SU, partners conduct marine mammal training and Tañon Strait field survey
Silliman University and its partner institutions conducted a technical training and field-based survey from April to May 2026 as part of an ongoing research initiative assessing marine mammal populations, fishery bycatch, and dolphin-watching activities in the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.
The training formed a key component of the study by preparing participants to carry out cetacean surveys and field data collection using standardized scientific methods.
Dr. Louella L. Dolar, the country’s foremost marine mammal expert and an Outstanding Sillimanian Awardee, leads the research initiative together with Dr. Edna R. Sabater of the Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences (IEMS), as well as IEMS students Sebastian Cordial and Ma. Katrina Andrea Tupas.
Trainers and attendees gather at the Rosal Function Hall of the Sierra Hotel, Dumaguete City, on April 21-23, 2026, to learn more about whales and dolphins and the different methods used in cetacean research. (Photo by Dr. Edna R. Sabater)
The research initiative began after Myla Mae Bromo-Abellana of the Negros Oriental Provincial Tourism Office raised concerns in 2023 about the status of dolphin populations in Bais City. In response, SU-IEMS collaborated with the Negros Oriental Provincial Tourism Office, the International Whaling Commission (IWC), and the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape-Protected Area Management Office (TSPS-PAMO) to develop the study and strengthen local marine conservation efforts.
Tourists participate in a dolphin interaction activity off the coast of Bais City, one of the province’s popular eco-tourism attractions.(Photo by MTR Aquino)
From April 21 to 23, 2026, the research team conducted a classroom-based technical training at Sierra Hotel and Rosa Hall in Dumaguete City for around 40 participants from DENR-TSPS-PAMO and SU-IEMS. Through lectures and workshops on cetacean ecology and field sampling methods, the training equipped participants with the scientific knowledge and practical skills needed for the actual marine mammal survey.
TSPS-PAMO supported the training under the leadership of POSu IV Am Prospero S. Lendio, with assistance from Terence Mark Parvus, an alumnus of the IEMS undergraduate program.
After completing the training, participants joined a live-aboard field survey from April 25 to May 6, 2026 across the Tañon Strait, covering areas from Bantayan in Dumaguete City to Bantayan Island in Cebu. During the survey, participants applied the methods introduced during the training to identify cetacean species, document sightings, and gather field data related to marine mammal populations and human activities within the protected seascape. The International Whaling Commission and the Negros Oriental Provincial Tourism Office funded the field survey.
Participants and supervisors described the training and survey as meaningful and transformative experiences that strengthened technical skills, improved scientific understanding, and deepened appreciation for marine conservation and protected area management responsibilities.
