SLSU Bontoc, Hinunangan Undergrad Students on board DOST PCAARRD funded mangrove project; collabs with MSU - IIT

Southern Leyte State University Hinunangan and Bontoc Campus together with Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) successfully conducted the joint mangrove research.

In a groundbreaking collaborative effort, esteemed researchers headed by Dr. Ian A. Navarrete (Project Leader) of SLSU-Hinunangan Campus, Mrs. Janine Dimzon of SLSU-Bontoc Campus; together with Dr. Mylah and Carlito Tabelin of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), joined forces for a productive mangrove research funded by the DOST-PCAARRD, held last January 23-24, 2024 in mangrove forests situated in the municipalities of Bontoc and Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte.

The mangrove research also involves several dynamic third-year and fourth-year students from SLSU-Hinunangan and Bontoc Campuses as part of their undergraduate thesis undertaking. Over the course of two intensive days, the synergy of knowledge and resources from SLSU and MSU-IIT meticulously studied various aspects of mangrove ecology including biodiversity, microorganisms, carbon stock assessment, and potential conservation strategies for effective policies.

Overall, the success of this joint research venture is an attestation to the power of collaboration. The participating universities aim to continue fostering such partnerships, recognizing the collective impact they can have on environmental research and conservation efforts to better help in drafting appropriate policies for the protection of the environment at the grassroots level, and most importantly, in advancing scientific knowledge in the country.

The mangrove research in Southern Leyte province represents the initial phase of the two sampling locations being undertaken. The second mangrove research is scheduled to take place in Surigao, followed by the last mangrove research in Palawan, over the upcoming months of this year.

The project, which is primarily aligned with SDG 13 (Climate Action), seeks to mitigate climate change by better understanding the complex carbon dynamics within mangrove ecosystems and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals). Furthermore, it indirectly contributes to SDGs 15 (Life on Land) and 14 (Life Below Water.)