Graduate students of the College of Fisheries taking PhD in Aquaculture conducted a two-day assessment of the seagrass ecosystem in Dasol, Pangasinan on March 18-19, 2023 to determine the present status of the said ecosystem in the area.
In coordination with the Dasol Municipal Agriculture Office, Ms. Villalyn N. Orias, the focal person for fisheries assisted the group to identify the sites in Barangay Tambobong and Uli. The activity included the evaluation and collection of samples using the transect-quadrat method, assessment of species composition, seagrass cover, relative density, biomass estimate, environmental quality, as well as the presence of associated microbenthic fauna.
In terms of water quality, important parameters were monitored using digital equipment while the characteristics of the sediment were determined at the Regional Soils Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 3. Meanwhile, the disturbances and management measures were identified through personal interviews with the key informants.
Initial results disclosed that Tambobong was more polluted than Uli that could be due to anthropogenic factors, as the area is one of Dasol’s tourist destinations. In addition, the local government has underdeveloped Coastal Resource Management plan to support the sustainability of the town’s aquatic resources.
The findings were forwarded to the Municipal Agriculture Office and the researchers received commendation for pioneering an initiative that will provide basis in identifying management strategies for the town’s vital ecosystem.
Dasol is one of the coastal municipalities of Pangasinan with rich fisheries resources and because of its significant production of salt with almost 10,000 salt beds operating across coastal and riverine villages, the town was dubbed as the “Home of Quality Salt”.
