Bagarinao, Teodora

English

Bagarinao, Teodora Uy

Aquatic Commons

the AQD Museum and Biodiversity Garden, and the Environment Action Group 
By Teodora Bagarinao, PhD
AQD Scientist and Museum Curator 
Nature matters
Biological diversity is rapidly diminish-
ing in forest, upland, and coastal envi-
ronments in the Phi l ipp ines and 
throughout the world. The primary 
cause of loss of biodiversity is not di-
rect human exploitation or malevo-
lence, but the habitat destruction and 
modification that inevitably result from 
the expansion of human population and 
human activities. From an estimated 
12 million hectares of old-growth for-
ests in the 1930s, the Philippines has 
barely 700,000 ha at present. As a re-
sult, animal and plant species have 
gone extinct, including 60% of the en-
demic flora. The extinction of popula-
tions and species exerts its primary 
impact on society through the impair-
ment of ecosystem functions, that is, 
the loss of the free services (such as 
photosynthesis, pollination, and de-
composition) rendered by plants, ani-
mals, and microorganisms. 
Arresting the loss of diversity will 
be extremely difficult. This formidable 
effort must begin by increasing public 
understanding of the importance of the 
loss of diversity and the urgent need 
for conservation. One way to popular-
ize biodiversity and environment issues 
is by popularizing nature parks and 
biodiversity exhibits such as museums, 
herbariums, zoos, and botanical gar-
dens. This non-formal environment 
education through immersion and rec-
reation is part of 'the birds and the bees 
and the flowers and the trees' approach 
toward the 'greening' of the mind, the 
heart, and the spirit. 
This article provides an introduc-
tion to the biodiversity in the Philippines, 
at least the flora and fauna that have 
been studied, and particularly those 
described in reader-friendly publica-
tions. This article is part of a longer 
paper in the journal Ambio that also 
provides information on the use, man-
agement , and conservat ion of 
biodiversity and on the location and 
present status of nature parks and 
biodiversity exhibits in the country. 
Additional parts of the journal paper will 
appear in subsequent issues of this 
newsletter. 
A compendium of data on Philip-
pine flora and fauna was prepared in 
1977-81 by a team of biologists com-
missioned by the Natural Resources 
Management Center of the Ministry of 
Natural Resources. Twelve volumes of 
the Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna 
were published in 1986, containing de-
scriptions of 3,351 species (Table 1). 
The Philippines has 12,000 species of 
f lower ing p lants , p te r idophy tes , 
bryophytes, algae, and fungi, of which 
3,500 species are endemic, and a tre-
mendous variety is grown as orna-
mentals. Elmer Merrill described 1,007 
species (591 genera, 136 families) in 
his 1912 Flora of Manila. Eduardo 
Quisumbing's encyclopedic account of 
plants with medicinal properties was 
followed by several pictorial booklets. 
The Department of Health has ap-
proved the commercia l izat ion and 
popular use of four medicinal plants: 
lagundi Vitex negundo against coughs, 
next page 
AQD's mini-forest at the 
Tigbauan Main Station 
9Vol. XIX No. 2 June 1997SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture
nature matters / bagarinao
Table 1 The groups described in the 12 volumes of Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna 
published in 1986 by the Natural Resources Management Center, Ministry of 
Natural Resources and University of the Philippines - Diliman, Quezon City. 
