ISUFST joins global DNA effort in unlocking marine zooplankton biodiversity, revealing Earth’s hidden ocean life!
Dr. Mary Mar Noblezada Payne, a faculty member at Iloilo State University of Fisheries and Science and Technology (ISUFST) in the College of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (CFAS), is also an associate member of the SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research) Working Group MetaZooGene 157.
This group aims to create a comprehensive global view of marine zooplankton biodiversity using DNA metabarcoding and reference DNA sequence databases. Their vision is to continuously develop methods that combine morphological and molecular analysis for a deeper understanding of zooplankton and marine or ocean life in general.
Dr. Payne’s contributions include:
• Preliminary data on Philippine zooplankton using metabarcoding.
• Research on the geographic distribution (phylogeography) of planktonic shrimp in the Pacific Ocean and Indo-Malayan regions, exploring the factors that shape biodiversity.
• Studies on the evolutionary relationships within the Oithonidae family and the molecular characterization of various Oithona attenuata forms.
Dr. Payne’s dedication to morphological-molecular taxonomy and DNA analysis plays a vital role in filling knowledge gaps, not only for the Philippines and Southeast Asia but also for tropical regions worldwide. She recently presented her efforts at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the SCOR MetaZooGene Working Group, held in March 20, 2024 at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania, Australia.
(Herman Lagon/PAMCO; Posted by: Patrick Lance Nacion)