Sex: Female
Education:
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Science
- Master of Science in Marine Science
Field of Specialization
Marine Biodiversity
Conservation Biology
Marine Invertebrates
Marine Biology
Researches:
Article title: Associated effects of shading on the behavior, growth, and survival of Stichopus cf. horrens juveniles
Authors: Rose Angeli Rioja, Nadia Palomar-Abesamis, Marie Antonette Juinio-Meñez
Publication title: Aquaculture International 29(2):1-17, October 2021
Abstract:
Stichopus cf. horrens is an emergent culture species. It is known to be nocturnal and negatively phototactic; hence, determining its behavioral and growth responses to different light regimes is essential in optimizing culture protocols. This study examined the interactive effects of shading and relative food availability on the feeding pattern, absolute growth rates, and survival of juvenile S. cf. horrens. Six-month-old juveniles (4.27 to 19.41 g) were reared in replicate aquaria with three different shading treatments (covered, exposed, and half-covered aquaria) under ambient light conditions for 30 days. Juveniles in the exposed treatment with high microalgal biomass (13.44 ± 4.57 mg/g) had the highest growth rates (0.10 ± 0.05 g/day) but also the highest mortality (50%). In contrast, juveniles in the covered treatment had the lowest growth (−0.07 ± 0.03 g/day) but the highest survival (100%). Growth rates in the half-covered treatment were comparable with the exposed, and survival was higher than in the covered treatment. These indicate a trade-off between growth associated with more food and mortality risks due to light-induced stress. Juveniles in the half-covered treatment showed a significant preference to stay in the shaded portion whenever they were inactive during the day, suggesting avoidance to high light intensities (4726.51 ± 1582.43 Lux). Results of this study suggest that careful calibration of light intensities in nursery systems may help enhance juvenile growth. For indoor systems that may have limited space or surfaces for microalgal growth, cultured benthic diatom can be added to the partially covered tanks to increase the food available for the juveniles.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/5n82w6ft
Article title: Habitat use and site fidelity of Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) in the coastal waters of Bago-Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Authors: Manuel Eduardo de la Paz1, Nadia Palomar-Abesamis, Edna Sabater, Jenelle Alaiza Señoron, Ma. Louella Dolar
Publication title: The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, June 2020
Abstract:
The Irrawaddy dolphins in Guimaras Strait compose the second population to be reported in the Philippines. Their very small population size, isolation, and high vulnerability to human-induced threats in the coastal areas have earned them a local conservation status of critically endangered. Appropriate conservation and management of this species will need a better understanding of their relationship with their known habitat and interactions with human activities. Regular boat-based surveys were conducted in a defined study area in the coastal waters of Bago and Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, Philippines, to document behaviour and gather photo ID data from 2010 to 2016. Behaviour and habitat use were quantified using area use and activity indices, while site fidelity was analysed using photo catalogues. Of the nineteen catalogued individuals, at least eight dolphins were present throughout the study, indicating high site fidelity. The dolphins used a relatively small nearshore area spanning a commercial port and northward towards the mouth of Bago River. The Minimum Convex Polygon area is estimated at 12.68 km 2 and is one of the smallest core areas known to have been recorded for this species. The dolphins showed a preference for areas with a steep increase in water depth and were often observed foraging, highlighting the importance of these areas as feeding grounds. Several threats to the dolphins were identified, most of which are related to human activities. Identifying the behavioural aspects of the Irrawaddy dolphins' local ecology helps put the scope and limitations of managing their population into perspective and provides the critical information needed to delineate special management or conservation areas in their habitat.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/45xvwn7d
Article title: Development of nocturnal feeding and photosensitivity in early juveniles of the warty sea cucumber Stichopus cf. horrens
Authors: Rose Angeli Rioja, Nadia Palomar-Abesamis, Marie Antonette, Juinio-Meñez
Publication title: Behavioural Processes 178:104181, June 2020
Abstract:
Behavioral responses to light of early life stages provide insights on the development of photosensitivity in nocturnal species such as Stichopus cf. horrens. In this study, the onset of nocturnal feeding behavior, growth, and survival during early juvenile development (0.56 ± 0.16 cm; 47 days post-settlement) of the species were investigated for 30 days, in the presence (S) or absence (W) of artificial shelters and under three light regimes: constant light (24 L), constant dark (24D), and a 12 -h light, 12 -h dark period (12 L:12D). Juveniles in all treatments fed initially during daytime hours but eventually exhibited a shift to nocturnal feeding by day 11. This behavioral shift to nocturnality was delayed among individuals under constant dark conditions. Continuous light exposure without shelter resulted in low juvenile survival and mass mortality in some replicates of the treatment. In contrast, growth and survival were highest for juveniles in constant dark. This study showed the endogenous control of feeding in this species. It also demonstrated that growth increases significantly when early juveniles are reared with shelters or in constant dark. Optimizing the light regime and type of shelter can improve food accessibility and juvenile growth without hindering the development of photosensitivity in early juveniles. Further studies are needed to enhance the nursery culture of this species.
