Biology graduate’s thesis provides first detailed description of western Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish

Aiken Nikko P. Labnao, a magna cum laude Biology graduate of the Silliman University (SU), presented his thesis at the 17th National Symposium on Marine Science which provided the first detailed descriptions for the western Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish, also known as the Acanthaster cf. solaris.

Labnao received a travel grant from the Philippine Association of Marine Science (PAMS) to present his undergraduate thesis at the said symposium, held July 20-22, 2023 at the Batangas State University.

Labnao’s thesis, titled “Morphological and molecular analysis of western Pacific crown-of-thorns (COTS) starfish Acanthaster cf. solaris (Schreber, 1793) in Southern Negros Island,” aimed to characterize COTS specimens from two sites in southern Negros Island using partial CO1 mitochondrial gene and morphological features.

Labnao’s study validated the presence of Acanthaster cf. solaris in the region and provided the first detailed descriptions of color, spine, and pedicellariae morphology and morphometrics for the species.

Past studies revealed that Acanthaster planci, a common name for COTS, covered four species that are collectively called the A. planci species complex. One of the species under the Pacific group, the Acanthaster cf. solaris, does not have voucher specimens or morphological descriptions despite having online database gene sequences.

COTS are infamous for destroying coral reef ecosystems during population outbreaks by ingesting scleractinian corals.

Dr. Nadia Palomar Abesamis, former Biology Department chair and current PAMS vice-president for Visayas, and Asst. Prof. Persie Q. Sienes, faculty member, supervised Labnao’s undergraduate thesis.

Labnao graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Biology, magna cum laude last May 2023.

Marine conservation in the PH

Dr. Ben S. Malayang III, professor emeritus of environmental policy and governance at the SU Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences and former SU President, also presented at PAMS 17 as a plenary speaker.

His talk raised three points on marine biodiversity conservation in the country: policy priorities on conservation investments; the spatiotemporal strategy to mainstream marine biodiversity conservation in the country; and the extent genomics and novel technologies are deployed to bolster the resilience and adaptation of marine biodiversity, at pace with the escalating rapidity of climate change.

With the theme, “Saving Our Seas: Restoring Marine Systems for People and Nature,” the symposium was sponsored by the PAMS.

The symposium included about 230 oral presentations, 120 poster presentations, and over 500 local and international participants from the academe, private sector, non-government organizations, and government offices,

Held biennially, the National Symposium on Marine Science fosters information exchange on current trends, best practices, pressing issues, and the latest technology in marine science.