Last August 2010, the Batangas Coastal Resource Management Foundation (BCRMF) and the Malampaya Foundation sponsored Reef Check Eco-Diver training for 14 members of the Batangas Community Divers. The trainees came from 6 barangays in Batangas City, Philippines.
During the 4-day training, the participants learned about indicator species tracked by Reef Check, and they surveyed coral reefs around Matoko Point. The team observed a high incidence of coral bleaching. The scuba diving in the “center of the center of marine shorefish biodiversity” was outstanding: clear water, high coral cover, diverse species of fish and invertebrates and strong currents.
The BCRMF Team ready to do reef surveys in Batangas City.
The trainees were: Noel Mendoza (Team Leader), Francisco Balid, Benjie Berania, Joebranz Branzuela, Jose Edwin Caseda, Arturo Escandor, Jerick Fajardo, Casimero Flores, Jr., Kim Garcia, Jaime Guerra, Bryan Mendoza, Carlo Mendoza, Lito Pacaul and Aurelio Villaluna III.
The coral reefs in the Philippines are estimated to cover 25,000 to 27,000 km2 in area. These reefs are spread over 7,100 islands and is only second to Indonesia in terms of area coverage. The Philippines has been recognized as part of the global center of biodiversity and a very recent study has indicated that it has the highest number of species per unit area (Carpenter and Springer 2005). The latter also hypothesized that the Philippines might be the ‘center of the center’ of marine shorefish species diversity. These findings underline the importance of Philippine coral reefs as a world natural heritage and the need for protection.
The threats to Philippine coral reefs are similar to most developing countries’ with high population growth rates and with coastal communities contributing a significant portion of the national population. This continued burgeoning of the country’s population is increasing its negative impact on the health of coral reefs as shown by trends in Reef Check indicators. Reef Check (http://www.reefcheck.org/) is the world’s largest coral reef NGO. It operates in 80 countries and started as a volunteer program basically functioning as a ‘citizen science’. This is the training of people to check the health of their own reefs. This gives people a sense of stewardship to their resources. Reef Check surveys specific ecological and human-impact indicators that are very easy for many people to identify. Reef Check has trained students, scuba divers, villagers, government agencies, other NGOs and even the military to survey the health of coral reefs. The data have been useful in determining the status of reefs and their problems and in monitoring the impact of initiatives that are supposed to address them.
The high-valued indicators have very low densities based on long-term Reef Check data and they seem to have not recovered yet. The density of Napoleon wrasse, a fish species listed under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, has been consistently low and almost always zero in most coral reefs. The fate of the barramundi cod is similar. The groupers are in a slightly better state but they are still low in densities. This group of fishes is highly targeted especially in the live reef fish food trade to account for their low densities. Although these fishes are naturally low in abundance in the wild overfishing has pushed their densities much lower. Similarly, it is now very hard to find bumphead parrotfish in fished coral reefs. Sweetlips, snappers and moral eels are all very low in abundance. Reef Check data have indicated that these fishes are more abundant in protected reef areas.
The trends in the highly-targeted invertebrate indicators are not better. Sea cucumbers, lobsters, triton shell, and pencil urchins are very low in abundance. The triton shell and the pencil urchins are in fact very hard to find now in fished reefs. These organisms have been highly targeted by fishermen for the curio trade. Giant clams and banded shrimps are still found in many reefs but the impact of overfishing for the curio and the ornamental trade will continue to drive their abundance much lower. Natural disturbances constitute a significant factor that negatively impacts the health of coral reefs. Typhoons are a normal occurrence in the Philippines. However, El Nino events (that seem to be more frequent) that have lead to the warming of the coastal waters and subsequent coral bleaching have led to widespread and increased mortalities. This is a serious problem since coral reefs provide shelter to many organisms that is a source livelihood to many fishermen. Coral reefs are also attractions to a tourism industry that has recently picked up in the Philippines. The El Nino event in 1998 was the most serious natural disturbance in Philippine reefs based on Reef Check data. The data indicate at least 20% coral mortality in the Philippines. There has been no obvious recovery yet in general. However, recovery has been recorded in protected reefs (no-take marine protected areas) such as the Apo and Danjugan Islands. These results indicate human impact exacerbates natural disturbances and that protection may ameliorate these negative impacts
Reef Check Philippines launched the Eco-Action Program with a series of Training of Trainers in Mactan Island (Cebu), Ocean Adventure ( Subic), Pacifico Azul Resort (Anilao, Batangas) and in Sabang, Puerto Galera. A total of over 30 Eco-Action trainers successfully passed the training. The training in Puerto Galera was sponsored by World Wildlife Fund Philippines.
The Reef Check EcoAction program is a multi-level, interactive education and training program for children and adults that exposes participants all about reefs and reef monitoring through self-guided learning or with the aid of a certified trainer. There are two levels of training: the Intro to Reef Check and the EcoDiver training. The Intro to Reef Check is basically conducted in a single day and introduces snorkelers (kids and adults) to coral reefs and reef health monitoring. The EcoDiver training is for two days and will train divers to do a Reef Check. The trainees will be able participate in Reef Check surveys after the training. Finally, the EcoAction program also conducts Training of Trainers (TOT). These trainers can conduct and lead both the Intro to Reef Check and the EcoDiver training after the TOT. Stand-alone materials are also sold in addition to the training.
The EcoAction program is an environmental education program that can be used to generate tourism revenues from local and international participants. In a way, it is selling conservation education to make Reef Check financially sustainable. Reef Check can promote the certified trainers and resorts and channel snorkelers and divers to these certified centers.
Cebu-City pollutes the sea with untreated domestic wastewater and also with wastewater from factories. However, Cebu is also the location of some successful MPAs.
Has the polluted water of the Mactan Channel a negative effect on the biodiversity of coral reefs in Lilo-an and Talisay?
Three Dutch volunteers from Hogeschool Zeeland conducted a successful scientific research on the island Cebu in central Visayas on the relationship between physico-chemical characteristics of coastal waters and indicators of coral reef health. The volunteers undergone a training for Reef Check method and worked closely the LGU’s in Talisay and Lilo-an (Cebu), several organizations and the University of San Carlos.
Their conclusion was that the waters have not impacted the state of the coral reef health in the examined areas in Cebu. We hope that more students will do their internship at Reef Check. Levon, Melvin and Martijn hope that it is possible to continue the good cooperation between our school Hogeschool Zeeland (higher professional education) and Reef Check Philippines through increased number of volunteers.
