SU featured in global study on century-old fish DNA

Silliman University (SU) has been cited in a groundbreaking study published in Science that traces more than a hundred years of environmental change through DNA extracted from century-old fish preserved in alcohol.

The research, led by project co-leader Kent Carpenter and an international team of scientists, analyzed specimens collected during the 1907–1910 Philippine expedition of the USS Albatross and compared them with modern fish samples. The findings reveal significant shifts in marine biodiversity and genetic diversity, offering insights into how tropical fish populations have adapted to pollution, overfishing, and warming seas.

SU was recognized among the Filipino institutions collaborating in the project, highlighting the university’s continuing contribution to marine and coastal research, particularly in genetics and conservation science.

Key findings in the study show that some fish populations near major coastal cities lost up to 4% of their genetic diversity compared to remote populations, and exhibited evolutionary changes that suggest rapid adaptation to degraded environments.

Learn more about the study here: https://www.science.org/content/article/dna-rum-soaked-fishes-chronicles-century-environmental-change.