When
the College
of Fisheries and Ocean
Sciences was envisioned in 1972 as the center of Fisheries education in
the
country, the plan included a museum as an independent unit. That museum
is now
the University of the Philippines Visayas Museum of Natural Sciences
located at the Ground Floor of the
Library
Building, UPV Miagao,
Iloilo.
Since
the establishment of UPV-MNS in 1989, it breathed and breathes on its
vision “to become a leading Natural Science Museum
and a reference center for aquatic
flora and fauna including terrestrial plants and animals that affect
them”.
The museum collection is composed
of 102
families of 334 species. These specimens range from a common milkfish
that we
regularly see in markets and the various species of fierce looking
sharks and
deep sea organisms!
It also serves as a venue for enumerable
students, visitors, researchers who frequented the MNS for information
on
Philippine flora and fauna. The museum serves as a support unit to
education,
research and extension activities of the University. MNS’ collection of
fishes
and aquatic invertebrates are excellent compliment to classroom
instructions.
Its lobby serves as a venue for various exhibits and other activities
that
educate the public on our rich natural heritage.
The museum collections are
available in the internet under the Fish Base Program
of the World Fish
Center.
MNS is also included in ICOM’s (International Council of Museums) UMAC
(University
Museums and Collections)
worldwide database.
