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Field Biologist

TO: Seahorse Investigator
FROM: Aileen P. Maypa
RE: Field Biologist

I am the Rapid Assessment Programme (RAP) coordinator of Project Seahorse-Haribon Foundation (PS_HF), Philippines. RAP aims to gather biological data on Philippine seahorse populations and their habitat in selected sites while utilizing skills of local seahorse fishers. The RAP team is composed of a marine biologist coordinator/team leader and four lantern fishers (locally known as "manugaay", trained in RAP survey methods that PS-HF had developed for seahorses.

1. We are interested in a typical day of a field biologist. What are your days like? (Collecting data from the field, analyzing data, etc.)

Data gathering in the field would depend totally on the study's methodology or research design, so it varies. With my work now on the rapid assessment programme, on seahorses: average time in the water is 14-16h/site, site mapping and habitat surveys in the morning, seahorse surveys at night. breaks are about an hour to eat. Hard work.

2. What kind of schooling and training did you need to become a field biologist?

I graduated BS biology and proceeded to MS biology, concentrating my work on marine research. I worked with algal ecology and chemistry, invertebrates including corals, coral reef fishery and marine reserves with Silliman University for about 10 years before I accepted the Rapid Assessment Programme coordinator position with Project Seahorse.

3. What skills do you use when working?

  1. ability to observe
  2. ability to process and analyze data and facts
  3. ability to make immediate and good decisions in the field
  4. resourcefulness
  5. swimming & diving
  6. proficiency in a couple of lancguages is a plus especially in the philippines since we have many dialects
  7. good knowledge of the marine environment
  8. good knowledge on the taxonomy and biology of the study organism
  9. good computer skills
  10. ability to communiate and understand local communities

4. When monitoring and observing seahorses, what information do you collect?

Information like:

  1. habitat characteristics (qualitative & quantitative measurements are taken)
  2. species
  3. size/height/lengths
  4. sex
  5. holdfast
  6. reproductive stage
  7. fishing pressure/degree of exploitation/history
  8. fishers' perception on existing seahorse populations

5. What is done with the information you collect?

Data collected are processed, analyzed and written into a report which will include the results and recommendations of the study. Scientific findings serve as the basis of biotechnology and management/conservation policies.