Migratory Flyway

Manila, Philippines – The East Asian Migratory Flyway that includes the Philippines is one of the most important shorebird and waterbird migratory flyways in the world. A total of 77 species of migratory birds use this flyway, and Olango Island supports 62 percent of this number.  Read More »

Hypoxia (2)

Manila, Philippines – Oxygen is less soluble in warmer water, so as the temperature of the sea water increases, the dissolved oxygen concentration decreases. Dead zones often fluctuate in size with the seasons, growing larger during the summer months and shrinking during the winter.  Read More »

Dead zones (1)

Manila, Philippines – “DEAD zone“ is a more common term for hypoxia, which refers to a reduced level of oxygen in the water, typically in the ocean but also occasionally in lakes and rivers that do not have enough oxygen to support marine life. Incoming search terms:dead zone gulf of mexicofertilizers polluting the oceangulf dead zoneshark mexicothe baltic sea bottomthe dead zone in the... 

Cleopatra’s Pearl Banquet

Manila, Philippines – CLEOPATRA, the last queen of Egypt, possessed the ability to roil passions in two powerful Roman men, Caesar and Antony. But her beauty, said Greek historian Plutarch, was not “the sort that would astound those who saw her; interaction with her was captivating, and her appearance, along with her persuasiveness in discussions and her character that accompanied every interchange,... 

Cultured pearls

Kokichi Mikimoto was granted the patent in 1916 and the technology of cultivating perfectly round pearls was commercially applied to akoya pearl oysters (Pinctada imbricata) in Japan. This revolutionized the pearl industry because it allowed the reliable and consistent cultivation of large numbers of quality pearls. Incoming search terms:mikimotosouth sea pearlsUNESCO declares Banaue Rice Terraces... 

Famous pearls (2)

Manila, Philippines – Natural pearls had great mystique and luminous beauty as well as value, which made them favorites of queens – and kings. One of the most famous pearls of the 17th century belonged to King Charles I of England (1600-1649). The origin of this single pearl is unknown. This teardrop-shaped pearl was made into a single dangling earring with a tiny gold crown as the cap,... 

Famous Pearls (1)

Manila, Philippines – Before the beginning of the 20th century when there were no cultured pearls, pearls were rare treasures and the most precious of gemstones that could be discovered only by accident and at considerable peril. Divers manually pulled oysters from ocean floors and river bottoms then checked them individually for pearls. The “Pearl of Asia”, one of the twelve rarest pearls... 

Restoration of Mangrove Forests (2)

Manila, Philippines – As estimated 450,000 hectares of mangrove forests once circled the shores of the Philippines in 1918. This original cover has been lost due to conversion to agriculture, salt beds, industry, settlements, and local exploitation for fuel wood, but major cause of loss was due to the development of seemingly-idle mangrove forests into fish and shrimp ponds for a good source... 

Mangrove restoration (1)

Manila, Philippines – To most people a mangrove looks like a muddy, smelly swamp that couldn’t possibly be home to such a wealth of wildlife. Sometimes called “rainforests by the sea”, mangroves provide the most important ecosystems on earth, home to a multitude of endemic and endangered species. Mangroves are also one of the most endangered habitats globally, second only to terrestrial... 

Save rainforests

Manila, Philippines – THE use of plants as healing agents was practiced about 5,000 years. Over time through emulation of the behavior of fauna a medicinal knowledge base developed and was passed between generations. Medicine was revolutionized in the 19th century and beyond by advances in chemistry and laboratory techniques and equipment. The pharmaceutical drugs have only about 100 years of...