BS Biology students and academic staff from the Department of Biological Sciences under the College of Science brought home awards from the 6th Biannual Conference of Asian Society for Hydrobiology (ASH 2024) held from July 1 to 4, 2024 at the Hana Square, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
Both alumni and academic staff from the College of Science presented their research during the conference. Mary Grace Lumba and Zarina Dawn Cablitas who both majored in Environmental Biology won Best Poster for their research titled “Diet analysis and risk screening of native and introduced fish species in Angat Watershed Forest Reserve: Implications on protection and management”. Mr. Elfritzson M. Peralta, MSc served as the pair’s research adviser. The research is co-authored with academic staff from the Department of Biological Sciences namely Mr. Kenneth Xavier Sanchez, MSc, Mr. Allan Gilles, Jr., MSc, Assoc. Prof. Richard Thomas Pavia, Jr., Ph.D., and UST College of Science Dean Prof. Rey Donne Papa, Ph.D.
In the same poster session, Eliza Rose Aquino, Miguel Estrada, and Hannah Lorraine Frias who majored in Medical Biology presented their thesis titled “Benthic macroinvertebrate communities reveal urban river health in Batangas and Zambales, Philippines: Does protection status influence urbanized watersheds?”. This study is co-authored with Lilian Dela Cruz, a BS Biology student from Batch 2024; Ms. Justine de Leon, academic staff from the Department of Biological Sciences; Mr. Dino Tordesillas an academic staff from UST Senior High School; Prof. Emeritus Milagrosa Martinez-Goss, Ph.D. from the University of the Philippines-Los Banos, Laguna; and Prof. Papa, with Mr. Peralta as research adviser.
During the conference, Allan Gilles won Best Oral Presentation based on the research titled “Current and future risk of invasion posed by non-native freshwater fishes in a mega-biodiversity country (The Philippines)”. This presentation is co-authored with Jean-Matthew Bate (BS Biology Batch 2023) and his colleagues from the department Mr. Peralta, Dr. Pavia, and Visiting Assoc. Prof. Lorenzo Vilizzi. In addition, Mr. Elfritzson Peralta also won Best Oral Presentation based on the research titled “Philippine watersheds in the Anthropocene: Cases of southern urban hydrosystem syndrome and freshwater protected area”, which was co-authored with Mr. Sanchez and Prof. Papa.
With the theme “New Waves in Hydrobiology towards a Changing World”, ASH 2024 was attended by a total of 243 participants from different countries (i.e., China, India, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam). Four out of 55 poster presentations and nine out of 63 oral presentations have been awarded as Best Poster Presentation and Best Oral Presentations, respectively, across different sessions. The recognitions received by the students and faculty members of the University of Santo Tomas are testament to the significant contributions of the Thomasian researchers towards the challenges being faced by Philippine aquatic ecosystems.
ASH 2024 also saw the appointment of Dean Papa as one of the new Executive Board members of the international organization in the field of hydrobiology in Asia.
