IEMS director presents coral reef restoration project at Global Pew Marine Fellows meeting
Dr. Aileen P. Maypa, Silliman University’s (SU) Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences (IEMS) director, presented her coral reef restoration project at the Pew Marine Fellows in Conservation Annual Meeting held November 11–16, 2025, in Galway, Ireland. She joined over 100 fellows, PMF staff, and guests in sharing solutions for global marine conservation challenges.
One of six new Pew Fellows for 2025, Maypa introduced her project, “Accelerating Coral Reef Recovery and Function Through Science-Based and Community-Friendly Restoration Toolkits in the Philippines,” where she highlighted the urgent need to rehabilitate the country’s coral reefs, located at the center of a major global biodiversity hotspot, amid escalating pressures from climate change and human activities.
Her proposed initiative focuses on creating practical, science-based restoration toolkits that can be widely understood and implemented by coastal communities. These toolkits aim to address specific types of coral reef injuries, improve practitioner capacity, and strengthen protection measures for reefs undergoing restoration.
Maypa emphasized that restoration must be paired with effective protection and evidence-based policy to achieve lasting recovery.
Held in Galway, a city renowned for its rich Gaelic heritage and its ecologically significant Galway Bay Complex Special Area of Conservation, the annual meeting brought together fellows from around the world to share progress and develop innovative responses to marine conservation challenges.
Maypa’s cohort includes Dr. Linda Harris (South Africa), Dr. Stephen Chan (Hong Kong), Dr. Kristen Marhaver (Curaçao), Dr. Edy Setyawan (Indonesia), and Dr. Hesti Widodo (Indonesia).
During the closing ceremony on November 15, the IEMS director was formally introduced to the PMF community by Dr. Alan White, a 2001 Pew Marine Fellow and a leading figure in Philippine marine conservation now based in Hawai‘i. His introduction underscored the importance of Maypa’s work in shaping national and regional approaches to reef recovery.
Maypa’s project is expected to contribute to the development of a National Program for Coral Reefs aligned with the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, supporting the country’s role in achieving the global 30×30 target under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The weeklong meeting concluded with renewed commitment among Fellows to strengthen partnerships, advance marine research, and promote community-centered conservation worldwide.
