One of the grantees of the Outstanding Young Scientists (OYS) award for 2011 is Dr. Nathaniel C. Anasco in recognition of his important contributions in determining the presence, distribution, and effects of agricultural pesticides, ballast water treatment chemicals, spilled oil, and other marine pollutants on the coastal ecosystems which are important factors in the effective integrated management system of the Philippines coastal zones, since our country, being archipelagic in nature, and has large areas of rice paddy fields and aquaculture farms located near the sea. The said award is given to deserving young individuals not more than 40 years old (in the year of the award) who has made outstanding contributions to science and technology. Dr. Anasco research interests include marine pollution and ecotoxiclogy, water quality, marine chemistry, and fisheries biology. He graduated from the University of the Philippines in the Visayas Cebu College in the course B.S. Biology in 1993.in 1991, Dr. Anasco obtained his M.S. in Fisheries at the UP Visayas, Miag-ao campus. He got a scholarship grant from the Japan Ministry of Education in 2004 and eventually earned degrees in M.S. in Fisheries Science and Technology and the Doctor of Philosophy in Fisheries Sciences at Kagoshima University in 2007 and 2010, respectively. His studies aimed at studying the impacts of environmental pollutants to marine habitats and fishery resources in Philippine coastal waters. His technical expertise in the assessment and monitoring of water quality, extent of marine pollution, and marine productivity in the country’s important fishing grounds are significant contributions to both fisheries and environmental sciences. He performs laboratory exposure experiments involving marine bivalves. He conducts the uptake and elimination of agricultural pesticides which will be examined using water and food-borne sources to determine bioaccumulation potential of pollutants and to know their sub-lethal toxicities. He has published important papers on the biology of non-target fishery catch such as puffer fishes that can be utilized in the future as food, fish meal, and sources of industrial chemicals. Dr. Anasco works on the toxicology of biotoxins and natural products from marine organisms in the coastal waters of Western Visayas as possible sources of selective and non-persistent pesticides. He just recently initiated the establishment of the Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology (MPE) Laboratory at UP Visayas. Dr. Anasco is newly-conferred UP Diamond Jubilee Professorial Chair in Fisheries Science from the University of the Philippines. He won Best Paper Presenter award from UP Visayas (2003) and the Director’s Award from the Bureau of Agricultural Research, Department of Agriculture (2002). He is currently an Assistant Professor and Director of the Institute of Marine Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas. He continues to participate in international and local scientific meetings to present his activities and results.

Sex: Male

Education:

University of the Philippines Visayas, Miag-ao, Iloilo, Master of Science in Fisheries, 1993
Kagoshima University, Japan, Master of Science in Fisheries Science and Technology, 2007
Kagoshima University, Japan, Doctor of Philosophy in Fisheries Science, 2010
University of the Philippines Visayas, Miag-ao, Iloilo, Bachelor of Science in Biology, 1991

Field of Specialization

Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology, Marine Chemistry, Fisheries Biology, Water Quality, Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Bioaccumulation

Publications:

Añasco, N., (2008) Size structures, length-weight relationships, sex ratios and temporal variations in gonadal stages of the three most important pufferfishes (Family: Tetraodontidae) of Estancia, Iloilo UP Visayas Journal of Natural Science Volume 13, No. 2

Añasco, N., Uno, S., Koyama, J., Matsuoka, T., & Kuwahara, N., (2010) Assessment of pesticide residues in freshwater areas affected by rice paddy effluents in Southern Japan Environmental Monitoring Assess Volume 160

Añasco, N.C., Koyama, J., Imai, S., & Nakamura, K., (2008) Toxicity of Residual Chlorines from Hypochlorite-treated Seawater to Marine Amphipod Hyale barbicornis and Estuarine Fish Oryzias javanicus Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Volume 195

Añasco, N., & Babaran, R.P., (2001) Spatial distribution and habitat selection of setnet-caught greasyback shrimp (Metapenaeus ensis) and banana prawn (Penaeus merguiensis) in Batan Bay estuary UP Visayas Journal of Natural Science Volume 6, No. 1-2

Añasco, N., (2008) Pufferfishes (Family: Tetraodontidae) of Estancia, Iloilo: species composition and importance values with notes on new records of occurrences in the Philippines and classification of the Genus Lagocephalus UP Visayas Journal of Natural Science Volume 13, No. 2

Uno, S., Kokushi, E., Miki, S., Añasco, N.C., Koyama, J., & Monteclaro, H., (2007) Survey of chemical pollution in coastal areas of Panay Island, Philippines UP Visayas Journal of Natural Science Volume 12, No. 1

Uno, S., Koyama, J., Kokushi, E., Monteclaro, H., Santander, S., Cheikyula, J.O., Miki, S., Añasco, N., Pahila, I.G., Taberna, H.S., Jr., Matsuoka, T., (2010) Monitoring of PAHs and alkylated PAHs in aquatic organisms after 1 month from the Solar I oil spill off the coast of Guimaras Island, Philippines Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Volume 165, No. 1-4

Calapuan, J.R., Añasco, N.C., Campos, W.L., Cainglet, R.P., & Primavera, K.H., (2014) Antifouling potentials of Neopetrosia proxima from Southern Guimaras, Philippines against the marine diatom Navicula ramosissima, barnacle Balanus sp., and green mussel Perna viridis Advances in Environmental Sciences, International Journal of the Bioflux Society Volume 6, No. 3

Añasco, N.C., Koyama, J., & Uno, S., (2010) Pesticide Residues in Coastal Waters Affected by Rice Paddy Effluents Temporarily Stored in a Wastewater Reservoir in Southern Japan Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 58, No. 2

Koyama, J., Imakado, C., Uno, S., Kuroda, T., Hara, S., Majima, T., Shirota, H., & Añasco, N.C., (2014) Simulated distribution and ecotoxicity-based assessment of chemically-dispersed oil in Tokyo Bay Marine Pollution Bulletin Volume 85, No. 2\

Vicente, J.R., Nillos, M.G.G., Taberna, H.S., Jr., Pahila, I.G., & Añasco, N.C., (2014) Sorbents derived from lignocellulosic waste materials: characterization and potential removal of surfactants, phenolic compounds, and nutrients from environmental aqueous solutions Advances in Environmental Sciences, International Journal of the Bioflux Society Volume 6, No. 1

Awards:

• Director's Award, Bureau of Agricultural Research, Department of Agriculture, 2002
• Best Paper Presenter Award, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2003
• UP Diamond Jubilee Professorial Chair in Fisheries Science, University of the Philippines, 2011
• Outstanding Young Scientist, National Academy of Science and Technology, 2011