Details coming up!

In tilapia aquaculture, it has been accepted that all male culture is economically better than mixed-sex culture. This is due to its bigger size and the ability to convert feed to body biomass rather than for reproduction. Moreover, it has been a common practice that commercial production of all male tilapia is done by the application of sex steroids on fish in order to achieve all male fish. However, currently, there is a rising concern among Philippine consumers regarding the negative health influence of cultured animals treated with steroid hormones. Though the scientific basis for the accumulation of these hormones in fish is still unclear, public concerns have somewhat influenced the market value and the marketability of this aquaculture commodity. To address these concerns, we want to develop a YY male technology specifically optimized for the freshwater and saline tolerant strains of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in order to mass-produce all natural XY male offspring without direct treatment of steroid hormones to newly hatched fry.

In order to considerably decrease the risk associated with the use of sex steroids, the project aims to use several hormones (apart from the thermal shock experiment) during the feminization process for the development of YY parent stock only. Furthermore, the development of the molecular marker-aided procedure via this research will improve the time and productivity of YY tilapia broodstock production. With the application of the specific chromosome gene markers for tilapia, the time to evaluate the success of developing YY male is basically shortened and the efficiency of the process could be directly evaluated.

Nowadays, the demands in the tilapia aquaculture industry are rising, especially in various strains that can grow in brackishwater environments. However, saline-tolerant tilapia could not breed naturally in brackishwater unless being transferred back to the freshwater systems. This limits the expansion of the saline-tolerant tilapia hatchery in brackish and estuarine areas. 

This research will solve the issue of saline-tolerant tilapia not breeding in brackishwater ecosystems by first understanding the expression levels of various reproduction-related genes thru quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Induced spawning will then be conducted by administering various synthetic hormones. The efficacy of various synthetic hormones for inducing the spawning of saline-tolerant tilapia in brackishwater environment will also be compared and the economic benefits of breeding saline-tolerant tilapia in brackishwater hatchery operation will be evaluated. This research hopes to increase the production of saline-tolerant tilapia in the market. The findings of this research will have a significant contribution to human food security and will contribute towards SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

Mugilids (Mullets) are cosmopolitan species that are widely harvested and consumed for their nutritional benefits and competitive market value. With a large variety of species, telling them apart can prove challenging because of very minute differences. The current project aims to explore the use of readily accessible and measurable structures in fish such as the body, otoliths, and urohyal bones through morphometrics, meristics, and image analyses. These data can potentially uncover more of the Mugilids' environmental and life history, thereby guiding a more sustainable exploitation and management. 

Our very own Mr. Christian James C. Morales was a delegate in the the Indian Ocean Regional Decade Conference: Bridging Billions to Barcelona on 1-3 February 2024. The event was a prelude to the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference in Spain and a manifestation of their commitment to address the UN Ocean Decade challenges. Here, Mr. Morales met prominent people in fields of Oceanography and Fisheries and was able to learn about the actions and ways forward of the nations along the Indian Ocean region to achieve The science we need for the ocean we want.

Mr. Morales was among the few selected candidates for a fully-funded training program at Hyderabad, India on 18 January to 7 February, 2024. The training was hosted by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a UN-accredited International Training Center for Operational Oceanography (ITCOOcean). The training was funded by The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC). Here, Mr. Morales learned about how oceanographic processes and models can be used to explain changes as well as predict fisheries productivity.

Longterm Balik Scientist Engagement (October 2022 - September 2024)

Details coming up!