Biodiversity assessment of marine gastropods collected through intertidal gleaning in Bil-isan, Panglao, Bohol, Philippines as reference for marine resource sustainability

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.