UPM-VCC-JSPS Workshop on Zooplankton Biodiversity in Southeast Asia
Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
27-29 November, 2006
Summary Report (Final Version: 061212)
The entitled workshop was held on 27-29 November 2006 at the Institute of Bioscience
of the Universiti Putra Malaysia with support of UPM, VCC and JSPS and convened by
Fatimah MD Yusoff (UPM) and Othman BH Ross (UKM).
The first day was devoted to review of the project’s accomplishments to date.
Following the opening address by F.M.D. Yusoff, the overall activity of the project
was reviewed by S. Nishida (ORI, Japan) as follows. The training courses on methods
of zooplankton ecology and identification have been successfully held as originally
planned in four countries: Thailand (2003), Philippines (2004), Vietnam (2005) and
Malaysia (2006). The discovery of new species and their publication have also been
accomplished with high pace as expected, with a total of 18 papers describing1 new
family, 4 new genera, and 28 new species of crustaceans from Asian waters published
during 2005 and 2006. The number of papers published in refereed journals in the same
term totals > 40 including those on taxonomy, distributional ecology, community
structure, production ecology, molecular genetics, pollution, and toxicology. The whole
project (Coastal Marine Science) received the mid-term evaluation by JSPS and was
scored A, with expectations for future improvement in outreach activities, collaboration
among sub-projects, and contribution from SE Asian scientists to publications. The
Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ) cooperating with the present project had its
Second Steering Member Meeting at ORI, Japan, during 6-8 November 2006, wherein
the contribution from the present project was reported and future cooperation was
agreed with respect, in particular, to SE Asian activities on the field research, database
establishment, and training courses and outreach. The following challenges were
identified to be discussed on day 2: (1) publication of identification manual and
photographic album, (2) geographic survey of zooplankton deformities as indicator of
environmental health, (3) more function-oriented (e.g. biomass structure, production,
food-web), advanced collaborative researches on zooplankton biodiversity.
The research activities of the co-operating countries to date were reported by the
members of Malaysia (Yusoff and Ross), the Philippines (L.V. Castillo), Vietnam
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(Nguyen Thi Thu and Nguyen Cho), and Indonesia (I.F.M. Rumengan and Mulyadi),
followed by reports on the activities of Japanese members (H. Sekiguchi, S. Sawamoto,
S. Nishida, N. Iwasaki, and J. Nishikawa). The topics of particular interest included
those on the trophodynamics of coral-reef ecosystem and species diversity of coastal
waters in Malaysia, the researches on giant-jellyfish fisheries and recruitment of
palinurid lobsters in Vietnam, distribution of epipelagic zooplankton in the Sulu Sea in
the Philippines, Hg contamination study in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and copepod and mysid
diversity in SE Asia. The oil-spill accident in last August in the Philippines and the
present circumstance with the post-accident monitoring were reported by Castillo on
behalf of W. L. Campos, the leader of the biophysical aspects of the monitoring.
In the morning of the second day, the planning for 2007-2010 was discussed on the
basis of the review on the first day, as follows.
1. Training Course
1) The planning for the training course in 2007 was introduced by Mulyadi and agreed
with the following points:
・Dates and duration: Middle Nov. or late Oct. (e.g. 20-30)
・Venue: Div. Zoology, Cibinong
・Field sampling: Jakarta Bay (1hr from Cibinong), boats available by rental.
2) The planning for the training course from 2008 to 2010 was discussed as follows.
Advanced courses including practical techniques of, e.g., photography, TEM/SEM,
molecular genetics, might be possible candidates. However, having such advanced
courses with similar number of trainees as in the previous courses may not be practical,
given that need for such techniques still lags behind that of more basic techniques, such
as morphological identification. Techniques on more ecological aspects, such as
biomass estimates (at carbon basis), chlorophyll measurements, and physiology (oxygen
consumption, etc.) are other options. However, these techniques are readily available in
published books/manuals (e.g. ICES Manual), commonly educated in many university
courses, and require special laboratory facilities out of scope of the project. In summary,
it will be most practical and efficient to have future courses as semi-open workshops on
advanced techniques and laboratory observation on particular topics of the project, with
the JSPS members plus some outside scientists as participants. The topical techniques
may include: molecular genetics, TEM/SEM techniques, photography, stable-isotope
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ratios, identification of taxonomic groups not yet covered in the previous courses, and
field sampling to more wide coverage of coastal waters of particular countries. All these
should be discussed further.
