While the marine science community mourns the death of renowned American marine biologist Kent Carpenter, his live-in partner has become a person of interest in his killing, Negros Oriental Police said Wednesday.

According to Col. Timmar Alam, the live-in partner was unharmed by the assailants, contrary to her earlier claims that she was sexually assaulted.

The University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI), meanwhile, said Carpenter’s work helped establish the Philippines’ reputation as the “center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity.”

Carpenter was also an advocate for the designation of the Verde Island Passage (VIP) as a National Protected Area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In a separate statement, Protect VIP lead convenor Fr. Edwin Gariguez said Carpenter dedicated his life to highlighting the extraordinary richness of the Verde Island Passage.

“Dr. Kent Carpenter dedicated his life to revealing the extraordinary richness of the Verde Island Passage to the world. His work reminded us that the Philippines carries a global responsibility to protect this irreplaceable marine treasure,” Gariguez said.

He called on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting incident.

“As we mourn his passing, we reaffirm our commitment to the cause that Dr. Carpenter championed: protecting the Verde Island Passage and all of our country’s biodiverse ecosystems and all communities who defend and rely on them,” he added.

Silliman University (SU), where Carpenter served as a research associate, also expressed condolences, saying his work advanced the understanding and conservation of marine biodiversity worldwide.

“We join his family, colleagues, students, and the international scientific community in mourning the loss of an exceptional scientist whose life’s work advanced the understanding and conservation of marine biodiversity around the world,” the university said.

“For nearly five decades, Dr. Carpenter maintained a close relationship with SU. His collaboration with the University began in 1976 when he worked alongside the late National Scientist Dr. Angel C. Alcala and fellow marine scientists in pioneering studies on the rich marine ecosystems of the Philippines,” the university added.

Working with Silliman researchers, Carpenter conducted studies on contemporary environmental challenges, including coral reef conservation, fisheries management, and marine pollution.

Among his significant recent contributions was his leadership of the Albatross Re-Collection Project, a landmark evolutionary genomics research initiative that revisited the historic collections of the U.S. Fish Commission Steamer Albatross, which surveyed Philippine waters more than a century ago.

The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) said Carpenter’s work “will continue to shape how we care for our seas, and his legacy will live on in every scientist he mentored, every ecosystem he helped safeguard, and every life he touched with quiet integrity.”

The UP Marine Science Institute also noted that Carpenter served as a scientific adviser to the Philippines during the South China Sea arbitration case, providing reports, testimonials, satellite imagery, and video evidence on the condition of coral reefs in the disputed waters.

He also worked on the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, joining fish surveys and publishing studies on the area since 2018.

Carpenter made the Philippines his home, dedicating decades to studying its rich marine biodiversity. His pioneering research advanced coral reef science and helped support the country’s case in the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling.