Mindanao State University at Naawan signed a Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA) on January 12, 2023 with Aklan State University- New Washington Campus. ASU is one of the five campuses of the Aklan State University active in extension works, research and instruction.

MSU at Naawan is leading the project entitled, “Application of eDNA metabarcoding in faunal biodiversity assessment of Indo-Pacific mangroves vulnerable to climate change: Philippine Node” with an ultimate goal to monitor the change in fish and benthic macroinvertebrates diversity in select mangrove areas of the Philippines following a biomonitoring tool, the aquatic environmental DNA, that is standardized across all other areas in the Indo-Pacific under a regional-wide collaborative project.

The purpose of the Agreement is to develop academic and educational collaboration between MSU at Naawan and Aklan State University.