Seaweed biodiversity

Biological and ecological studies on Asparagopsis taxiformis (BEAT) for culture technology development

A research designed to generate knowledge on the biology, field ecology, and physiology of the economically important red seaweed Asparagosis taxiformis to develop a locally-adapted culture technology for large-scale biomass production. Funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology.

Diversity, systematics, and molecular phylogeny of Philippine Dictyotales (Phaeophyceae, Ochrophyta)

An exploratory work on the biodiversity and phylogenetic relationships of dictyotalean seaweeds. Funded by the University of the Philippines System Balik PhD Program (OVPAA-BPhD-2018-05).

Revisiting the systematics of the family Scytosiphonaceae (Ectocarpales, Phaeophyceae)

A continuing work aimed at resolving the complex systematic and phylogenetic problems in the brown algal family Scytosiphonaceae with special reference to the Indo-Pacific.

Establishing reference culture collections for marine macroalgae (seaweeds)

A work envisioned to document the seaweed resources of the Philippines through culture collections. Funded by U.P. Diliman – Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Ph.D. Incentive Award (Project No. 191926 PhDIA).

Biodiversity of cryptic marine brown algae

A closer look on the biology of microscopic (hence overlooked) brown seaweeds of the Philippines.

DNA barcoding of the *Sargassum* (Phaeophyceae) resources of northern Philippines

Assessing and validating *Sargassum* species records and distribution in northern Philippines. Funded by the University of the Philippines System Enhanced Creative Work and Research Grant (ECWRG 2018-02-010).

Status of the growth and reproductive timing of *Sargassum* in Pangasinan, Philippines

A work that seeks to understand the responses of *Sargassum* from the Bolinao-Anda Reef Complex (BARC), Pangasinan, north-western Philippines to environmental changes especially ocean warming. Funded by the Nagao Natural Environment Foundation Research Grant Programme (Japan).

Updated checklist of the benthic marine macroalgae of the Philippines

This work highlights (1) the rich seaweed biodiversity of the Philippines; (2) the need for re-evaluation of several previously reported seaweed taxa within the country; and, (3) the importance of natural history collections (i.e., herbaria) in safeguarding biodiversity information.

New records of Rosenvingea (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) from the Philippines

Two species of *Rosenvingea* (*R. nhatrangensis* and *R. australis*) are added to the seaweed flora of the Philippines.

Evidence for the treatment of Talarodictyon tilesii as an older taxonomic synonym of Hydroclathrus stephanosorus (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae)

*Hydroclathrus stephanosorus* is synonymized to *Talarodictyon tilesii* and a new combined name *Hydroclathrus tilesii* is proposed.