About SHORE

In May 2013, Br. Ricardo P. Laguda FSC, then President and Chancellor of DLSU approved the establishment of the SHORE Center, to which the existing Br. Alfred Shields FSC Marine Station (Shields Marine Station) would be attached.  The Shields Marine Station is an academic facility of the College of Science that serves as a base for teaching, research, and extension activities in coastal areas.

The SHORE Center supports the Vision-Mission of the University by providing significant learning activities to enable faculty and students to generate knowledge and technologies that will foster good stewardship of the seas and coastlines, and lay the groundwork for community development, and social transformation, particularly among the youth and disadvantaged members of the coastal communities.

The SHORE Center is uniquely positioned being the only research center in DLSU that has two tracks in addition to research: training (non-degree) and community engagement.  It seeks to bring Lasallian expertise in education, research and extension to the coastal communities, particularly focusing on students in primary and secondary schools in these communities.

The SHORE Center specifically seeks to:

• develop and implement programs to educate and empower the youth, in particular, to make them active participants in maintaining the health of natural systems, and in implementing coastal management and disaster preparedness initiatives; and involve the local residents, in general, in enhancing natural habitats through rehabilitation, protection, and monitoring;
• pursue an integrated program to foster awareness and concern for local marine biota among the residents of coastal communities, in particular, and the public, in general, by undertaking biodiversity inventories in coastal waters, maintaining and curating these scientific collections, and developing displays and virtual museums;
• maintain long-term monitoring programs on coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass, and coral reefs including related climate and water quality parameters to serve as a basis for regular ‘state of the coasts’ reports for coastal communities, local government and other concerned local, regional and national institutions; and
• undertake research and develop technologies for environment-friendly, small-scale food production and livelihood activities for the coastal communities.