Int'l Seminar Ranks Top 4 Paper on Oysters as Waste Indicator

A student paper that tests Philippine oysters’ absorptive capacity of sugar effluents at sea was rank fourth among the top five scientific papers presented during an international seminar hosted May 22 to 27 by General Santos City.

The group of eight students enrolled in the Medical Technology program at the Institute of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences developed the paper “Philippine Oyster Crassotrea Iredalei as a potential bioindicator of sugar effluents” through a series of tests done on oysters under laboratory conditions.

Alfie Calingacion, Lordfrey Atay, Kriza Quiao, Abigail Buot, Justin Griño, Louie Cimafranca, Michael Briones and Giel Estrellado experimented with molasses to simulate sugar wastes at sea in determining whether oysters absorb the same. Through a process of extraction, they were able to conclude the potential of oysters as indicator species that helps assess the volume of sugar waste and its concentration at sea, specifically in areas near sugarcane mills and plantations.

Their paper was shortlisted from among 26 entries to the undergraduate category of the Best Paper Presentation of the 2nd International Seminar and 12th Annual Scientific Conference of the Philippine Society for the Study of Nature. The list was later narrowed down to the top five. Silliman’s entry was ranked fourth.

Over 200 from Indonesia, China, Thailand, United States and the Philippines participated in the seminar which was themed: “Crossing Borders for a Sustainable and Health Environment.”