Abstract:
Small-scale fishers and local coastal communities harvest gastropods in a process known as
panginhas, through a practice that combines gleaning, harvesting, and free-diving. They collect
live marine organisms with unbleached shells by hand, both for their daily food and as a source
of additional income. In a systematically conducted process, it would be possible to obtain
valuable data for biodiversity assessment using this traditional method. Thus, this study was
conducted to assess the biodiversity of collected marine gastropods in Bil-isan, Panglao, Bohol,
Philippines, utilising the technique of panginhas. A total of 290 gastropods belonging to 14
families, 22 genera, and 36 species were collected. The species diversity (H’) index was 2.919
(moderate), the species dominance (D) index was 0.9327 (high), the species evenness (J) index
was 0.5006 (moderate), and the species richness (d) was 6.258 (high). This study is the first
effort to document the biodiversity collected through the traditional harvesting practices of the
locals on Panglao Island, Bohol. It serves as a baseline data source for its marine gastropods.
Data from this study can be used to prioritise research on marine gastropods, enabling more
in-depth investigations to establish their current status. This information could also contribute
to sustainable resource management practices, applications in ecotourism, and the conservation
of marine species.
