Dr. Salmo’s team returned to Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon last October 10-14 to conduct fieldwork on the municipality’s expansive mangrove ecosystem. Before heading to the field, Dr. Salmo met with the municipal mayor, Hon. Romeo Domasian, to discuss the fieldwork’s objectives and significance. During their fieldwork, the team assessed the diversity and soil CO₂ efflux of mangroves across different stand types. Soil samples were taken for eDNA metabarcoding analysis and meiofaunal analysis to determine the organisms present in the soil. To measure soil CO₂ efflux, the team used a handheld CO₂ meter and took several measurements over a period of time. Additionally, crustacean diversity and the density and sizes of pneumatophores and crustacean burrows were also assessed.
Mangrove Ecology 