23/10/2026
This October, we celebrate the birth month of an international pioneer in marine invertebrate culture and conservation. Belated Happy Birthday, Dr. Marie Antonette Juinio-Meñez!
Dr. Juinio-Meñez is best known for her mariculture work for high-value species such as lobsters, giant clams, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Taking inspiration from traditional fishing practices in Ilocos Sur, she developed the sea cage strategy for farming the sea urchin 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢. She then developed communal sea ranches for farming the sea cucumber 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘢. In these advancements, she collaborated extensively with fisherfolk and people's organizations with the goal of moving towards community-centered approaches to coastal resource management. The success of her pilot tests in Bolinao, Pangasinan have inspired the rise of other marine invertebrate mariculture farms in Zambales, Iloilo, Eastern Samar, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Oriental. Beyond her development work, she is a globally-recognized expert in the taxonomy, genetics, and conservation of marine invertebrates.
Fondly known as Annette to her friends and colleagues, she joined UP MSI back when it was still the Marine Science Center as a research assistant to the late Dr. Edgardo Gomez. After earning her PhD and joining the institute as a professor, she mentored several of UP MSI's current faculty and marine science practitioners around the nation. She served as UP MSI Director from 2012-2015 and led the Marine Invertebrate Ecology Laboratory until her retirement in 2025.
Happy birthday, Ma'am Annette!
