Molecular Ecology & Technology Laboratory

Safe travels to the MolEcoTech team of DLSU’s SHORE Center! 💚

Finding ways to create a network of citizen scientists to monitor, protect, and love the Philippine coasts 🇵🇭

🌊 Happy World Ocean Day! 🌊

The ocean is more than a vast expanse of blue—it is a living network of biodiversity, resilience, and interconnected ecosystems that sustain life on Earth.

At the Molecular Ecology and Technology Laboratory, we celebrate the ocean not only for its beauty, but for the countless stories written in the DNA of the organisms that call it home. Through science, innovation, and community partnerships, we work to better understand, protect, and restore our marine and coastal ecosystems for future generations.

This World Ocean Day, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing research that supports sustainable fisheries, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and the communities whose lives are deeply connected to the sea.

Every sample collected, every sequence analyzed, and every discovery made brings us one step closer to healthier oceans and a more sustainable future.

Because protecting our oceans starts with understanding them.

🌊𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔!🌊💙

From all of us at the DLSU-SHORE Center, we celebrate the ocean that connects, sustains, and inspires us all. 🌏✨

Guided by “𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑂𝑐𝑒𝑎𝑛”, we are reminded that wonder starts with one—small ecosystems, small organisms, small actions, massive impact.

Let’s continue to protect, appreciate, and act for our blue planet—because every ripple of care becomes a wave of change. 🌊💫

Congratulations to our student groups for successfully presenting their thesis studies at APAMS 2026! 🎉

Your hard work, perseverance, and passion for research were evident in every presentation. We are proud to see your ideas and findings shared with the wider scientific community.

Presenting research is never easy, and each of you represented your work with professionalism, confidence, and dedication. This is an important milestone not only for your academic journey, but also for your growth as future scientists, researchers, and innovators.

Thank you for carrying your projects with excellence. We look forward to seeing your studies continue toward publication and greater impact.

Congratulations once again, APAMS 2026 presenters! 👏

Happy Women's month 💕

We’re proud to share that Dr. Chona Camille VinceCruz-Abeledo participated as a panelist in the session on Mangrove Positive Enterprises at the Philippine Mangrove Conference 2026, held last March 24–26, 2026 at Microtel by Wyndham, UP Technohub. 🌿🌊

The panel highlighted how community-based enterprises can support mangrove conservation, strengthen coastal livelihoods, and contribute to a more sustainable blue economy. Dr. Chona shared insights from her work on coastal ecosystems, inclusive innovation, and empowering communities—especially women—in building climate-resilient solutions.

Moments like this remind us that science, when connected with people and purpose, can drive real impact. 💡

🦀 What’s really in our waters, and in the seafood we rely on? 🌊

Microplastics are now being detected in aquaculture species like mangrove crabs, opening up important conversations about food quality, environmental health, and sustainability. In this study, students from De La Salle University investigated wild vs. grow-out mangrove crabs from Gubat, Sorsogon, a coastal community where mangrove ecosystems play a vital role in local livelihoods and aquaculture production. The study examined the presence, differences, and abundance of microplastics between these systems.

As science continues to explore this emerging issue, there’s more to uncover beneath the surface. Let’s take a closer look together.

Productive conversations for a thriving coast 🌱🦀

The Blue Carbon + Team sat down with the MolEcoTech Lab to explore key pain points in the Philippine mangrove crab industry—listening to fishers’ realities, unpacking environmental challenges, and identifying sustainable, science-based solutions. Together, we’re working toward approaches that strengthen livelihoods while protecting mangroves and the ecosystems they support.

Because when people and nature thrive together, real impact happens.

🧬MolEcotech of the DLSU SHORE Center, together with the BC+ Team, visited the Mangrove Crab Hatchery Station of SEAFDEC–Aquaculture Department in Tigbauan, Iloilo, as part of BC+’s initial learning visits to better understand the landscape of the mangrove crab industry in the Philippines🦀

The visit aimed to gain insights into SEAFDEC’s hatchery operations and identify potential ways to support sustainable growth, strengthen local value chains, and promote science-based solutions for mangrove crab aquaculture