Text by Charmaine A. Lingdas
Photos by Asst. Prof. Melody Anne B. Ocampo
The University of the Philippines Manila is at the forefront of safeguarding marine biodiversity through the PORTEC Project, or “Port and Ballast Water Baselines using Ecological, Microbiological, and eDNA Approaches.” As the lead implementing agency, UP Manila partners with various universities and government agencies to tackle environmental and public health risks posed by biological invasions at the country’s ports.
What Happens In The Ports?
“Ports are altered environments designed to support human activities, primarily facilitating the movement of goods between areas, locally and around the globe. Ports are where the maritime domain meets the land domain,” explained Asst. Prof. Melody Anne B. Ocampo, a member of the Environmental Biology Unit of the Department of Biology at the College of Arts and Sciences, who also leads the PORTEC Project. She highlighted that ports are prone to biological invasions—rapid expansions of species into regions where they didn’t previously exist, due to increased maritime traffic.
Ships often take in ballast water during voyages to maintain stability, but this water can contain organisms such as bacteria, larvae, and small marine fauna. When ballast water is released at the port of destination, these species may thrive, disrupting local ecosystems and threatening native species. Biofouling, which occurs when marine organisms attach to ships’ hulls and spread to new areas, further exacerbates the transfer of non-indigenous organisms.
Given the approximately 900 ports across the Philippines, including 19 base ports, 57 terminal ports, and 500 of other governments and 300 private ports, the risk of biological invasions originating from ports is substantial. Ocampo underscores that “invasive species can disrupt ecosystems and infrastructure, affecting industries like fisheries and aquaculture. Since ports are international hubs, they act as entry points for non-native species.”
“Understanding port ecology by establishing and monitoring baselines provides essential data for detecting invasive species and modeling biological invasions. This information will guide efforts in crafting ballast water management guidelines, treatment strategies, and risk assessments that will benefit both the Philippine maritime industry and marine science,” she emphasized.
The PORTEC Project
In June 2018, the Philippines acceded to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Ballast Water Management and Anti-Fouling Conventions. However, the country has paucity in laws and policies governing ballast water and biofouling management. Thus, the PORTEC Project seeks to fill this gap by laying groundwork for legislation that will comply with the international agreements.
“The study uses ecological, microbiological and molecular approaches in its conduct of the survey,” Ocampo explained. “The ecological approach deploys PICES collectors whose foulers are identified using morphological investigation. DNA sequencing and barcoding (single-species eDNA) are used to identify cryptic species. Metagenomic DNA from port waters are analyzed using next generation sequencing (multiple species eDNA for eukaryotes and shotgun sequencing for prokaryotes). Eight ports all over the Philippines are being surveyed. All collected data are being deposited in the PORTEC database.”
Initial findings have already identified 35 marine non-indigenous species (MNIS) in Philippine ports, some of which are potentially invasive, and as such will have significant economic and ecological impacts.
“These non-indigenous species pose a major concern. If conditions become favorable, they can become invasive, leading to displacement of native species and disruption of vital ecosystem functions,” added Ocampo. “The economic impacts are equally significant. Dense populations of invasive species can increase ship maintenance costs by adding weight and reducing hydrodynamics, which increases fuel consumption. In aquaculture, they compete for resources with cultured species, reducing growth and financial gain. The cost of mitigation, control, and eradication efforts is also high.”
The results of the PORTEC Project are now serving as bases for drafting legislation on invasive species management in collaboration with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). MARINA and PCG are also working with PORTEC researchers on creating memorandum circulars to implement these conventions. Additional ports are scheduled for future surveys to make the database more robust, allowing the Philippine Coast Guard, as the port state authority, to better respond to biological invasions. UP Manila, according to Ocampo, is committed to assisting the PCG and MARINA with training personnel and analyzing samples gathered from local and international ports.
The study’s outcomes will benefit MARINA, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), and the PCG, three key agencies responsible for enforcing maritime laws in the Philippines. MARINA ensures compliance with national standards for vessels, the PPA manages port operations, and the PCG enforces maritime safety, security, and environmental protection, including biological pollution control. These agencies are already using the initial results of the study to create policies governing both local and international shipping.
In October 2022, the PORTEC team represented the Philippines at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) conference “GloFouling Research and Development Forum and Exhibition on Biofouling Prevention and Management for Maritime Industries,” where they presented data on bioinvasion in Philippine ports. Ocampo also shared the project’s findings at an international conference in Adelaide, Australia in 2023, and in the UK Malacological Society forum in the same year.
“Being one of the few women in maritime science, leading this project is both a privilege and a passion. My interest has always been in the Philippine marine waters, as it is a resource that is available to Filipinos, with our country being an archipelago. My focus here stems from the paucity of literature in maritime science, even when we send hundreds of thousands of Filipinos to the maritime industry. This needs attention, as this part of the marine environment is highly utilized but understudied.”
The PORTEC Project is part of the SAILS Program (SAILS Ballast Water and Biofouling Management Program) under the leadership of Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr. It has received ₱45 million in funding from the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD). Seven cooperating agencies are involved, including UP Manila, UP Diliman, UP Visayas, University of the Immaculate Conception Davao, Bicol State University, the Philippine Coast Guard, and MARINA.
“Having studied only eight ports in our project, we recognize there are many more that need investigation,” Ocampo says in conclusion. “We encourage anyone interested in collaborating with us on future endeavors to reach out and become part of Philippine maritime and marine environmental science.”
Melody Anne B. Ocampo, MSc
Project Leader, PORTEC Project
SAILS Program
Email: mbocampo@up.edu.ph