Vol. Groups included Species Genera Families Orders Total 
species 
I.1 Zoosporic fungi 118a , b 60 24 10 199 
I.2 Seaweeds 90b 34 22 12 
I.3 Mosses 80a 49 22 7 104a 
II.1 Ferns 278a + 54b (5a) 298a + 54 
II.3 Gymnosperms 33; 6 a 12 6 4 33 
III.1 Dipterocarps 38+9 subspp. 1 
III.2 Non-dipterocarps 299+6 subspp. 196 66 
IV.1 Bamboos 25; 7 a 1 
IV.2 Other grasses 85; 4 a 70 1 
IV.3 Palms 85 106 
V Corals 400 65 499 
VI.1 Gastropods 297 95 48 5 
VI.2 Bivalves 91 59 26 6 
VI.3 Annelids 49 30 15 2 
VII.1 Rotifers 61 23 16 
VII.1 Cladocerans 49 28 6 
VII.1 Copepods 15 12 4 
VII.2 Barnacles 138; 23a; 8 b 33 11 
VII.3 Swimming crabs 44 5 
VIII Hemipteran insects 113; 10a 58 20 
IX Fishes 429; 6 a 293 112 21 
X.1 Amphibians 66; 42a 20 7 67 
X.2 Reptiles 205; 127a 73 17 215 
XI.1 Passeriform birds 70; 6 1 a 1 128; 111a 
XI.2 Mammals 75; 58a 58 29 19 230 
XII.1 Parasitic arthropods 48 34 17 
XII.2 Poisonous animals 55 
aendemic, beconomically important 
hierba buena Mentha cordifolia as an-
algesic, sambong Blumea balsamifera 
as diuretic, and tsaang-gubat Ehretia 
microphylla against diarrhea and diges-
tive problems. The vincrisin-yielding 
shrub Catharanthus roseus grows wild 
by the roadside as do many other 
medicinals. Hydrocarbon-producing 
plants such as peres Pittosporum 
resiniferum and lumbang oil Aleurites 
mollucana were of much research in-
terest during the oil shortage in the 
1970s. Pest ic idal plants such as 
makabuhay Tinospora rumphii, 
manzanilla Tagetes erecta, and neem 
Azadirachta indica are now promoted 
as alternatives to synthetic agricultural 
poisons. Mangroves (many species of 
salt-tolerant trees and associated 
plants) have also become more widely 
recognized for their ecological and eco-
nomic importance to the coastal zones. 
Early studies on the systematics 
and natural history of Philippine land 
vertebrates were done mostly by Ameri-
can scientists and Filipinos like Angel 
Alcala and Dioscoro Rabor. There are 
about 975 species of tetrapods in the 
Philippines — 67 amphibians, 215 rep-
tiles, 500 birds, and 194 mammals. 
Some 639 non-mammalian species are 
found in the Visayas and Mindanao, 
and the species endemism is very high: 
50% of bird species, 64% of snakes, 
76% of lizards, and 64% of amphibians. 
Endemic forms occupy specialized 
habitats, particularly in forests. On de-
nuded Cebu Island, nine species of 
endemic birds have become extinct. Of 
the land mammals in the Philippines, 
76% of the species are small (rats, 
mice, and bats), but many of the larger 
ones (flying squirrels, bats, civets, leop-
ard cat, flying lemur, macaques, tarsier, 
deers, wild pigs, tamaraw) have be-
come endangered. John Eleuthere du 
Pont of the Delaware Museum of Natu-
ral History published in 1971 a particu-
larly beautiful book, Philippine Birds, 
based on his work in the Philippines 
since 1958. 
Ichthyology was also a thriving sci-
ence during the first half of the century 
when American and Filipino scientists 
at the old Philippine Bureau of Science 
in Manila published many illustrated 
descriptions of Philippine fishes. These 
papers have been reprinted by the 
Smithsonian Institution and TFH Inc. in 
Philippine Bureau of Science Mono-
graphic Publications on Fishes in 1965 
and in Philippine Journal of Science 
Selected Ichthyological Papers Vol-
umes I-III in 1969. Albert Herre's 1953 
Checklist of Philippine Fishes includes 
2,117 species, but many more have 
now been recorded, including 544 gen-
era of coastal marine fishes, of which 
238 species are endemic and a great 
many are of commercial importance. 
Herre also wrote delightful fish stories 
for non-scientists in Philippine Fish 
Tales published in 1935. 
