The authors are greatly indebted to all who assisted in the implementation and completion of this study by providing information, advice and facilities.
The administrative support of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Philippines, Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento, Jr. and of the other Bureau’s officers at the regional and provincial level is hereby acknowledged. Likewise the field assistance of Leodegario Abarra, Nestor Botacion, Catherine Rabadon, Mea Baldonado, Lina Bravo, Felita Ugaban, Roberto De Vera, Jr. and Wilfredo Basa is gratefully appreciated, as well as the participation in the field team of the BFAR-IFAD Technical Staff; James Villanueva, Rodolfo Tigue, Roy Garcia and Edgardo Amurao.
The provision by the European Space Agency (ESA) of satellite radar data at nominal cost, acquired according to the authors specifications, greatly facilitated the work and has been sincerely appreciated.
The authors are greatly indebted to Roberto Carlà of the Institute of Applied Physics of the Italian National Research Council; Pierre-Philippe Mathieu, Earth Observation Science and Applications, European Space Agency; James McDaid Kapetsky, Senior Fishery Resources Officer (FAO-FIRI retired) and Uwe Barg, Fishery Resources Officer (FAO-FIRI) for their critical review of the manuscript.
Claudia Riva assisted in preparing data for the field verification work and in the literature review. Desktop publishing work was by Nadia Pellicciotta.
