Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Open Access Master's Report
Degree Name
Master of Science in Biological Sciences (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Biological Sciences
Advisor 1
Casey J. Huckins
Committee Member 1
Kari B. Henquinet
Committee Member 2
Amy M. Marcarelli
Committee Member 3
Blair D. Orr
Abstract
The farming of marine seaweed has the potential to provide both nutritional and financial resources to developing communities such as the Molocaboc Islands in the Philippines. To foster this mariculture development approximately $1,000 USD in grant funds received from the US-Philippines Society was used to purchase materials needed to replace seaweed production infrastructure lost to Typhoon Haiyan (known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines). The goal was to restore and expand smallholder farming of the seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii (locally known as ‘guso’ in the Visayan dialect) in the Molocaboc Islands, thereby increasing harvest yields as compared to those obtained before the typhoon. Although monthly post-typhoon yields were nearly doubled at first (~800 kg pre- vs. 1,900 kg post-typhoon), they dropped precipitously approximately 6 months in to the project due to numerous factors and have yet to recover. By contrasting the yields from our project with those of other similar small-scale farming operations elsewhere in the Philippines and the greater Southeast Asian region, potential inferences can be drawn as to whether continued small-scale investments in this livelihood are wise and/or sustainable.
Recommended Citation
Fenlon, David C., "RESTORING AND SUSTAINING SMALLHOLDER Kappaphycus alvarezii FARMING POST-TYPHOON HAIYAN/YOLANDA IN MOLOCABOC, CENTRAL PHILIPPINES", Open Access Master's Report, Michigan Technological University, 2017.