Marine Biodiversity Resources and Information System (MBRIS)
Embracing the richness and potential of our country’s natural marine heritage
Through the decades, the UP Marine Science Institute has diligently maintained reference collections showcasing the country’s rich marine heritage. This is now expanded into a research museum dedicated to understanding, conserving, and managing Philippine marine biodiversity.
VISION
A hub for collaborative research, expertise, knowledge, and training to catalyze management and conservation of marine biodiversity.
MISSION
Enhance capabilities to document and sustainably utilize marine resources through the following:
- Maintain, grow, and digitize biodiversity collections
- Develop a marine biodiversity data analytics platform
- Conduct cutting-edge collaborative biodiversity research
- Provide training and education for ocean science literacy
- Support national- and local-level policy formulation
Research Themes
Marine biodiversity
Foundational repositories to support sustainable marine resources management, species discoveries, and conservation.
Molecular ecology and genetics
Decoding genetic information to uncover patterns of biodiversity, distribution, ecological and evolutionary processes to support marine genetic resource management.
Natural products discovery
Unlocking the full potential of marine biodiversity resources through their derivatives to develop new benefits for society (e.g. drugs, biotechnology).
Biodiversity informatics
Bridging marine biodiversity information with resources management and decision-making through ocean-to-cloud data pipelines and analytics.
The Collections
Marine biodiversity collections and knowledge have served as foundations for conservation and resource management policies, as well as for breakthroughs in marine biotechnology and pharmacology. With MBRIS, we can do more — and we can do it faster.
MARINE INVERTEBRATES COLLECTION
Curated by Dr. Maria Celia Malay
For inquiries regarding this collection, you may contact Dr. Maria Celia D. Malay at mdmalay@msi.upd.edu.ph
The Invertebrates Core Collection comprises both dry and fluid-preserved non-hard coral invertebrates. This includes species from different phyla—sponges, soft corals, flatworms, mollusks, annelids, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Around 300 jars and 1000 dry lots have been catalogued, and hundreds more are being curated as more expeditions are being conducted by the Institute, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.
HARD CORALS COLLECTION
For inquiries regarding this collection, you may contact Dr. Maria Celia D. Malay at mdmalay@msi.upd.edu.ph.
The Hard Corals Core Collection has over 1,657 catalogued specimens of screlactinian corals. Several type specimens are housed here, including some of the holotypes of Dr. Francisco Nemenzo Sr. (the “Father of Philippine Coral Taxonomy”) as well as the holotype of Leptoseris kalayaanensis Licuanan & Aliño, 2009.
MARINE FISHES COLLECTION
For inquiries regarding this collection, you may contact Dr. Rene A. Abesamis at raabesamis@msi.upd.edu.ph.
The Fish Core Collection started in the early 1970s and currently has 391 fish species belonging to 96 families in almost 700 jars. Fishes that inhabit shallow coral reefs dominate the collection due to their prominence in the Philippines and the Coral Triangle but lesser-known fishes from the deep sea (up to >4300 m) are also represented.
RHODORA V. AZANZA MARINE MICROALGAL CULTURE COLLECTION
For inquiries regarding this collection, you may contact Aletta T. Yñiguez at atyniguez@msi.upd.edu.ph.
The Rhodora V. Azanza Marine Microalgal Culture Collection hosts microalgal species that are critical for studies on ocean productivity, biotechnology, and harmful algal blooms. To date, the collection includes 54 strains of 39 microalgal species isolated from various parts of the country, including Anda, Bolinao, Pangasinan, Masinloc, Manila Bay, and Anilao. It was established by Professor Emeritus Rhodora Azanza in 1998.
THE GREGORIO T. VELASQUEZ PHYCOLOGICAL HERBARIUM
Curated by Dr. Wilfred John Santianez
The Gregorio T. Velasquez Phycological Herbarium holds the largest herbarium collection of marine plants in the Philippines and the entire Southeast Asian region. Originally established by National Scientist Gavino Trono in the 1970s, the herbarium currently houses over 60,000 seaweed and seagrass specimens from the Philippines and abroad. It is named after National Scientist Gregorio T. Velasquez, who donated most of his collections to the herbarium.
MARINE NATURAL PRODUCTS LEGACY COLLECTION
Curated by Dr. Lilibeth Salvador-Reyes
The Marine Natural Products Legacy Collection highlights the biodiversity and chemodiversity of the Philippine Seas. The legacy collection holds 6,106 microbial isolates, 5,052 extracts and fractions, and 237 pure compounds, serving as one of the foundations of the drug discovery program at the UP Marine Science Institute. It was established by Professor Emeritus Gisela Concepcion in the early 2000s.
SEAWEED CULTURE LABORATORY AND GENE BANK
Curated by Dr. Michael Roleda
The Seaweed Culture Laboratory and Gene Bank (SCL&GB) is an ex situ gene bank that holds a diverse array of eucheumatoids with a total of 577 cultures. The SCL&GB aims to preserve long-term genetic diversity, enable the selection of superior crops, and advance research in reproductive biology, ecophysiology, and phenotyping. It was established in 2012 as part of the seaweed research and development program of the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Agricultural and Aquatic Resources and Development (DOST-PCAARRD). Read more about the SCL&GB.
BOLINAO MARINE LABORATORY MUSEUM
For inquiries regarding this collection, you may contact bml@msi.upd.edu.ph.
MARINE MACROALGAL REFERENCE CULTURE COLLECTION
For inquiries regarding this collection, you may contact Dr. Wilfred John E. Santiañez at wjsantianez@msi.upd.edu.ph.
Core Laboratories
Molecular Ecology and Genetics
Marine Natural Products and Biotechnology
Marine Chemistry
Biodiversity Informatics Facility
Partners
MBRIS is a partner of the BRING network of collaborators.
