May 2, 2014 marks the first Filipino scientific cruise to the Benham Rise Region, the Philippines’ extended territory.
The Philippines gained sovereignty over the Benham Rise on April 12, 2012, when the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLSC) of the United Nations adopted in full the Republic of the Philippines’ submission for an extended continental shell (ECS) in the Benham Rise Region.
With the Benham Rise Region, the Philippines territory increased from 30 million hectares to 43 million hectares.
While the area has been historically visited by fishermen, no studies have been conducted to assess the available resources of the area. Past research activities in the Benham Rise focused mainly on geological research.
Recognizing the importance of knowing the resources available in this new Philippine territory for future economic benefits, to learn the dynamics of the region and to generate benchmark data as basis for the national government to proactively plan and manage its territory, PCAARRD and DOST approved and funded the program “Exploration, Mapping, and Assessment of Deep Water Areas” on February 6, 2014. A total grant of P24.89M was released to implement the project in its first year.
Research activities will be done on the shallowest part of the Benham Rise Region called the Benham Bank which is 20 meters below the water surface and about the size of Camiguin Island.
A scientific cruise via M/V DA-BFAR which started on May 2 and winded on May 18, 2014 served as the project’s initial activity. This was led by the program leader and lead scientist Dr. Cesar Villanoy, a well-known Filipino Physical Oceanographer and Scientist of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute.
The cruise will produce pioneering works on the fields of physical oceanography and biology. It will be the first assessment of the benthic resources and habitat; water column productivity; coral reef and associated fish communities, and associated seaweeds and invertebrates at selected sites/bottom types in the Benham Rise Region.
The cruise is a collaborative engagement among UP Diliman, UP Los Baños and DA-BFAR. The team is beefed up by researchers, scientists and seasoned dive specialists from UP Mindanao, UP Baguio, Xavier University and Ateneo de Manila University.