A group of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) leaping off the water surface in the southern Tañon Strait Protected Seascape. Photo taken by Apple Kristine S. Amor of the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, University of the Philippines Diliman.

COVER PHOTO:

Variety of fruits displayed at the Roma's Fruits Stand, UP Shopping Center, Diliman, taken by Marvic A. Pastrana of the OVCRD, UP Diliman.

The Hippopus porcellanus in Tubbataha Reefs National Park. The shell is globose in shape and semicircular in outline with smooth and regularly shaped dorsal margin (see Dolorosa, this issue). Photo courtesy of R.G. Dolorosa.

Abalone are herbivorous marine gastropods and are nocturnal – that is, they hide during the day amongst rocks and at night time, they go out in search of food. Its fishery provides a significant source of employment and income to coastal people. From a socio-economic perspective, the long-term sustainability of abalone fisheries is of great importance. Unfortunately, abalone stocks have been overfished in many areas where they are found as a result of ever-increasing market demand, uncontrolled exploitation and/or inadequate or lack of fisheries management. One possible option for resource management is to educate local fishers to develop a corps of local resource managers who would promote sustainable fishing practices and conservation of this valuable resource (see Capinpin, this issue). Photo courtesy of E.C. Capinpin, Jr.

Contents of this journal may not be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission except for fair use, i.e., for personal, educational and research purposes, in accordance with Copyright law. Reprinting and re-publication in any other journal or compilation is likewise prohibited except as provided in the Copyright Agreement when the author reprints his/her article for inclusion in any publication where he/she is the author or editor, subject to giving proper credit to the original publication of the article in the journal.

“Finite element modeling of a landslide box experiment showing predicted conditions within a slope during failure. Finite element mesh (top left), deformed mesh and displacements (bottom left), shear strain profile (top right) and pore pressures (bottom right). Figure was taken from Catane et al. p. 17-30 of this issue.”

“Samples of each morphotype of P. grandiflora (Hook). (a.1.) Double Orange Petal, (b.1.) Single Pink Petal (c.1.), Double Pink Petal (d.1.), Double Pink-White Petal (e.1.), Single Yellow Petal (a.2.), Double Orange Sepal (b.2.), Single Pink Sepal (c.2.), Double Pink Sepal (d.2.), Double Pink-White Sepal (e.2.),Single Yellow Sepal (a.3.), Double Orange Leaf (b.3.), Single Pink Leaf (c.3.), Double Pink Leaf (d.3.), Double Pink-White Leaf (e.3.),Single Yellow Leaf. Figure was taken from Cao et al. p. 41-53 of this issue.”

A special issue featuring selected papers of the 10th National Symposium on Marine Science

Nylon shells, Paphia undulata, collected by diving along the coast Hinigaran, Negros Occidental (October 2007). Photo courtesy of Fenelyn M. Nabuab from UP Visayas.

The illustration shows a multimedia server distributing content to different clients grouped according to how fast they receive the content (Tiglao et al. pp. 33-42, this issue.) Cover art courtesy of Engr. Nestor Michael Tiglao of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman. 

The cover shows four species of ferns thriving near the copper-rich soils of the Lepanto mine in Benguet. They are found to absorb the most copper in their roots and thus may be used for phytoremediation (Claveria et al. page 1-12 this issue). Photo courtesy of Dr. Rene Claveria from the Department of Environmental Science, Ateneo de Manila University.

Cracks on the sand portend the beginning of a landslide event in a small-scale slope model. The wired black object embedded in the middle is the exposed part of a link of sensors that measure movement, soil moisture and pore water pressure within the sand (De Dios, et al. pp 15-27 this issue). Image courtesy of Engr. Marc Talampas of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute UP Diliman.