Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape and Seascape (PAMO-MSPLS), Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, and researchers from the Silliman University Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences.

The activity supports ongoing conservation initiatives for the remaining population of Irrawaddy dolphins in Malampaya Sound, one of the country’s most important habitats for this critically endangered marine mammal.

Read full article: https://nfrdi.da.gov.ph/2026/06/08/nfrdi-joins-irrawaddy-dolphin-survey-strengthens-marine-mammal-conservation-efforts/

Photo credits: NFRDI PARLC-1 team and Doc Teri Aquino

This June, we celebrate the Month of the Seas!

Our marine ecosystem sustains life, livelihoods, and the future of our country. Let us stand together to protect and conserve our rich biodiversity through science and collective action. 🐟💙

|| Mudfish (𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘢), locally known as dalag or haruan, has long held a quiet but enduring place in Southeast Asian food culture, not just prized for its rich taste, but also valued in traditional accounts for its supposed medicinal benefits. In the Philippines, it continues to appear consistently among the country’s top aquaculture commodities. In recent years, national output has declined significantly, a trend linked to persistent bottlenecks in hatchery efficiency and limited availability of quality fry. Recognizing this gap, researchers from DA - Fisheries Biotechnology Center (FBC), in collaboration with BFAR-NFFTC and MSU Naawan, explored the effects of photoperiod manipulation on hatchery performance. Photoperiod, or the duration of light exposure, is known to influence feeding behavior, metabolism, and fish growth.

READ FULL ARTICLE: https://nfrdi.da.gov.ph/2026/06/01/feature-lighting-the-way-24-hour-illumination-for-mudfish/

We celebrate today the ancient navigators of our oceans, the sea turtles. 🐢🌊

From keeping seagrass beds healthy to maintaining balanced marine ecosystems, turtles play a vital role in ocean life. But plastic pollution, habitat loss, illegal trade, and climate change continue to threaten their survival.

This World Turtle Day, let us protect their nesting beaches, reduce marine waste, and promote sustainable fisheries for future generations. Every small action helps keep our seas alive. 💚

Today, we celebrate the rich biodiversity that sustains life, livelihoods, and the future of our planet. From our coral reefs and mangroves to endemic wildlife and marine species, every organism plays a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Let us protect and conserve Philippine biodiversity through science, sustainability, and collective action. 🌿🌊🐠

𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘?

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦-𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬!

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 causes animals in the Arctic and Antarctic waters to grow much larger than their warm-water relatives. This phenomenon, observed in species like giant sea spiders and colossal squid, may stem from cold waters holding more oxygen to support bigger bodies and slower metabolisms allowing extended growth periods.

Read more:

Shishido, C. M., Woods, H. A., Lane, S. J., Toh, M. W. A., Tobalske, B. W., & Moran, A. L. (2019). Polar gigantism and the oxygen–temperature hypothesis: a test of upper thermal limits to body size in Antarctic pycnogonids. Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 286(1900), 20190124. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0124

Shiffman, D. (2024). Ask a Marine Biologist: Why Are Polar Ocean Animals Giant?. Scuba Diving. Retreived from: https://www.scubadiving.com/ask-marine-biologist-why-are-polar-ocean-animals-giant