TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has started construction of the third marine science research station (MSRS) in the country.

The Guiuan MSRS will serve as a research and training hub for marine biodiversity, generating scientific data to support the protection, conservation and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources, said DENR 8 regional executive director Arturo Salazar during the groundbreaking ceremony in Barangay Baras, Guiuan, Eastern Samar on 11 December.

Salazar said the location was chosen for being the home of the 667-square-kilometer Guiuan Marine Resource Protected Landscape and Seascape Protected Area.

The Guiuan MSRS will be hosted in a 1,796-square-meter lot in the village.

The first MSRS was established in Casiguran, Aurora with the second built in El Nido, Palawan.