PH CONSULATE IN SAN FRANCISCO VISITS CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES FOR MANAMo 2023 CELEBRATION
Consul General Neil Ferrer (7th from left, first row), Mme. Miriam M. Ferrer (6th from left), and Consulate personnel pose outside the California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco PCG photo)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco led by Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer visited the California Academy of Sciences and attended its Nightlife event on 28 September 2023 as part of its celebration of Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANAMo) 2023 with the theme “Kapuluan, Kabuluhan, Kaunlaran” or Archipelago, Significance, and Development. Given the laboratory breakthrough and innovative conservation strategies of the Academy, including its various techniques to advance coral science, the visit also fits in with the sub-theme adopted by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is “Setting Sails Towards Sustainability: Ocean Science for Archipelagic Philippines.”
During the visit, Consulate officers and personnel marveled at the Philippine Coral Reef, the gateway to California Academy of Sciences’ larger Coral Reefs of the World exhibit. At 25 feet deep, the Philippine Coral Reef tank is one of the deepest and largest displays of living coral in the world. It replicates some of the diversity found in the Verde Island Passage, recognized as the center of marine biodiversity in the world, which is an area of unbelievable beauty and importance. The Consulate personnel also witnessed the live dive show, which educates visitors on the marine ecosystems.
The date of the visit coincided with the 100th Anniversary of the Steinhart Aquarium, which houses the Philippine Coral Reef display. Since 1923, Steinhart Aquarium has developed a colorful history of firsts. It is the first public aquarium to display flashlight fish and coconut octopuses and has been advancing exploration of the ocean’s mysterious “twilight zone,” exhibiting innovation and scientific excellence.
The Philippine Consulate General’s personnel then watched the show “Expedition Reef: Hope for Corals in a Changing World” at the Morrison Planetarium. The 45-minute show lets the audience travel around the globe, including to the Philippines, to explore coral reefs, considered “rainforests of the sea”, and how scientists are developing sustainable solutions to protect and regenerate these for the future. Narrated by Philippines’ very own and Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, the show takes full advantage of the planetarium’s fulldome screen to immerse the audience in the undersea adventure, and for them to discover how corals grow, feed, reproduce, and support over 25% of all marine life on earth while facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat destruction, and overfishing.
The California Academy of Sciences, which has an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum, is a powerful platform for biodiversity research and exploration, environmental education, and sustainability across the globe. For many years, the Academy scientists and Filipino scientists have been working together documenting the rich biodiversity of the Philippines. END
San Francisco PCG officers and personnel at the Philippine Coral Reef exhibit at California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco PCG photo)