2. Species list
1) It was agreed that each member(s) submit a revised list of zooplankton species of SE
Asia by the end of November 2007 as assigned below.
Copepods (Iwasaki, Mulyadi, Nishida, Ohtsuka, Othman)
Chaetognaths (Terazaki, and some experts outside JSPS)
Gelaltinous (coastal species excluding some cnidarians: Nishikawa)
Mysids (Sawamoto)
Demersal (Kikuchi)
Fish larvae (Campos)
2) The species list may be compiled into “identification manual”
3) New knowledge may be added from the project
4) Some previously reported species names should be revised on the basis of present
taxonomic status
3. Review zooplankton biodiversity research in each country (review papers)
1) It was agreed that each member submit a manuscript as assigned below.
・Malaysia (Fatimah, Othman)
・Indonesia (Inneke and Mulyadi)
・Philippines (Lou and Willy)
・Vietnam (Cho and Thi Thu)
・Thailand (Ajcharaporn)
2) The manuscript should include overview of the history in zooplankton biodiversity
research in each country on the following points: taxonomy, research projects and
cruises, species composition, endemic species, distribution, community structure,
seasonality. Relationships between taxonomic studies and ecology/production
oriented researches may also be included, as well as discussion on existing problems
and future prospects.
3) Time schedule: it is highly expected to submit the abstracts for the 4th Zooplankton
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Production Symposium (ZPS-4; deadline: 16 Dec. 2006), otherwise submit
manuscripts by the end of March, 2007.
4. Identification manual
The following editorial outline of the identification manual was proposed by Nishida
and agreed.
・Title: Coastal Zooplankton in Southeast Asian waters---pictorial keys for species
identification
・Taxon coverage: cnidarians (higher taxa levels only; Nishikawa), chaetognaths
(Terazaki+some others), copepods (excluding deep-sea groups: Cho, Iwasaki,
Mulyadi, Nishida, Ohtsuka, Othman, Toda), mysids (Sawamoto), decapods (Kikuchi),
tunicates (Nishikawa), demersal, larval forms/meroplankton (Kikuchi), fish larvae
(Campos).
・Inclusion of high quality photos for general introduction (Nishikawa+some others)
・Time schedule: first draft to be submitted by the end of Oct. 2007.
・Other maters to be settled: publisher, copyright, etc. (contact Miyazaki/Matsuura)
・Translation to other languages: Iwasaki will be the manager for this task.
・ Published the book as a general publication (by e.g. Tokai Univ. Press)
5. Photographic album of SE Asian zooplankton
・Gelatinous plankton (Jellyfishes in Vietnam)
・Zooplankton in SE Asia may also be possible.
・Who and when? (Nishikawa, Ohtsuka, Nishida, Fatimah, and others)
・Time schedule: first draft to be submitted by the end of Oct. 2007.
・Postcards: 1st version available, others being planned (by Plankton Laboratory, ORI:
Nishikawa, Nishida; support from JSPS should also be considered)
6. Zooplankton database
1) Database of zooplankton collections
Presence of the following collections was identified and it was agreed that each
countries members submit data files to Nishida.
・Malaysia: Port Dickson, coral reef (2002 onwards, Othman); Straits of Malacca,
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Langgat Estuary, different ecosystem research, others (Fatimah will check); Rose
Expedition (S C Sea)
・Indonesia: ITIS, NBIN, others (Mulyadi)
・Philippines: MSI (written)
・Vietnam: many investigations, Naga Exp., many in Vietmanese
・Time schedule: submit by the end of Oct. 2007
2) Database of ecological information
To be discussed in future via e-mail and in the 2007 workshop.
3) Old taxonomic literature in PDF (part of DIAS project)
To be discussed in future via e-mail and in the 2007 workshop.
