Experts to investigate Philippine coral reefs for comparative studies worldwide

Marine experts are set to investigate coral reef communities in Pangasinan and Batangas in an initial bid to get baseline data on reef status necessary for comparison across countries.

A team of marine biologists, headed by experts Dr. Robert Van Woesik from the Florida Institute of Technology and Dr. Wilfredo Licuanan from the Philippine Southeast Asia Center of Excellence (Philippine/SEA CoE) of the Global Environment Facility/ CRTR and a faculty member of De La Salle University, has selected 6 monitoring stations in 3 sites in Bolinao, Pangasinan and a parallel set in Lian, Batangas.

Synthesis Panel Executive Secretary Anthony Hooten of the Coral Reef Targeted Research (CRTR) program and UP Marine Science Institute scholar Mark Vergara assisted them in both locations.

Reef areas located off the coasts of Bolinao and Lian include the largest coral complex in Luzon.

The selection of monitoring sites is part of the GEF/World Bank’s CRTR Program--- a global research and capacity building program to save coral reefs and other marine ecosystems.

This common sampling research is deemed critical in discovering the link between coral community structure and coral reef resilience to climate change and other stresses.

Understanding coral reef community structure and dynamics would extend the scientific knowledge on how corals can cope with diseases, bleaching, and other factors affecting the reefs in the country. It would also be vital in measures to protect coral reefs, which support commercial marine species fisheries and buffer low-lying areas from strong wave action.

The monitoring of reefs in both provinces is part of the concerted plan to establish standardized methods that would be shared among the four global centers of excellence of the CRTR. The University of the

Philippines Marine Science Institute was chosen as one of the centers and the focal point for coral reef research in Southeast Asia. The three other centers are located at Puerto Morelos (Mexico), Zanzibar (Tanzania), and Heron Island (Australia).

Dr. Woesik, the project proponent, said they are hoping that the sampling of monitoring sites would later on allow comparison on the reef status across spatial scales over time and ultimately facilitate coral reef management.

While surveying the reef communities in Lian, Batangas, Licuanan and Woesik also found a possible ’new’ species of the coral genus Acropora. The branching coral specimen is currently subject for validation.

The Philippine coral reef area, the second largest in Southeast Asia, is estimated at approximately 26,000 square kilometers and holds an extraordinary diversity of species. Scientists have identified close to one thousand reef fish species and about half that number of scleractinian hard coral species.

Coral reef fisheries represent an average of 15 percent of the total Philippine fisheries production, although in certain municipalities like Bolinao, their contribution may be as high as 25-30 percent. If properly conserved, the potential sustainable fisheries from coral reefs may be estimated at US$31,900 to $113,000 per square km.

Unfortunately, the country also records the worst coral reef destruction with over 70% of the reefs damaged and with only 5% in excellent condition. Hence, the urgency for improved coral reef management.


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Experts to investigate Philippine coral reefs for comparative studies worldwide