Full text available upon request to the author
Article title: Macrophyte detritus as nursery diets for juvenile sea cucumber Stichopus cf. horrens
Authors: Marie Antonette, Juinio‐Meñez, and Matthew James Slater
Publication title: Aquaculture Research 49(11), September 2018
Abstract:
Effective culturing and restocking of any commercial holothurian are dependent on understanding the biology and ecology of the species throughout its life history. Inherent differences between species require distinct strategies in larval and juvenile rearing. This study evaluated the effect of macroalgal and seagrass detritus as supplemental food on growth, feeding and sheltering behaviour, and biochemical composition of cultured Stichopus cf. horrens juveniles (2.6–3.8 g) under nursery rearing conditions. The addition of detritus to sediments did not significantly affect juvenile growth and body composition when compared to a biofilm‐only control. Average specific growth rates were positive throughout the experiment (1.58%–7.88% per day), however size variability, feeding rate, and sheltering behaviour differed significantly. Juveniles in treatments with macroalgal detritus had the highest coefficient of variation in weight (40%–51%) and a propensity to avoid sheltering near the sediments. This is presumably due to anoxic sediment conditions that developed in the macroalgal treatment over time. Juveniles in detritus treatments exhibited lower faecal production rates at the beginning of the experiment and after 75 days without significant differences in growth, suggesting the availability of high‐quality food in these treatments. This study provides key insights on husbandry conditions highly relevant to further develop S. cf. horrens aquaculture.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/4bayan7t
Article title: Effects of light and microhabitat on activity pattern and behaviour of wild and hatchery-reared juveniles of Stichopus cf. horrens
Authors: Marie Antonette, Juinio‐Meñez, and Matthew James Slater
Publication title: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 98(7):1-11
Abstract:
Animals develop behavioural strategies throughout life to improve their survival in nature. Juvenile activity and behaviour of the commercial tropical sea cucumber Stichopus cf. horrens were examined considering factors that may influence survival at this critical developmental stage. Wild juveniles were observed in situ to describe diel activity and movement. Wild and hatchery-reared juveniles were observed in the laboratory to evaluate the influence of different light-dark cycles and microhabitats on feeding and sheltering behaviour. All juveniles (4–54 g) displayed a distinct nocturnal activity pattern both in the field and laboratory. Nocturnal activity was strongly associated with feeding and locomotion. Wild and hatchery-reared juveniles were most active at night, displayed intermediate activity during twilight, and minimal to no activity during daytime. Movement rates of wild juveniles in situ were significantly influenced by time and size to a lesser extent. Under constant light and constant dark for 48 h, juvenile feeding rhythm was endogenously controlled and strongly entrained to natural light-dark cycles. Sheltering was directly affected by light and linked to strong phototactic and thigmotactic reflexes. Juveniles preferred vegetation as shelter compared to coral, sand or open space, and showed equal preference for seagrass and macroalgae. Deviations in behaviour of hatchery-reared juveniles under laboratory conditions indicate some degree of acclimation to an artificial environment with minimal threats and a decreased sensitivity to light. The implications of nocturnal feeding, light-induced sheltering, shelter preferences and acclimation to artificial conditions are discussed in relation to juvenile survival in nature and potential restocking of the species.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/4znua599
Article title: Distribution and microhabitat associations of the juveniles of a high-value sea cucumber, Stichopus cf. horrens, in northern Philippines
Authors: N. Palomar-Abesamis, R. A. Abesamis & M. A. Juinio-Meñez
Publication title: Aquatic Ecology 51(1), March 2017
Abstract:
There is considerable global interest in rebuilding depleted populations of sea cucumbers (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) to address conservation and economic goals. For the vast majority of holothurian species, the habitat and food requirements of the juvenile stage are poorly understood. We investigated the distribution and microhabitat associations of juveniles of a commercially important sea cucumber, Stichopus cf. horrens, in the shallow, shoreward side of a coral reef (or backreef) in northern Philippines (16°21′38.7″N, 119°59′47.9″E). Relationships between juvenile density and the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of their habitat were examined. Potential food sources of the juveniles were also investigated using elemental and stable isotope analysis. Results showed that juveniles are more abundant in seagrass areas and the transition zone between seagrass and the rubble-dominated reef flat. A non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) plot indicated that juvenile density was most positively associated with coarser sand and rubble (>0.5 mm) and seagrass (Thalassia hemprichii) abundance (2D stress = 0.11). Juvenile density was also positively associated with sediment organic matter from plant detritus to a lesser extent. Elemental and isotope analysis of one site indicated that epiphytes were the primary food source of juveniles, while sediment detritus from microalgae and seagrass was a secondary food source. This study corroborates anecdotal evidence regarding the importance of seagrass to S. cf. horrens as potential refugia and source of high-quality food for its juveniles. These findings underscore the need to protect the nursery habitats of wild juveniles and provide critical information for the selection of suitable natural habitats for releasing cultured juveniles of this important species.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/3zd3c4uk
