A GRADUATE of the University of the Philippines Visayas claimed the Best Oral Presentation Award during the 13th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum.

Lovelyn Marie Naluaran, a Master of Science in Fisheries major in Aquaculture, was recognized for her paper entitled “Inhibitory Effects Against Luminous Vibrio, Vibrio harveyi of Predatory Bacteria, Bacteriovorax sp. In the Early Stages of Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei).”

“Bacteriovorax sp. are predatory bacteria under the Bdellovibrio and the like organisms (BALOs) group. These are predators of gram-negative bacteria whose mode of action was the direct killing of the pathogen by attaching and forming bdelloplasts,” she explained.

Her paper bested 35 others from around the globe in the Student Competition category.

UPV said the result of Naluaran’s study revealed that an optimum dose of Bacteriovorax sp. application could be an efficient and practical strategy to prevent and mitigate the losses associated with Vibrio spp. most especially the luminous vibrio, V. harveyi outbreaks in P. vannamei culture.

Naluaran was mentored by Professor Rex Ferdinand Traifalga.

“I am very thankful to my thesis adviser Dr. Rex Ferdinand Traifalgar, for introducing AFAF to me and for encouraging me to join the oral presentation competition. It was indeed an awesome experience, and it is an honor to represent the Institute of Aquaculture, the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, and the University of the Philippines Visayas,” Naluaran said.

Organized by the Asian Fisheries Society once every three years, the AFAF is a scientific platform to better understand global trends and address concerns facing the fisheries and aquaculture industries.