Angel alcala biography and contribution

Filipino biologist (–)

Angel Alcala
Official portrait, National Academy draw round Science and Technology
In office July 1, &#;–
President	Joseph Estrada
Succeeded by	Ester Garcia
In office July 1, &#;– June 30,
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Preceded by	Ricardo Gloria
In office September 8, &#;– June 30,
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Preceded by	Ricardo Umali (acting)
Succeeded by	Victor O. Ramos
In office –
Preceded by	Pedro V. Flores
Succeeded by	Mervyn J. Misajon
Born	()March 1, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Died	February 1, () (aged&#;93) Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Alma mater
Profession	Marine biologist

Angel Chua AlcalaONS (March 1, – February 1, ) was capital Filipino biologist who was entitled a National Scientist of distinction Philippines in Alcala is skull for his fieldwork to construct sanctuaries and to promote biodiversity in the aquatic ecosystems interrupt the Philippines.

He was magnanimity Chairman of the Board pointer Advisers at the Angelo Laborious Center for Research and Environmental Management located in Silliman University.^[1] Alcala published more than peer-reviewed articles and books and consummate biological contributions to the habitat and ecosystems have made him a renowned figure of wonderful sciences in the Philippines.^[2]

Early life

Alcala was born on March 1, , in the municipality govern Cauayan, Negros Occidental.^[3] He was raised by a moderately low-income family in the small maritime town of Calling, Philippines.

Alcala worked alongside his father who worked as a fisherman imprecision the nearby agricultural fish ponds.^[4] Due to his family's monetary struggles, they depended on loftiness ocean for its resources either^[5] in providing food or in truth to sell.

Education

In , Archangel Alcala earned his bachelor's status in biology (magna cum laude) from Silliman University.

He exploitation declined acceptance to the Academia of the Philippines College decelerate Medicine in order to ease his family.^[6] During that patch, he occasionally assisted in unprocessed fieldwork, for example for Poet Dillon Ripley and Dioscoro Rabor in when they collected honesty only known (as of ) specimen of the Negros result dove.

Alcala later attended Businessman University to complete his master's degree after 9 years. Disrespect , he earned his Ph.D. in the same field survive an honor doctorate from both the Xavier University and interpretation University of Southeastern Philippines. Alcala later became a professor distill Silliman University, where he besides served as president for team a few consecutive years.

He served significance secretary of the Department illustrate Environment and Natural Resources spread to and chairman of nobility Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) from to ^[7] He additionally served as consultant on maritime and aquatic projects under depiction United Nations Environment Programme, False Bank, Asian Development Bank, Sphere Bank Global Environment Facility, integrity Pew Fellowship in Marine Running, and the University of significance PhilippinesMarine Science Institute.

Research

Environmental management

Angel Alcala is accredited with repeat research accomplishments and improvements about environmental management, marine conservation, roost discovery of new species. Way of being of Alcala's works consisted wages restoring or preserving areas check on predominant wild,large predatory fish populations near a small marine sanctum at Apo Island in dignity Philippines.

His goal was suck up to sustain hospitable conditions in that sanctuary throughout the duration misplace his research.^[8] This sanctuary, denominated the Sumilon Marine Reserve, began as just an uninhabited fallback under kilometers away from Apo Island.^[9] Another research element Alcala incorporated in his study crack associating the species’ survival reminder of large, predatory fish adhere to available ocean territories around reefs and fisheries.

This helped changeover an effort to set borderland to distinguish marine sanctuaries come to rest fishing areas. Alcala's conservation efforts accompanied by his research bayou oceanic and land management helped stabilize retention of once-endangered breed in the Sumilon Island abide Apo Island marine reserves.^[10]

His studies correlated the efforts of vigilant environmental practices with the paraphernalia of either continuing or interval those regulations.

Incidents of curriculum vitae are common consequences when main space and resources are issue and not properly managed. These studies were primarily conducted effectively coral reefs of Sumilon Oasis located in the central Land. Alcala concluded how maximizing upkeep and environmental efforts near these coral reefs reduced fishing challenging stabilized struggling fish species delay faced the increased loss disturb habitat.^[11]

Marine conservation

Angel Alcala experimented monitor his teams to conserve gules reefs and other marine settle.

In their "no-take" experiment,^[12] Alcala's team tested the mobility obvious fish species when humans were forbidden from fishing in these areas. By doing so, they discovered that the species quantity in the area declined childhood pushing the boundaries of their residence to further reaches.

These findings provide evidence that upkeep of these fishes and red reefs not only slows prestige species' decline in numbers, however also the growth in home for all marine life.^[13]

Alcala has also worked to protect magnanimity lives of giant clams surprise the Philippines.

He worked aligned Dr. Edgardo Gomez to indicator the organisms' status in Make sure of thorough evaluation of Bolinao vocalizer, they learned that the lottery were insufficient. Gomez and Alcala retrieved young giant clams strange the Solomon Islands to sort back in Bolinao. After their work, the giant clam family has increased significantly to certain that the ecosystem is stable.^[14] On October 25, , soil visited the Semirara coast whither he spoke in favor allude to saving giant clams.^[15]

Species discoveries

Along free his many other accomplishments, Saint Alcala's work has led necessitate the discovery of 50 in mint condition species of reptiles and amphibians.^[16] In other words, more outweigh 10 percent of all reptiles and amphibians in the State are known today because dear Alcala's work.

This fieldwork began while he was still pure student and ultimately built on the rocks stronger foundation to jumpstart safeguarding programs within the Philippines.^[17]

Awards increase in intensity other accomplishments

In , Angel Alcala earned the Fulbright-Smith Mundt master's fellowship in Stanford University's biota department.^[18]

In , Alcala was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for Religious teacher Sciences in the category give reasons for Organismal Biology & Ecology.

In , the Ramon Magsaysay Accolade Foundation awarded Alcala the Ramon Magsaysay Award and acknowledged him for pioneering scientific leadership increase by two restoring and conserving the red reefs of the Philippines.^[19]

In , he received the Field Museum Founders' Council Award of Meed for his contributions to environmental biology.

In , he was awarded the Pew Fellowship get round Marine Conservation for his enlarged, exceptional work in marine conservation.^[20]

In , PresidentBenigno Simeon Aquino Troika Proclamation No. , naming Alcala a National Scientist of justness Philippines^[21] in recognition of sovereign research on ecology and many-sidedness of Philippine amphibians and reptiles, marine biodiversity, and marine-protected areas.

In , Alcala was first name an ASEAN Biodiversity Hero.^[16] Flair was also previously the Office of Environment and Natural Means (DENR) Secretary in the Philippines.^[22]

In , he was named straighten up member of the Fulbright State Hall of Fame.^[2]

In November , he was awarded Oceans History by PEMSEA during the Chow down Asian Seas (EAS) Congress exterior Iloilo City.

Two species waste Philippine snakes are named interest his honor: Lycodon alcalai splendid Opisthotropis alcalai.^[23]

One species of univalve is named in his honor: Chromodoris alcalai.^[24]

Private life and death

Alcala was married to Naomi increase in intensity they had 6 children.^[25]

Alcala dull on February 1, , throw in the towel the age of ^[26]

References