Indeed faunal diversity in the ma-
rine coastal zone of the Philippines is 
quite high — 1,375 genera in 499 fami-
lies of chordates and six major inverte-
brate phy la inc lud ing cora ls and 
mollusks. Springsteen and Leobrera 
includes 1,700 species of mollusks in 
their beautiful book and Chou and Aliño 
gives a breathtaking view of life on the 
coral reefs. Recently, Jose Maria 
Lorenzo Tan documented at least 18 
species (but there may be as many as 
page 36 
10 SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Vol. XIX No. 2 June 1997
jump page
NATURE MATTERS / from page 10 
27) of whales and dolphins in Philip-
pine waters. Several species of ma-
rine animals have become endangered 
due to habitat destruction, exploitation 
for commerce, or hunting out of curios-
ity: giant clams (Hippopus porcellanus, 
Tridacna gigas, T. derasa), the sea cow 
Dugong dugon, the estuarine Croco-
dylus porosus, marine turtles (Chelonia 
mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata, 
Lepidochelys olivacea, Dermochelys 
coriacea), and sea snakes (Hydrophis 
cyanocinctus, H. semperi, H. melano-
cephalus, H. ornatus, Laticauda colub-
rina, L. semifasciata, L. laticaudata, 
Pelamis platurus). 
The species count in the Philip-
pines is far from complete. Several list-
ings of terrestrial and marine flora and 
fauna have appeared in local science 
journals such as Kalikasan, the Philip-
pine Scientist, and the Papers of the 
National Museum. Now more than 
ever, a comprehensive but rapid as-
sessment of biodiversity is necessary 
before any more species go extinct. 
The Philippines has enough laws 
to protect wildlife, both plants and ani-
mals, but these laws have been diffi-
cult to enforce partly because of the low 
environmental awareness of the gen-
eral public. Angel Alcala recommends 
three wildlife conservation measures: 
(i) intensive conservation education at 
all school levels and of all sectors of 
society, (ii) establishment of more na-
ture parks and wildlife reserves, and (iii) 
establishment of breeding centers for 
endangered wildlife. The following ar-
ticles in this series will describe the de-
velopments in non-formal conservation 
education, and in nature parks and wild-
life breeding centers in the Philippines. 
REFERENCES 
Alcala AC. 1983. Status of wildlife and wildlife 
research in the Visayas and Mindanao. In 
Parks and Wildlife Research and Develop-
ment in the Philippines: Current Status and 
a Mandate for Tomorrow. Philippine Coun-
cil for Agriculture and Resources Re-
search and Development, National Sci-
ence and Technology Authority, Los 
Baños, Laguna, pp. 30-39. 
Chou LM, Aliño PM. 1992. An Underwater 
Guide to the South China Sea. Times 
Editions, Singapore, p. 144. 
Madulid DA. 1995. A Pictorial Cyclopedia of 
Philippine Ornamental Plants. Book-
mark, Makati, p. 388. 
Motoh H. 1980. Field Guide for the Edible 
Crustacea of the Philippines. SEAFDEC 
Aquaculture Department, Iloilo, Philip-
pines, p. 96. 
Nemenzo F Sr. 1986. Guide to Philippine 
Flora and Fauna Vol. V. Corals. Natu-
ral Resources Management Center, Min-
istry of Natural Resources and Univer-
sity of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon 
City, p. 273. 
NSTA. 1982. Hydrocarbon-Producing Plants. 
National Science and Technology Au-
thority, Manila; ESCAP Regional Cen-
tre for Technology Transfer, Bangalore, 
India, p. 99. 
Padua LS de, Lugod GC, Pancho JV, 1987. 
Handbook on Philippine Medicinal 
Plants Volume 2. Technical Bulletin 3 
(3), College of Sciences and Humani-
ties, University of the Philippines-Los 
Baños, Laguna, p. 67. 
Paz RM de la, Gomez ED. 1995. Faunal Di-
versity in the Marine Coastal Zone. 
Biodiversity Conservation Reports 1995/ 
No.2, UP Center for Integrative and De-
velopment Studies, University of the 
Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, and 
Haribon Foundation, p. 46. 
Philippine National Mangrove Committee. 
1987. Philippines. In Mangroves of Asia 
and the Pacific: Status and Manage-
ment. Ministry of Natural Resources, 
Quezon City, Philippines, pp. 175-210. 
