Giants in History: Edgardo Dizon Gomez

Edgardo Dizon Gomez (7 November 1938 – 1 December 2019) was a Filipino marine biologist who recognized the need to protect marine resources, especially coral reefs, in the Philippines. Gomez played an instrumental role in the world’s first national-scale assessment of coral reef damage, leading to international conservation initiatives such as the Global Reefs and Risk Analysis, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the International Coral Reef Action. He also founded the Marine Science Institute at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Gomez was also actively involved in restoring the giant clam population. He was a pioneer in breeding giant clams in marine laboratories and other protected areas. For his work, Gomez was conferred the Order of National Scientists, the highest honour given by the President to an individual who has contributed significantly to science and technology in the Philippines.