[1] He obtained his Interuniversity PhD in Oceanography from the Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada.
[4] Onda was the chief scientist of the Protect WPS (Predicting Responses between Ocean Transport and Ecological Connectivity of Threatened ecosystems in the West Philippine Sea) expedition group which conducted research in the Spratly Islands in 2019.
The research also noted new sightings of seaweed species previously unrecorded in the area and also collected six crates of trash from the sea.
The expedition started off in Guam on March 15, with Vescovo and Onda on board the DSSV Pressure Drop where they would be deployed in a separate submersible vehicle, the DSV Limiting Factor.
[7] Onda agreed to take part in the expedition to " assert the sovereign rights" of the Philippines over the underwater feature.