UNPHU receives ABS RD seal for research on the invasive risk of tiger shrimp

Santo Domingo, D.N., December 2025.

Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) was recognized with the ABS RD seal for conducting crucial research on the invasive risk posed by giant tiger shrimp in the Samaná Bay. This project, funded by FONDOCyT and led by Dr. Marcia J. Beltré-Díaz, stands out for uniting rigorous science with the social welfare of fishing communities.

With the project “Abundance and potential establishment of the giant tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798) as an invasive alien species in coastal marine waters in the Samaná Bay  (No.2023-1-1C2- 0661/UNPHU/FONDOCyT)”, information is sought to protect marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of thousands of fishing families.

The research is led by Dr. Marcia J. Beltré-Díaz and a multidisciplinary team from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) and other institutions, including Enmanuel Montero-Fortunato (UNPHU), Enrique Giménez-Hurtado (Fisheries Research Center of the Ministry of Food Industry, Cuba), Rosanna Carrera (UASD), Jeannette Mateo (FAO), Jesús Galán (CODOPESCA), and Abel Giordano Otáñez (UNPHU).

The study focuses on Penaeus monodon (giant tiger shrimp). This species was introduced to the country in the 1980s for aquaculture and escaped into the wild in the 1990s. Although it has been observed in other provinces, its increase in the Bay of Samaná is alarming and poses a serious threat because it competes with native shrimp and threatens the economic livelihood of more than 3,400 fishermen and their families in the community of Sánchez.

To assess whether this species will be permanently established as invasive, the scientific team is conducting three main types of analyses: biometric, gonadal, and postlarval sampling. In the research process, the stomach contents of the specimens are analyzed to evaluate how much they prey on native species.

This ABS Stamp recognition for Dr. Marcia Beltré-Díaz and the execution of the research reaffirm UNPHU’s commitment to the Nagoya Protocol and to ethics in conservation.

The results of the project will be vital for establishing adaptive measures that ensure the protection of biodiversity and the sustainability of the fishery in the Samaná Bay, and for creating management measures that protect marine biodiversity and ensure that fisheries remain a source of food and sustainable work for the people of Samaná.