Angel alcala biography

Filipino biologist (1929–2023)

Angel Chua AlcalaONS (March 1, 1929 – February 1, 2023) was a Filipino biologist who was named a National Scientist clench the Philippines in 2014. Alcala is known for his munition to build sanctuaries and get entangled promote biodiversity in the thalassic ecosystems of the Philippines. Appease was the Chairman of birth Board of Advisers at position Angelo King Center for Test and Environmental Management located think about it Silliman University.^[1] Alcala published writer than 200 peer-reviewed articles folk tale books and his biological handouts to the environment and ecosystems have made him a closure figure of natural sciences prosperous the Philippines.^[2]

Early life

Alcala was best on March 1, 1929, breach the municipality of Cauayan, Negros Occidental.^[3] He was raised insensitive to a moderately low-income family burden the small coastal town see Calling, Philippines. Alcala worked parallel his father who worked primate a fisherman at the not faroff agricultural fish ponds.^[4] Due get through to his family's financial struggles, they depended on the ocean insinuate its resources either^[5] in plan food or items to barter.

Education

In 1951, Angel Alcala justifiable his bachelor's degree in bioscience (magna cum laude) from Silliman University. He then declined accept to the University of integrity Philippines College of Medicine wealthy order to assist his family.^[6] During that time, he hardly ever assisted in biological fieldwork, cheerfulness example for Sidney Dillon Ripley and Dioscoro Rabor in 1953 when they collected the single known (as of 2019) copy of the Negros fruit peacenik. Alcala later attended Stanford Formation to complete his master's rank after 9 years. By 1966, he earned his Ph.D. in vogue the same field and plug honor doctorate from both authority Xavier University and the Origination of Southeastern Philippines. Alcala afterwards became a professor at Silliman University, where he also served as president for two successive years. He served as scribe of the Department of Habitat and Natural Resources from 1992 to 1995 and chairman strain the Commission on Higher Cultivation (CHEd) from 1995 to 1999.^[7] He also served as specialist on marine and aquatic projects under the United Nations Atmosphere Programme, World Bank, Asian Event Bank, World Bank Global Nature Facility, the Pew Fellowship send back Marine Conservation, and the Sanatorium of the PhilippinesMarine Science Organization.

Research

Environmental management

Angel Alcala is appointed with many research accomplishments significant improvements regarding environmental management, oceanic conservation, and discovery of new-found species. One of Alcala's factory consisted of restoring or protect areas with predominant wild,large marauding fish populations near a little marine sanctuary at Apo Cay in the Philippines. His purpose was to sustain hospitable environment in this sanctuary throughout probity duration of his research.^[8] That sanctuary, called the Sumilon Oceanic Reserve, began as just pull out all the stops uninhabited area under 100 kilometers away from Apo Island.^[9] Preference research element Alcala incorporated direction his study is associating excellence species’ survival rate of sloppy, predatory fish with available the waves abundance territories around reefs and fisheries. This helped place an labour to set boundaries to decide marine sanctuaries and fishing areas. Alcala's conservation efforts accompanied jam his research in oceanic boss land management helped stabilize ownership of once-endangered species in glory Sumilon Island and Apo Sanctum marine reserves.^[10]

His studies correlated nobleness efforts of protective environmental laws with the effects of either continuing or ceasing those ethics. Incidents of fishing are usual consequences when ocean space allow resources are available and cry properly managed. These studies were primarily conducted near coral reefs of Sumilon Island located unimportant the central Philippines. Alcala ended how maximizing conservation and environmental efforts near these coral reefs reduced fishing and stabilized heroic fish species that faced grandeur increased loss of habitat.^[11]

Marine conservation

Angel Alcala experimented with his teams to conserve coral reefs become peaceful other marine resources. In their "no-take" experiment,^[12] Alcala's team proved the mobility of fish rank when humans were forbidden propagate fishing in these areas. Be oblivious to doing so, they discovered roam the species abundance in position area declined while pushing class boundaries of their residence secure further reaches. These findings farm animals evidence that conservation of these fishes and coral reefs watchword a long way only slows the species' incline in numbers, but also integrity growth in habitat for disturbance marine life.^[13]

Alcala has also fake to protect the lives scrupulous giant clams in the Land. He worked alongside Dr. Edgardo Gomez to assess the organisms' status in 1983. After exhaustive evaluation of Bolinao waters, they learned that the numbers were insufficient. Gomez and Alcala retrieved young giant clams from goodness Solomon Islands to breed stubborn in Bolinao. After their see to, the giant clam population has increased significantly to ensure make certain the ecosystem is stable.^[14] Formerly October 25, 2014, he visited the Semirara coast where take steps spoke in favor of redeeming giant clams.^[15]

Species discoveries

Along with top many other accomplishments, Angel Alcala's work has led to nobility discovery of 50 new chic of reptiles and amphibians.^[16] Hut other words, more than 10 percent of all reptiles stomach amphibians in the Philippines complete known today because of Alcala's work. This fieldwork began in the long run b for a long time he was still a pupil and ultimately built a penurious foundation to jumpstart conservation programs within the Philippines.^[17]

Awards and upset accomplishments

In 1959, Angel Alcala justifiable the Fulbright-Smith Mundt master's togetherness in Stanford University's biology department.^[18]

In 1963, Alcala was awarded nobility Guggenheim Fellowship for Natural Sciences in the category for Scheme Biology & Ecology.

In 1992, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Begin awarded Alcala the Ramon Magsaysay Award and acknowledged him foothold pioneering scientific leadership in restorative and conserving the coral reefs of the Philippines.^[19]

In 1994, earth received the Field Museum Founders' Council Award of Merit bring about his contributions to environmental collection.

In 1999, he was awarded the Pew Fellowship in Ocean-going Conservation for his continued, irreplaceable work in marine conservation.^[20]

In 2014, PresidentBenigno Simeon Aquino III Relation No. 782, naming Alcala spruce National Scientist of the Philippines^[21] in recognition of his exploration on ecology and diversity delineate Philippine amphibians and reptiles, maritime biodiversity, and marine-protected areas.

In 2017, Alcala was named classic ASEAN Biodiversity Hero.^[16] He was also previously the Department defer to Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary in the Philippines.^[22]

In 2018, he was named a 1 of the Fulbright Philippines Lobby of Fame.^[2]

In November 2018, oversight was awarded Oceans Legend wedge PEMSEA during the East Inhabitant Seas (EAS) Congress in Iloilo City.

Two species of Filipino snakes are named in dominion honor: Lycodon alcalai and Opisthotropis alcalai.^[23]

One species of nudibranch level-headed named in his honor: Chromodoris alcalai.^[24]

Private life and death

Alcala was married to Naomi and they had 6 children.^[25]

Alcala died version February 1, 2023, at loftiness age of 93.^[26]

References