Students from the Philippine Science High School-Western Visayas Campus (PSHS-WVC) learned about fish biology for their science immersion program (SIP) at the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS), UP Visayas, Miagao.
Ten incoming Grade 10, 11, and 12 students spent 80 hours at the Ichthyology Laboratory of the Institute of Aquaculture (IA), CFOS. They were Francis Floe O. Fusin II, Xian Spence V. Catapia, Marian Zannine, C. Catague, Emmanuel Gregory S. Pasamanero, Reighn Aila, N. Nacionales, , Daryll Jade E. Elumba, Jessica Marie B. Dedase, Kyle Sherdrick T. Montalban, Kurt Lorenz P. Sicuando, and Lorenzo Jose S. Brunio.
The students were given lectures and hands-on laboratory exercises on analysis of fish taxonomic characters, DNA barcoding, and taxidermy for their SIP, which ran from July 22 to August 2, 2024.
CFOS Public Service Coordinator and IA faculty member Rowena E. Cadiz supervised the 10-day SIP. The activities were designed to familiarize the student with some of the tools used in studying fish resources. The students were provided with samples of toadfish and were taught fish morphometric and meristic measurements, fish dissection to identify internal organs and determine sexes, and collection and preservation of samples for molecular analyses. The students also had hands-on experience on DNA extraction, Polymerase Chain Reaction, gel electrophoresis, and analysis of DNA sequences, and construction of phylogenetic trees using MEGA software.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Cherry P. Añasco, a faculty member of CFOS-IA teaching biostatistics and experimental designs, introduced the students to comprehensive statistical analysis software known as SPSS or Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. They were thought statistical techniques in aquatic ecology and fisheries using the software with the data they have collected.
They also did taxidermy of puffer fish and Bilong-Bilong Ati facilitated by staff of the UPV Museum of Natural Sciences. The students brought the finished products with them.
The Pisay scholars presented their learning outputs at the culminating program held on August 2, 2024 at the Conference Room, CFOS.
Cadiz wished that with the learning and experiences that they had, the students will be encouraged to pursue a career in fisheries and utilize what they learned when they go back to their classrooms.
Ms. Julnafe Libo-on of PSHS-WVC expressed gratitude to CFOS for hosting their students’ SIP, which aimed to expose their students to the real-world to gain essential skills and experience as future researchers and scientists.
She told the students that with the skills they had gained, from DNA barcoding to analysis, they should consider themselves lucky because they were already advanced.
“I hope that you maximize the experience and keep all the notes that you have because you will need them later,” Libo-on said. “In the future if you are going to propose your study, you will align that to the skills that you have experienced because that would be to your advantage.”
The CFOS has been accommodating Pisay scholars for their SIP at the University.
