The McKeough Marine Center (MMC) held a year-end workshop for its Mineral Recovery Project on Sept 28-29. The workshop evaluated the first year of implementation of the project. It also reviewed all initial research results for the scientific publication that is intended to be published at the end the project. Researchers from Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) led the activity participated in by researchers from Xavier University and Caraga State University.

The workshop included a visit to the project’s research nursery in Manresa to photo document the successful propagation of ferns from spores and the other hyper accumulator plants propagated.  It was also the first time for the other schools’ project collaborators to see the new nursery structure and its facilities. The research nursery was designed and built with the help of facultu members from the XU College of Agriculture, namely: Mr Hernando Pacana, Engr Greg Cubio and Dr Dennis A Apuan.

Dr Teresita Perez of AdMU presented updates on the research project. She discussed the laboratory results of soil and plant samples collected from different sites. Her presentation identified some plants as potential hyper accumulators, which could be used in local sites. Hyper accumulator plants have the capability to extract specific mineral elements left as residues in the soil.

XU researchers also presented the results of the nursery research, specifically on the propagation of potential hyper accumulator plants. Data on spores and vegetative propagation were presented together with the proposed protocol for germination of spores. The workshop ended with the good news that DOST-PCCIERD has approved the budget for the project’s second year of implementation.