VOLUME 16 NUMBER 2 (July to December 2023)

Looking inside the Marine Research Center for Verde Island Passage after Five Years

The Verde Island Passage or VIP encompasses the five provinces of Batangas, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and Romblon. Owing to its central location in the Coral Triangle and its high marine biodiversity, it was labeled as the world’s center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity (Carpenter and Springer 2005, CI-Philippines 2009). The VIP is identified as one of the highest priority areas in the Coral Triangle for conservation and management (Asaad et al. 2018). It has recently gained attention after being nominated as a Hope Spot by the Mission Blue Organization. However, the VIP is under threat due to increasing industrialization, increasing human-related activities, and even climate change which poses serious and detrimental effects to this marine corridor and its vast biodiversity.