Sometime in 2013, provincial tourism officer Christine T. Dompor sent an information that a study conducted in the waters of Mabini identified 46 of the 72 known genera of Scleractinian or “stony” corals found in the country. Around the world, only 110 genera of such corals have been identified so far.
The discovery was among the initial findings of “Mapping and Assessment of Mabini Protected Landscape and Seascape’s Coral Reef Ecosystem and Associated Reef Fish Community,” which the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) conducted.
“We have more Scleractinian corals compared to those found in the Island Garden City of Samal and in Davao Oriental,” Dompor said. “There is also one type of coral which the researchers could not identify since it is not found in their list of classification.”
The discovery is one of the reasons why Davao Gulf is considered a key biodiversity area in the Philippines.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) considers Davao Gulf as one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. It is the feeding ground for 11 species of cetaceans, which include sperm whales, killer whales, and bottle-nose dolphins. Frequent sightings of dugongs and leatherback turtles are also being reported.
“Sadly, Davao Gulf is being threatened by the very economic activities it supports,” the WWF deplores. “Seen along the coast are extensive coastal tourism development projects, ports, oil depots, factories and other capital-intensive industries that are perceived to exert pressure on the quality of the water, the natural habitats and the productivity of its fisheries.”
The regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), a line agency of the Department of Agriculture, listed Davao Gulf – which has an area of 308,000 hectares that cuts into the island of Mindanao from Philippine Sea – as one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world.
These issues and concerns come to the fore as the country celebrates the “Month of the Ocean,” which happens this month. The celebration started in 1999 when Proclamation No. 57 was signed recognizing that “coastal and marine resources provide both economic and ecological benefits, such as food, livelihood, recreation and other services, as well as biodiversity, aesthetic value, and shoreline protection.”
The Proclamation also reiterated the provision in the Constitution that “the State shall protect the nation’s marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.”
The coastal ecosystem comprises coral reefs, seagrasses, and mangroves.
A survey conducted in 1991-1992 by the Regional Fishermen’s Training Center in Panabo, Davao del Norte at Sarangani Bay and Davao Gulf had shown that most of the shallow or inshore coral reefs “were totally damaged because they are exposed to greater pressure.”
Over 80% of Davao Gulf’s coral reefs are already degraded, the regional technical director of the environment department reported in 2006. “The coral reefs in almost all areas of Davao Gulf are in bad condition,” the official said.
Only one-fourth of the coral cover was live, manta tow surveys covering 33.8 kilometers of reefs in the gulf showed. Of the 19 areas surveyed, only the corals in Tubalan were in very good condition. Areas with poor values of 10% and below were found in Agdao, Malita and Valez (Toril) in Davao City.
The coastlines of the cities of Panabo and Tagum – which contain “the most dense concentrations of fish larvae in the entire gulf” – are no better. “The coral reefs, which used to be extremely rich, are already buried,” Harry D. Morris, a British-Filipino marine biologist, disclosed to EDGE Davao. “What’s left behind are mostly coral skeletons and small patches still struggling to survive.”
Over 80% of Davao Gulf’s coral reefs are already degraded, the regional technical director of the environment department reported in 2006. “The coral reefs in almost all areas of Davao Gulf are in bad condition,” the official said.
Only one-fourth of the coral cover was live, manta tow surveys covering 33.8 kilometers of reefs in the gulf showed. Of the 19 areas surveyed, only the corals in Tubalan were in very good condition. Areas with poor values of 10% and below were found in Agdao, Malita and Valez (Toril) in Davao City.
The coastlines of the cities of Panabo and Tagum – which contain “the most dense concentrations of fish larvae in the entire gulf” – are no better. “The coral reefs, which used to be extremely rich, are already buried,” Harry D. Morris, a British-Filipino marine biologist, disclosed to EDGE Davao. “What’s left behind are mostly coral skeletons and small patches still struggling to survive.”
Mangroves and seagrasses
But it’s not only coral reefs that are on the brink of disappearance, even the mangroves and the seagrasses.
Mangroves are the counterpart of the forests of the uplands. The Davao Research Journal reported a study conducted in Barangay Bunawan, Lasang, Panacan, Matina Aplaya, 76-A, and Bago Aplaya.
The study identified a total of 34 mangrove species, of which 21 were considered true mangroves while the remaining 13 as mangrove associates. “The 21 mangrove species were very low in species richness,” the study said.
The neglected and unexplored seagrasses fare no better. A study published in Philippine Journal of Science has identified only eight seagrass species in the area where study was conducted.
“This number falls below the minimum number of ten species that make up an ideal seagrass meadow,” said the study which was conducted in the four municipalities of Davao Oriental: Banaybanay, Governor Generoso, Lupon, and San Isidro.
In Tagum City, Morris reported that some seagrasses are regularly seen trying to grow every year in small patches “but they are being wiped out during the Habagat season.”
Morris was referring to the southwest monsoon season which occurs from late June to October and is characterized by frequent heavy rainfall and humid weather.
The denudation of mangroves, destruction of coral reefs, and vanishing seagrasses are bad news for Davao Region. Like other parts of the country, the region is vulnerable to flood damage from typhoons and extreme events.
“We need to complement conservation, limit the mangrove losses that are on the conservation side,” said Dr. Severino Salmo III, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman Institute of Biology. “But it is no longer enough to provide protection against typhoons. We really need to come up with a strategic restoration program.”
German national Ulrich Kronberg, who founded the Mama Earth Foundation based in Davao, agrees. “Coastal ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs play key roles for our climate and the environment,” he pointed out.
“Mangroves are champions at capturing carbon dioxide and form a buffer against coastal erosion and storm damage, whilst healthy coral reefs can absorb wave energy and are home to nearly a quarter of the oceans’ biodiversity,” he explained. “The regeneration of both ecosystems helps them to better withstand and recover from storms and the effects of climate change.” –