Rabor DS. 1986. Guide to Philippine Flora 
and Fauna Vol. XI. Birds, Mammals. 
Natural Resources Management Center, 
Ministry of Natural Resources and Uni-
versity of the Philippines-Diliman, 
Quezon City, p. 213. 
Rau N, Rau A. 1980. Commercial Marine 
Fishes of the Philippines (Bony Fishes). 
Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Technische 
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, 
Eschborn, p. 623. 
Springsteen FJ, Leobrera FM. 1986. Shells 
of the Philippines. Carfel Seashell Mu-
seum, Manila, p. 377. 
Tan JMLP. 1992. Philippine Wildlife. Book-
mark, Makati, p. 72. 
Tan JMLP. 1994. A Field Guide to the Whales 
and Dolphins of the Philippines. Book-
mark, Makati, p. 125. 
White AT. 1987. Philippine Coral Reefs. A 
Natural History Guide. New Day Pub-
lishers, Quezon City, p. 123 
P CRUZ/from page 12 
work for entrepreneurs to pursue. Many 
results, however, look ideal in the labo-
ratory but are not realistic in the field. 
That is the sad part. And we thought 
we did a good job already. Take for ex-
ample making low cost farm-made 
feeds. The seasonal availabil ity of 
many raw materials actually make 
backyard feedmil l ing uneconomical 
during lean supply months when big 
commercial feed millers corner the sup-
ply. As a backyard feedmiller you buy 
your raw materials at the retail level 
which is not only more costly but must 
be paid in cash. Furthermore, rudimen-
tary feed pelleting equipments produce 
feed pellets that have poor water sta-
bility. This leads to poor growth due to 
significant nutrient losses and water 
pollution. Thus, in actual field condi-
tions, at least in the Philippines, mak-
ing farm-made feeds is not economi-
cally viable. Research work I believe 
should be conceptualized and carried 
out up to the commercial scale where 
our ultimate goal of food production is 
realized. It is actually more challeng-
ing and fulfilling this way. 
How do you view the progress 
of aquaculture technology 
generation in the country? 
There is a lot of research being done 
but unfortunately there is little that end 
up in commercial use. I believe re-
searchers should try to be more in-
volved with the industry even if they do 
not share the same view with entrepre-
neurs. It was widely known in the sci-
entific community that intensive shrimp 
farming is not going to be sustainable 
so many distanced themselves from 
conducting research in these activities. 
When the the industry was eventually 
hit by disease problems, there was lit-
tle that could be done by researchers 
36 SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Vol. XIX No. 2 June 1997


Nature matters: The AQD Museum and Biodiversity Garden, and the Environment Action Group

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Aquaculture Department Institutional Repository (SEAFDEC/AQD Institutional Repository )

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture DepartmentSEAFDEC/AQD Institutional Repository http://repository.seafdec.org.phJournals/Magazines SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture1997Nature matters: The AQD museum andbiodiversity garden, and theenvironment action groupBagarinao, TeodoraAquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development CenterBagarinao, T. (1997). Nature matters: The AQD museum and biodiversity garden, and theenvironment action group. SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture, 19(2), 9-10, 36.http://hdl.handle.net/10862/2899Downloaded from http://repository.seafdec.org.ph, SEAFDEC/AQD's Institutional Repositorythe AQD Museum and Biodiversity Garden, and the Environment Action Group By Teodora Bagarinao, PhDAQD Scientist and Museum Curator Nature mattersBiological diversity is rapidly diminish-ing in forest, upland, and coastal envi-ronments in the Phi l ipp ines and throughout the world. The primary cause of loss of biodiversity is not di-rect human exploitation or malevo-lence, but the habitat destruction and modification that inevitably result from the expansion of human population and human activities. From an estimated 12 million hectares of old-growth for-ests in the 1930s, the Philippines has barely 700,000 ha at present. As a re-sult, animal and plant species have gone extinct, including 60% of the en-demic flora. The extinction of popula-tions and species