09/04/2026
🌊 Building Connections for Marine Conservation, Research & Stronger MPAs
Our visit and conversations with the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the University of San Diego, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and NOAA provided valuable opportunities to learn, exchange ideas, and explore resources that could help strengthen marine conservation efforts in Calatagan, Batangas.
As we continue supporting the
restoration and long-term stewardship of Calatagan’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), one of our priorities is to encourage a more systematic approach to monitoring, marine research, data collection, ecosystem assessment, and benchmarking.
Protecting an MPA goes beyond establishing boundaries. We need to understand what is happening beneath the surface, document the health of marine ecosystems, establish baseline information, and measure ecological changes over time.
These connections provide important exposure to scientific knowledge, research practices, and potential resources related to marine biodiversity, coastal ecosystems, MPA monitoring, conservation research, and community-based stewardship.
For St. Michael, this journey is about learning from institutions and organizations with extensive experience in marine science and conservation—and exploring how these lessons and potential collaborations can be adapted to the realities of Calatagan and its coastal communities.
Our goal is to help build stronger connections among science, conservation, education, fisherfolk communities, local leadership, and ecotourism so that our MPAs can become better understood, systematically monitored, and more effectively protected.
Every conversation opens another door. Every connection expands what may be possible.
🌿 From Calatagan to the global marine science community, we are building bridges for healthier seas, stronger MPAs, and more resilient coastal communities.
