Ms Nepheronia Ogburn

Nepheronia Jumalon Ogburn is a Marine Biologist (Magna cum Laude at University of San Carlos, Philippines) and Aquaculturist.  She developed commercial integrated farming technology focused on sustainable resource management, especially in Asia.  Her first job with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) began as the first pre-employment scholar graduating in a pioneering Master of Science in Fisheries (Aquaculture) under a joint SEAFDEC-University of the Philippines collaboration with international funding. She worked on finfish and natural food production, and as the Leader of the Artemia Project, with 4-years grant from Sweden’s International Foundation for Science.  She coordinated support from many Institutions in Europe and USA, where she gave talks in conferences and symposia.

Upon migration to Australia, she worked as Facilitator of the NSW OLMA Aquaculture, Fishing and Related Industries Committee Inc., administering federal funds and producing publications for many pioneering aquaculture projects.  With a young family, she then worked on her own Company, AJ Aqua Intercon P/L, which advised/managed important projects for local and foreign clients, including Uncle Ben’s of Australia; Australian Native Fish P/L and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), USA.  Her project with TNC offered alternative livelihood to illegal fishers in Komodo National Park, Indonesia based on pioneering work in her own Philippine farm, which had support from the Office of the Philippine President. 

Since her move to Port Stephens in 1996, Nepheronia taught in Hunter TAFE Campuses in various Aquaculture courses, and later on Conservation and Land Management.  Although she passed a comprehensive exam and was granted the first non-Dutch scholarship for a PhD in Fisheries in the Netherlands, she had to give it up for migration and motherhood.  

Nepheronia diversified her specialisation to include a TAFE Advanced Diploma on Environmental Management and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment etc., and also as Networker and independent sales contractor/marketer for local and international companies.  She has written a series of poetry and will be launching her first poetry book, Natural Insights late in 2022 (postponed due to COVID19 pandemic), during a celebration in honour of her late father, who built the first open-air Butterfly Sanctuary in Philippines. She is one of the founding members of the Julian N. Jumalon Foundation which owns the Sanctuary, Art Gallery (housing unique lepido-mosaic arts) and mini-museum, regularly visited by tourists from around the world.

Nepheronia received various awards/grants, including outstanding alumnus of the University of San Carlos, a letters patent grantee for invention of a new pump and the best monograph award from the Philippine National Academy of Science & Technology for a Grouper Manual, where she was industry contributor/co-writer.  She is a member of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) and gave a talk at the WAS World Aquaculture Conference in France, shortly after her PhD confirmation in August 2018.  After the conference, she was offered the option of doing a double-PhD degree in Europe, which luckily she did not pursue as the pandemic hit Europe badly at the time she would have gone.

Nepheronia decided to accept a scholarship in August 2017 from the University of Newcastle to do a PhD in Environmental Remediation, researching on “Waste to Feed:  Agricultural Waste – Grown Brine Shrimp as Live Food for Aquaculture and Potential Source of Protein for Feeds” with potential of producing fishmeal replacement to address the diminishing wild fisheries resource.   This is a step to achieve her dream of building a model integrated agri-aquaculture and tourism/training farm, showcasing her innovative technologies,  like taming of carnivore fish to provide up to 100% survival and best quality fish desired by Sydney live seafood restaurants or export market.   

Nepheronia has submitted her PhD thesis in March 2023.