Research Faculty
VIP-CORALS Lobo
Batangas State University
Email: najeenarabelle.rula@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
Hello! I’m Najeen. I am a research faculty under VIP CORALS and currently involved in research studies on the diversity of seaweeds and seagrass in the Verde Island Passage (VIP)—an important marine biodiversity corridor within the Coral Triangle. I am also currently involved in investigating the growth and physiology of Ulva spp. and its potential to form blooms in the region in a project led by Dr. Jayvee Saco.
My research interests center on ecology and physiology of seaweeds for culture and management. I have worked on improving culture technologies and management of red seaweeds Halymenia durvillei, Eucheuma spp., and Kappaphycus sp. I am also interested in studying the macroecology of marine macrophytes.
I finished my Master of Science in Marine Science (Marine Biology) from the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines, Diliman and Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of the Philippines, Manila.
Publications
Rula, N. A. M., Ganzon-Fortes, E. T., Pante, M. J. R., & Trono, G. C. (2021). Influence of light, water motion, and stocking density on the growth and pigment content of Halymenia durvillei (Rhodophyceae) under laboratory conditions. Journal of Applied Phycology, 33(4), 2367–2377.
Saco, J. A., Rula, N. A. M., Arcega, J. M., Tabuga, A., Persia, A., & Alub, M. A. Marine macrophyte composition during summer, southwest and northeast monsoons in Verde Island, Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines. Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology, 14(3), 1-15.
Rula, N. A. M., Saco, J. A., Vacarizas, J. M., Valera, J. A. P., Sabban, E. A. V., & Briones, R. U. (2020). The VIP CORALS Marine Repository Hub: Laying foundations for science and discovery in the VIP. Philippine Science Letters, 13(01), 72–75. https://www.philsciletters.net/2020-72/
Rula, N. A. M. (2020). Making Maps in R. https://www.rpubs.com/najara/mappubinR
Projects
- Understanding Physiological Vulnerability of Ulva spp.: Implication to Green Tide Blooms (ULVA Project) (DOST-PCAARD, ongoing)
- Marine biodiversity assessment in selected areas along the Verde Island Passage (MBioAssess VIP) (DOST, ongoing)
- Biodiversity of seaweeds and associated flora in the Verde Island, Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines (External funding from NAGAO Natural Environment Foundation, Inc., Japan, January 2019–2020)
- Marine Repository Hub (Internal funding from Batangas State University, August 2018–2019)
- Survey of vulnerable, threatened, endangered, and economically important marine organisms in Verde Island, Batangas City (Internal Funding from Batangas State University)
- Production of Halymenia durvillei biomass in a land-based culture facility using vegetative propagules and spores (External funding from USAID–STRIDE, June 2015 to May 2016)
- Mitigating production losses due to diseases and epiphytes in seaweed farms (External funding from DOST-PCAARRD, April 2013 to May 2015)