One area that Mr Ayson pointed out as needing further scientific study is on how the embryo of bangus or milkfish would be able to survive water temperatures higher than the present normal of tolerable level due to climate change.
He cited studies conducted at their institution which showed that even at a temperature of 33ºC over the normal 30 degrees, milkfish still spawned eggs but the embryos did not survive.
He confided that it is a threat to aquaculture production because if the embryos would not survive we will have no fry with which to stock milkfish production ponds.
Probably there is a need to come up with an alternative, to put up a facility, a controlled one, wherein the embryos would be made to survive, said Mr Ayson.
Climate change and higher temperatures would also be affecting the survival and growth of seaweeds and mud crabs, the latter a P3-billion in the Philippines, and we are having studies to address these concerns too, he added.
The study on seaweeds would focus on how to maintain the production of seaweed seeds based on species-environment interactions while those on mud crabs would be on how to keep them producing offspring at higher temperature.
He said the bottom-line of the need to make these actions is food security.
