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Protecting our natural resources is one of the important thrusts of every organization. In this study, the waters of Iloilo Batiano River, Philippines is explored. This study was conducted because there is a dearth of information on the water physico-chemical characteristics of the river. Since this is an initial assessment, this study will serve as a baseline data and the results will serve as a basis for future reference for conservation measures of the river. The present study aimed to determine the selected water physico-chemical characteristics of the river such as the electrical conductivity (EC), temperature, pH, and calcium content; assess if these parameters exceed the limit set by the DENR Administrative Order No. 20F16-08 of the Republic of the Philippines and other available literatures; and to determine if there was no significant difference in the water physico-chemical characteristics among the six sampling stations. Results revealed that EC and calcium content of the river exceed their limits except for temperature and pH levels. Furthermore, EC and temperature were statistically different among the six sampling stations except for pH values. This study concludes that the river is saline due to the mixing of saltwater and surface water as the river is near to the sea and has high calcium content that can threaten the life of freshwater aquatic organisms.

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Diverse array of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and protists are involved during oil spill. Each microorganism has its own specific function whether it has to degrade or adsorb hydrocarbons. One important microorganism is the Thraustochytrid that is a fungoid protist and are common in marine and estuarine habitats. Numerous studies existed on the biodegradation and adsorption of Thraustochytrids on various substances but not on Bunker C oil. Thus, this study aimed to determine the adsorption capacity and mean biomass of Thraustochytrids in Bunker C oil using different cell densities measured in grams. All of the three treatments or cell densities (1 x 105 cells ml-1 , 1 x 106 cells ml-1 and 1 x 107 cells ml-1) were triplicated and average values were recorded. Oil dispersant was used as a control. It showed that Thraustochytrid with 1 x 107 cells ml-1 showed the highest adsorbed oil (.057 ḡ) among the three cell densities and showed significant difference at p = .01 but comparable to the control (.066 ḡ). In terms of biomass concentration, all cell densities showed no significant difference at p = .01. Thraustochytrid is a promising tool during oil spill because it has the capacity to adsorb oil.