exerts its primary impact on society through the impair-ment of ecosystem functions, that is, the loss of the free services (such as photosynthesis, pollination, and de-composition) rendered by plants, ani-mals, and microorganisms. Arresting the loss of diversity will be extremely difficult. This formidable effort must begin by increasing public understanding of the importance of the loss of diversity and the urgent need for conservation. One way to popular-ize biodiversity and environment issues is by popularizing nature parks and biodiversity exhibits such as museums, herbariums, zoos, and botanical gar-dens. This non-formal environment education through immersion and rec-reation is part of 'the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees' approach toward the 'greening' of the mind, the heart, and the spirit. This article provides an introduc-tion to the biodiversity in the Philippines, at least the flora and fauna that have been studied, and particularly those described in reader-friendly publica-tions. This article is part of a longer paper in the journal Ambio that also provides information on the use, man-agement , and conservat ion of biodiversity and on the location and present status of nature parks and biodiversity exhibits in the country. Additional parts of the journal paper will appear in subsequent issues of this newsletter. A compendium of data on Philip-pine flora and fauna was prepared in 1977-81 by a team of biologists com-missioned by the Natural Resources Management Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Twelve volumes of the Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna were published in 1986, containing de-scriptions of 3,351 species (Table 1). The Philippines has 12,000 species of f lower ing p lants , p te r idophy tes , bryophytes, algae, and fungi, of which 3,500 species are endemic, and a tre-mendous variety is grown as orna-mentals. Elmer Merrill described 1,007 species (591 genera, 136 families) in his 1912 Flora of Manila. Eduardo Quisumbing's encyclopedic account of plants with medicinal properties was followed by several pictorial booklets. The Department of Health has ap-proved the commercia l izat ion and popular use of four medicinal plants: lagundi Vitex negundo against coughs, next page AQD's mini-forest at the Tigbauan Main Station 9Vol. XIX No. 2 June 1997SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculturenature matters / bagarinaoTable 1 The groups described in the 12 volumes of Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna published in 1986 by the Natural Resources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources and University of the Philippines - Diliman, Quezon City. Vol. Groups included Species Genera Families Orders Total species I.1 Zoosporic fungi 118a , b 60 24 10 199 I.2 Seaweeds 90b 34 22 12 I.3 Mosses 80a 49 22 7 104a II.1 Ferns 278a + 54b (5a) 298a + 54 II.3 Gymnosperms 33; 6 a 12 6 4 33 III.1 Dipterocarps 38+9 subspp. 1 III.2 Non-dipterocarps 299+6 subspp. 196 66 IV.1 Bamboos 25; 7 a 1 IV.2 Other grasses 85; 4 a 70 1 IV.3 Palms 85 106 V Corals 400 65 499 VI.1 Gastropods 297 95 48 5 VI.2 Bivalves 91 59 26 6 VI.3 Annelids 49 30 15 2 VII.1 Rotifers 61 23 16 VII.1 Cladocerans 49 28 6 VII.1 Copepods 15 12 4 VII.2 Barnacles 138; 23a; 8 b 33 11 VII.3 Swimming crabs 44 5 VIII Hemipteran insects 113; 10a 58 20 IX Fishes 429; 6 a 293 112 21 X.1 Amphibians 66; 42a 20 7 67 X.2 Reptiles 205; 127a 73 17 215 XI.1 Passeriform birds 70; 6 1 a 1 128; 111a XI.2 Mammals 75; 58a 58 29 19 230 XII.1 Parasitic arthropods 48 34 17 XII.2 Poisonous animals 55 aendemic, beconomically important hierba buena Mentha cordifolia as an-algesic, sambong Blumea balsamifera as diuretic, and tsaang-gubat Ehretia microphylla against diarrhea and diges-tive problems. The vincrisin-yielding shrub Catharanthus roseus grows wild by the roadside as do many other medicinals. Hydrocarbon-producing plants such as peres Pittosporum resiniferum and lumbang oil Aleurites mollucana were of much research in-terest during the oil shortage in the 1970s. Pest ic idal plants such as makabuhay Tinospora rumphii, manzanilla Tagetes erecta, and neem Azadirachta indica are now promoted as alternatives to synthetic agricultural poisons. Mangroves (many species of salt-tolerant trees and associated plants) have also become more widely recognized for their ecological and eco-nomic importance to the coastal zones. Early studies on the systematics and natural history of Philippine land vertebrates were done mostly by Ameri-can scientists and Filipinos like Angel Alcala and Dioscoro Rabor. There are about 975 species of tetrapods in the Philippines — 67 amphibians, 215 rep-tiles, 500 birds, and 194 mammals. Some 639 non-mammalian species are found in the Visayas and Mindanao, and the species endemism is very high: 50% of bird species, 64% of snakes, 76% of lizards, and 64% of amphibians. Endemic forms occupy specialized habitats, particularly in forests. On de-nuded Cebu Island, nine species of endemic birds have become extinct. Of the land mammals in the Philippines, 76% of the species are small (rats, mice, and bats), but many of the larger ones (flying squirrels, bats, civets, leop-ard cat, flying lemur, macaques, tarsier, deers, wild pigs, tamaraw) have be-come endangered. John Eleuthere du Pont of the Delaware Museum of Natu-ral History published in 1971 a particu-larly beautiful book, Philippine Birds, based on his work in the Philippines since 1958. Ichthyology was also a thriving sci-ence during the first half of the century when American and Filipino scientists at the old Philippine Bureau of Science in Manila published many illustrated descriptions of Philippine fishes. These papers have been reprinted by the Smithsonian Institution and TFH Inc. in Philippine Bureau of Science Mono-graphic Publications on Fishes in 1965 and in Philippine Journal of Science Selected Ichthyological Papers Vol-umes I-III in 1969. Albert Herre's 1953 Checklist of Philippine Fishes includes 2,117 species, but many more have now been recorded, including 544 gen-era of coastal marine fishes, of which 238 species are endemic and a great many are of commercial importance. Herre also wrote delightful fish stories for non-scientists in Philippine Fish Tales published in 1935. Indeed faunal diversity in the ma-rine coastal zone of the Philippines is quite high — 1,375 genera in 499 fami-lies of chordates and six major inverte-brate phy la inc lud ing cora ls and mollusks. Springsteen and Leobrera includes 1,700 species of mollusks in their beautiful book and Chou and Aliño gives a breathtaking view of life on the coral reefs. Recently, Jose Maria Lorenzo Tan documented at least 18 species (but there may be as many as page 36 10 SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Vol. XIX No. 2 June 1997jump pageNATURE MATTERS / from page 10 27) of whales and dolphins in Philip-pine waters. Several species of ma-rine animals have become endangered due to habitat destruction, exploitation for commerce, or hunting out of curios-ity: giant clams (Hippopus porcellanus, Tridacna gigas, T. derasa), the sea cow Dugong dugon, the estuarine Croco-dylus porosus, marine turtles (Chelonia mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata, Lepidochelys olivacea, Dermochelys coriacea), and sea snakes (Hydrophis cyanocinctus, H. semperi, H. melano-cephalus, H. ornatus, Laticauda colub-rina, L. semifasciata, L. laticaudata, Pelamis platurus). The species count in the Philip-pines is far from complete. Several list-ings of terrestrial and marine flora and fauna have appeared in local science journals such as Kalikasan, the Philip-pine Scientist, and the Papers of the National Museum. Now more than ever, a comprehensive but rapid as-sessment of biodiversity is necessary before any more species go extinct. The Philippines has enough laws to protect wildlife, both plants and ani-mals, but these laws have been diffi-cult to enforce partly because of the low environmental awareness of the gen-eral public. Angel Alcala recommends three wildlife conservation measures: (i) intensive conservation education at all school levels and of all sectors of society, (ii) establishment of more na-ture parks and wildlife reserves, and (iii) establishment of breeding centers for endangered wildlife. The following ar-ticles in this series will describe the de-velopments in non-formal conservation education, and in nature parks and wild-life breeding centers in the Philippines. REFERENCES Alcala AC. 1983. Status of wildlife and wildlife research in the Visayas and Mindanao. In Parks and Wildlife Research and Develop-ment in the Philippines: Current Status and a Mandate for Tomorrow. Philippine Coun-cil for Agriculture and Resources Re-search and Development, National Sci-ence and Technology Authority, Los Baños, Laguna, pp. 30-39. Chou LM, Aliño PM. 1992. An Underwater Guide to the South China Sea. Times Editions, Singapore, p. 144. Madulid DA. 1995. A Pictorial Cyclopedia of Philippine Ornamental Plants. Book-mark, Makati, p. 388. Motoh H. 1980. Field Guide for the Edible Crustacea of the Philippines. SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, Iloilo, Philip-pines, p. 96. Nemenzo F Sr. 1986. Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna Vol. V. Corals. Natu-ral Resources Management Center, Min-istry of Natural Resources and Univer-sity of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, p. 273. NSTA. 1982. Hydrocarbon-Producing Plants. National Science and Technology Au-thority, Manila; ESCAP Regional Cen-tre for Technology Transfer, Bangalore, India, p. 99. Padua LS de, Lugod GC, Pancho JV, 1987. Handbook on Philippine Medicinal Plants Volume 2. Technical Bulletin 3 (3), College of Sciences and Humani-ties, University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Laguna, p. 67. Paz RM de la, Gomez ED. 1995. Faunal Di-versity in the Marine Coastal Zone. Biodiversity Conservation Reports 1995/ No.2, UP Center for Integrative and De-velopment Studies, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, and Haribon Foundation, p. 46. Philippine National Mangrove Committee. 1987. Philippines. In Mangroves of Asia and the Pacific: Status and Manage-ment. Ministry of Natural Resources, Quezon City, Philippines, pp. 175-210. Rabor DS. 1986. Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna Vol. XI. Birds, Mammals. Natural Resources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources and Uni-versity of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City, p. 213. Rau N, Rau A. 1980. Commercial Marine Fishes of the Philippines (Bony Fishes). Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, Eschborn, p. 623. Springsteen FJ, Leobrera FM. 1986. Shells of the Philippines. Carfel Seashell Mu-seum, Manila, p. 377. Tan JMLP. 1992. Philippine Wildlife. Book-mark, Makati, p. 72. Tan JMLP. 1994. A Field Guide to the Whales and Dolphins of the Philippines. Book-mark, Makati, p. 125. White AT. 1987. Philippine Coral Reefs. A Natural History Guide. New Day Pub-lishers, Quezon City, p. 123 P CRUZ/from page 12 work for entrepreneurs to pursue. Many results, however, look ideal in the labo-ratory but are not realistic in the field. That is the sad part. And we thought we did a good job already. Take for ex-ample making low cost farm-made feeds. The seasonal availabil ity of many raw materials actually make backyard feedmil l ing uneconomical during lean supply months when big commercial feed millers corner the sup-ply. As a backyard feedmiller you buy your raw materials at the retail level which is not only more costly but must be paid in cash. Furthermore, rudimen-tary feed pelleting equipments produce feed pellets that have poor water sta-bility. This leads to poor growth due to significant nutrient losses and water pollution. Thus, in actual field condi-tions, at least in the Philippines, mak-ing farm-made feeds is not economi-cally viable. Research work I believe should be conceptualized and carried out up to the commercial scale where our ultimate goal of food production is realized. It is actually more challeng-ing and fulfilling this way. How do you view the progress of aquaculture technology generation in the country? There is a lot of research being done but unfortunately there is little that end up in commercial use. I believe re-searchers should try to be more in-volved with the industry even if they do not share the same view with entrepre-neurs. It was widely known in the sci-entific community that intensive shrimp farming is not going to be sustainable so many distanced themselves from conducting research in these activities. When the the industry was eventually hit by disease problems, there was lit-tle that could be done by researchers 36 SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Vol. XIX No. 2 June 1997

Nature matters: The AQD museum and biodiversity garden, and the environment action group

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