JOSHUA VACARIZAS, Ph.D.
Research Staff (Verde Island Passage Center for Oceanographic Research and Aquatic Life Sciences)
Instructor (College of Arts and Sciences, Batangas State University-ARASOF)
Email: jmvacarizas@batstate-u.edu.ph; jmvacarizas@gmail.com
To date, Joshua has experience on research for about 4 years as a research assistant in Harmful Algal Bloom Laboratory of Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines. He specialized in taxonomy, ecophysiology, and toxicology of marine microalgae. In his new institution in Batangas State University, he led a research project on marine biodiversity survey in Verde Island, Philippines. He is now specializing on coral reef ecology.
The following are his research project involvement as either a research assistant and/or project leader.
- Survey of vulnerable, threatened, endangered, and economically important marine organisms in Verde Island, Batangas City (Internal Funding – Batangas State University) (Aug 2018 – Jul 2019) (Project Leader)
- Culture of Ciguatera Causative Organisms for Ciguatoxin Standard Production and Ciguamonitoring (Funding agency: DOST-PCAARRD) (February 2015- February 2017) (Senior Research Assistant)
- Molecular Studies on HAB Causative Organisms and Associated Bacteria (HAB Genomics) (Funding agency: DOST-PCAARRD) (November 2013-January 2015) (Senior Research Assistant)
- New or Improved Kappaphycus strains for Farming (Funding agency: DOST-PCAARRD) (March 2013-October 2013) (Research Assistant)
Joshua Vacarizas, a graduate of Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree of Master of Science in Marine Biology. He obtained his degree of Bachelor of Science in Biology at University of the Philippines Los Banos under scholarship of Department of Science and Technology.
His first research focused on spatio-temporal distribution of phytoplankton in marine coastal ecosystems, including the taxonomy and toxicity of Harmful Algal Bloom species such Alexandrium sp., Gymnodinium sp., and Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum. These microalgal species threatens fisheries and food safety due to Paralytic shellfish toxins that they produce. Joshua authored a publication on another toxic phytoplankton in the Philippines which is Gambierdiscus carpenteri. This species is a benthic and epiphytic microalgae found in shallow well-lit marine environment which causes Ciguatera fish poisoning.Currently Joshua is research staff of marine research center of Batangas State University.
