Mr. Ariel Antinero (center), SEARCA PhD Research Scholar, receives his first place award from NRCP Executive Director Dr. Bernardo Sepeda (left) and NRCP President Dr. Ma. Louise Antonette De Las Peñas (right) during the 2025 NRCP Annual Scientific Conference and 23rd Mindanao Regional Cluster Assembly in Davao City.
DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Mr. Ariel Antinero, a Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) PhD Research Scholar and PhD student in marine biology at Mindanao State University at Naawan, won first place in the poster competition at the 2025 NRCP Annual Scientific Conference and 23rd Mindanao Regional Cluster Assembly held on 18 September 2025 at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City.
Organized by the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), the event carried the theme "Empowering and Sustainable Future: Science, Technology, Social Innovation, and Human Capital in Global Challenges." It gathered scientists, researchers, and policy experts from across the country to showcase knowledge and innovations that advance sustainable solutions for national development.
Antinero's award-winning poster featured initial findings from his dissertation titled "Reading the Water, Sustaining the Future: Fish Biodiversity Insights from eDNA in Mangrove Ecosystems of FMA 9, Philippines." His research, supervised by Dr. Ruby Gonzales of MSU at Naawan, applies environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, a noninvasive method that detects genetic material shed by organisms into the environment, to assess fish biodiversity. This pioneering study is among the first in the Philippines to use eDNA-based assessment and is the first application of eDNA metabarcoding to examine fish biodiversity in a Fisheries Management Area.
By demonstrating the potential of eDNA for large-scale fisheries assessment, the study provides science-based insights that can strengthen conservation and fisheries management. Specifically, Antinero's research recommends integrating eDNA metabarcoding into regular monitoring programs, reassessing marine protected area (MPA) effectiveness using species-level data, and prioritizing barcoding efforts to improve taxonomic resolution. These measures are crucial to inform adaptive, evidence-based fisheries management in mangrove-rich habitats.
Through the SEARCA PhD Research Scholarship, Antinero advances the use of cutting-edge, noninvasive tools in biodiversity monitoring and contributes to building a more resilient and sustainable blue economy in the Philippines.
The SEARCA PhD Research Scholarship provides financial support to qualified students in their final year of study to complete their dissertation research in line with SEARCA's priority thrusts. The program opens its call for applications twice a year—in July (first call) and December (second call)—and invites scholars whose research addresses pressing challenges in agriculture, food security, natural resources, and rural development.
For more information about this scholarship, visit: https://www.searca.org/phd-research-scholarship