7. Field research
1) Compilation of the results of “general field survey”
・Complete species list, species identification problem, abundance data, community
structure, deposition of specimens (collection database), publications
・Assign, if appropriate, Japanese counterparts to comment on the analysis/MS
preparation
2) Ongoing/proposed topics: collaborators are assigned as below.
・Jellyfishes in Vietnam (2006-2007: Thi Thu and Nishikawa)
・Spiny lobster in Vietnam (Sekiguchi)
・Possible importance of coral mucous/detritus: collaboration with stable isotope
research, etc. (Ross, Toda)
・Coastal-water research in the Straits of Malacca (Yusoff, Nishida)
・Sulu-Celebes-South China Sea zooplankton and size distribution (Castillo,
Nishikawa)
・Ballast water research in the Philippines (possible inclusion of Malacca) (Castillo,
Ohtsuka, Yusoff)
・Stable isotope and pollutants (e.g. organotin and its alternatives) (Rumengan, Iwasaki)
・Hg contamination in Sulawesi (Inneke, Nishida)
・Species list of mysids in the Philippines (Castillo, Sawamoto)
3) Oil spill monitoring in the Philippines
・Contact Willy and seek a possibility of his students’ thesis study, pending help of
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experts in identification (Nishida)
4) Research theme for 2007-2010
The discussion made on the following points, and it was agreed that Nishida prepare
a draft proposal and distribute to all members for their comments by the end of January,
2007.
・Functional aspects of biodiversity should be expanded
・Collaboration with other biodiversity groups
・Collaboration with other sub-projects
・Theme-1: Coral reef, mangrove, estuaries: comparison of selected sites
・Theme-2: Food web, stable isotope, pollutants
・Theme-3: Evolutionary mechanism (allopatric for coastal species, sympatric for
mesopelagic species, geological history)
・Zooplankton as indicators of environmental health
・Proposals for 2008-2010 (should be prepared by March 2007)
5) Sulu Sea cruise (CMarZ co-operating cruise to be submitted for 2008)
・Possible participation of JSPS members will be considered in due course (Nishida).
In the afternoon of the second day a tour was held in the Institute of Bioscience, around
the UPM campus and to the Putra Jaya Area. In the rest of the second day and the third
day the members made detailed examination of the samples (copepods, gelatinous
plankton, and mysids) collected during the Training Course or brought by the members
from different countries. A total of 40 copepod species were identified from the
Malaysian waters, including 3 species (belonging to the genera Oithona, Labidocera,
and Pseudodiaptomus) suspected to be new to science and more than 10 species new to
the fauna of the Straits of Malacca. Analysis of the mysids and gelatinous plankton are
now in progress and will be reported later. The original samples collected during the
Training Course are deposited at the Institute of Bioscience, UPM, with accompanying
metadata of sampling.
List of Participants
JAPAN
Nozomu Iwasaki
Usa Marine Biological Institute, Kochi University
E-mail: iwasakin@cc.kochi-u.ac.jp
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Shuhei Nishida
Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo
E-mail: nishida@ori.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Jun Nishikawa
Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo
E-mail: jn@ori.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Shozo Sawamoto
Institute of Oceanic Research & Development, Tokai University
E-mail: sawamoto@scc.u-tokai.ac.jp
Hideo Sekiguchi
Faculty of Bioresources, Mie University
E-mail: sekiguch@bio.mie-u.ac.jp
INDONESIA
Mulyadi
Division of Zoology, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences
Fax: +62-21-876-5068
Inneke F.M. Rumengan
Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science
Sam Ratulangi University
E-mail: innekeru@indosat.net.id
MALAYSIA
Othman B. Haji Ross
Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
E-mail: othross@streamyx.com
Fatimah Md.Yusoff
Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia
E-mail: fatimah@ibs.upm.edu.my
PHILIPPINES
Lourdes V. Castillo
Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños
E-mail: lvcastilloph@yahoo.com
VIETNAM
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Nguyen Cho
Institute of Oceanography
E-mail: nguyencho-ion@vnn.vn
Nguyen Thi Thu
Department of Marine Biological Resource and Ecology
Institute of Marine Environment and Resources
Email: thunt@imer.ac.vn
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