Article title: Effects of the green alga, Bornetella oligospora (Solms- Laubach), metabolite fractions on the cleavage and free-swimming hatching stages of sea urchin embryos
Authors: Kin Israel R. Notarte, Nadia P. Abesamis, Gary M. Wessel, Frederick J. Vande Vusse
Publication title: Acta Manilana 63, October 2015
Abstract:
The ethanolic extract of the green alga Bornetella oligospora was sequentially fractionated with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water, and concentrated in vacuo. Different concentrations of the fractions, ranging from 1 to 150 ppm, were prepared in 80% DMSO, and tested on sea urchin embryos at cleavage and free-swimming hatching. The chloroform concentrate at 150 ppm was the most potent in altering sea urchin embryonic development among fractions. The rate of cleavage in embryos exposed to this fraction was significantly inhibited. Moreover, anomalous morphological features were observed among treated embryos with less apoptosis during cleavage and no cell arrest during blastulation and the free-swimming larval stage. The motility of treated larvae was also slowed. All embryos exposed to 80% DMSO control remained unaffected. Preliminary phytochemical analysis detected the presence of terpenoids in the hexane, chloroform, and aqueous fractions. The ethyl acetate fraction tested positive for saponins. The chloroform fraction clearly altered embryonic development, which could be indicative of its potential chemotherapeutic activity since sea urchin embryos are used as a pre-screen model for determining potential anticancer property.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/2d2w4e44
Article title: Behavior of the burrowing shrimp Alpheus macellarius in varying gravel substrate conditions
Authors: Nadia E. Palomar, Marie Antoinette Juinio-Meñez, Ilan Karplus
Publication title: Journal of Ethology 23(2):173-180, January 2005
Abstract:
The behavior of the male snapping shrimp, Alpheus macellarius (Decapoda: Alpheidae), was studied in tank experiments with four levels of gravel content for five consecutive days. Markov-chain type analyses identified significant behavioral states that were grouped into six behavioral classes (Wandering, Surveying, Grooming and Foraging, Resting, Hidden). Significant trends in the durations and frequencies of the classes were found across days and periods, with shrimps mainly wandering and burrowing during the first day. Grooming, foraging and resting became more frequent during succeeding days. Shrimps built burrows in the morning and then groomed and foraged mostly in the afternoon. This periodicity implies a greater priority for the shrimp to construct and maintain a burrow rather than forage. Gravel content did not significantly influence burrowing behavior, but marked variations were noted in burrowing success, burrow structure and stability. Animals in 15% and 25% gravel substrates produced more burrows of greater complexity, which lasted longer than those of the shrimps in 0% and 5% gravel setups. Feeding was mainly sediment scavenging suggesting the predominance of a deposit-feeding trophic mode. Modifications in burrow construction and adaptations in burrowing and feeding indicate the ability of A. macellarius to respond to different environmental conditions.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/2p8hb4wa
Article title: Feeding habits of the burrowing shrimp Alpheus macellarius
Authors: N.E. Palomar, P, M.A. Juinio-Men‹ez, and I. Karplus
Publication title: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 84(6):1199-1202, December 2004
Abstract:
The diet and feeding behaviour of the burrowing shrimp Alpheus macellarius (Decapoda: Alpheidae) in sea grass beds in the Philippines were evaluated in the present study through field and laboratory activities. Sediment organic matter and sea grass appear to be important food sources for the shrimp based on the combined results of field surveys, gut content, stable isotope (δ13C) and sediment C content analyses. There was a significant positive correlation between organic matter content in the sediment and shrimp densities. In terms of behaviour, observations under controlled set-ups detected marked trends in duration and frequency of feeding. Feeding bouts became longer and more recurrent as the days progressed. Periodicity was exhibited with burrowing generally performed in the morning and feeding in the afternoon. A deposit-feeding mode was predominant in tank conditions as demonstrated by the shrimp's behaviour and burrow features.
Full text available upon request to the author