Conservation of Fish Species in Buguey Lagoon, Cagayan, Northern Philippines

Abstract

Species diversity, which encompasses the number of different species and their relative abundance, is crucial for assessing fish communities. The Philippines, a megadiverse country, faces challenges in managing fish diversity due to human activities and habitat changes, particularly in coastal areas like Buguey Lagoon, which is a productive aquatic ecosystem with limited studies on its species diversity. Recent study of Fernandez & Felix in 2024 revealed deteriorating water quality and occurrence of heavy metals in the lagoon, thus there a is a need to study the status both on the fish species and the waters of the lagoon to as basis for a more concrete policies to conserve and manage Buguey Lagoon.