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International Science Roundtable for the Media
During Prepcom4 of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), Bali, Indonesia |
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Ms. Menchie A. Ablan
ICLARM World Fish Center, Malaysia (DIVERSITAS) |
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BIOGRAPHY
Menchie’s first exposure to the marine environment was in secondary school through a field biology class at one the many coral reef fringed islands in the Philippines. The sheer beauty of these systems and interaction with local villagers who were dependent on this resource was a catalyst for her to decide to pursue a career in coral reef related sciences. She is now a research scientist at ICLARM the World Fish Center, conducting research and coordinating projects on the applications of population genetics data into fisheries management issues in developing countries. She leads a multi-disciplinary team of scientist from 6 developing countries and Taiwan to investigate the genetic structures of coral reef associated fish and invertebrates in the region and is part of multi-disciplinary research teams which carry out fisheries and mariculture related research projects providing the genetics information required to ensure sustainability of the fisheries, increase production from cultured species and implement successful and environmentally friendly restocking initiatives. Her university education began with a Bachelors degree in Biology from the University of the Philippines in Quezon City in 1987. She has further pursued a masters degree in Marine Biology at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) conducting part of her thesis at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. She is currently completing her Ph.D. at the same university. She has been working full-time from the early age of 19, while pursuing her post-graduate degrees, first as a research assistant and lecturer at the UPMSI. She came to ICLARM the World Fish Center in 1995 as the first teamleader of ReefBase: a global database on coral reefs and their resources then headed by Dr. John McManus. In 1998, she was designated as the principal investigator of the Population Interdependencies in the South China Sea Ecosystem (PISCES) initiative, which aimed to examine genetic diversity patterns of selected coral reef species in the region to provide recommendations for sustainable management of these habitats. Her scientific interest are in developing appropriate, cost effective methods to assess genetic diversity particularly in assessing stock boundaries and estimating exchange of among the semi-discrete populations; integrating biodiversity information into resource management strategies; and training of young developing country scientist to appreciate and apply the knowledge. She serves as a resource person in several regional and national discussions on biodiversity and fisheries management in the Southeast Asian region. Ms. Menchie A. Ablan Background:
Joint Event: IGBP, IHDP, WCRP, DIVERSITAS, START |
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