VOLUME 13 NUMBER 1 (January to June 2020)

by Najeen Arabelle M. Rula*^1,2,3, Jayvee Ablaña Saco^1,2, Joshua M. Vacarizas⁴, Jovy Ann Patchicoy Valera^1,2,3, Emilia Andrea V. Sabban⁵, and Romel U. Briones^1,3

¹Verde Island Passage Center for Oceanographic Research and Aquatic Life
      Science–Lobo (VIP CORALS–Lobo), Batangas State University, Lobo,
      Batangas, Philippines
²College of Arts and Sciences, Batangas State University, Rizal Ave.,
      Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines
³College of Agriculture and Forestry, Batangas State University,
      Lobo, Batangas, Philippines
⁴Department of Marine Resource Science and Kuroshio Science Program,
      Kochi University, Nankoku, Japan
⁵The Marine Science Institute, College of Science,
      University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City,
      Metro Manila, Philippines

The Philippines is said to be the center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity because of a key marine biodiversity corridor known as the Verde Island Passage (VIP), which has up to 1,736 species over a 10 x 10 km area (Carpenter and Springer 2005). The VIP harbors a vast and rich marine life and is home to numerous other marine organisms, from microorganisms to seagrass, seaweeds, mangroves, corals and other invertebrates, cetaceans, and other species of fish, many of which have yet to be documented. Given the known threats on the marine environment, studies have noted that the VIP is an area of extremely high priority for biodiversity conservation (PAWB 2009; Asaad et al. 2018).