UP scientists launch global project to save coral reefs

Scientists from the University of the Philippines have embarked on a project to save coral reefs, not only in the Philippines but all over the world.

The coral reef restoration and remediation working group is one of six working groups of the Coral Reef Targeted Research and Capacity Building Management Project (CRTR&CBM), which aims to accelerate and refine a global response to the crisis faced by coral reefs worldwide.

The project is a high-priority global initiative under the Global Environmental Facility, an independent financial organization that provides grants to developing countries, and involves about 80 of the world’s leading experts from at least 50 institutions.

In Southeast Asia, the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute serves as the project’s Center of Excellence. The UPMSI, together with three other international centers of excellence in key coral regions of the world, serves as a venue for discourse among CRTR&CBM scientists.

World-renowned marine scientist Dr. Edgardo Gomez co-chairs the coral reef restoration group. He has established links with researchers, local government officials, and community leaders involved in management efforts to address the effects of human activities and climate change on what is referred to as the ocean’s rainforests.

"The CRTR&CBM aims to do several things — build capacity, finance scholarships and training, and improve the infrastructure of the centers of excellence — so that its scientists can do research that addresses local coral reef-related problems, provide training and, eventually, help other working groups in their research," Gomez said.

He added their goal is to come up with new knowledge, tools and techniques to help managers of coral reefs, especially in developing countries, "come up with informed decisions in the day-to-day management of their reef areas" and to address the severe lack of knowledge regarding such ecosystems at the level of the local stakeholders.

In the Philippines, where an estimated 10 to 15 percent of the total fish yield comes from coral reefs, these ecosystems are threatened by extinction.

"Many coral reefs are in really bad shape, primarily because of reckless coastal land use, pollution, siltation due to deforestation, and increasing numbers of fishermen, many of whom have already resorted to destructive fishing methods," Gomez said.

He pointed out that some reefs are gone and others are dying, and "the best that we can do now is slow down the degradation in the near future until we can solve or stabilize it."

Reef restoration projects involve transplanting living corals to dead or dying reefs, sometimes also restocking them with giant clams. Local communities are taught the process of restoration and educated in the care of these creatures.

Gomez said great strides have been made to restore the coral reefs, and the CRTR&CBM project is addressing issues that had not been tackled until recently.

He cited that some experts believe stress caused by human activities, pollution, and environmental perturbations have pushed corals to the breaking point, rendering them unable to fend off diseases. This phenomenon has been well-documented in the Caribbean, but has only begun to be observed in other regions of the world, such as the Philippines.

The CRTR&CBM’s modeling and decision support working group are helping educate decision makers and reef users in the biophysical and socio-economic aspects of the coral reef ecosystem, by coming out with predictive models, maps and simulations, Gomez said.

He added that technology has also helped speed up the rehabilitation of these coral reefs.

"Computers did not even exist when we were doing the coral surveys in the 1970s and ’80s. Molecular genetic tools, DNA analysis and other methods used to demonstrate linkages among marine populations did not exist then. They are entirely new," Gomez said.

Destructive human activities remain the largest contributor to reef degradation in the Philippines, according to Gomez.

"A lot of our coastal villagers depend on the reefs for their livelihood. The paradox is that they are also often the very people who destroy the reefs out of desperation," he said, adding that the growing demand for fish, not only as food but as collectibles for home aquaria and exotic offerings by high-end restaurants, has taken a heavy toll on the country’s reef system.

However, Gomez said scientists have found there are new and emerging threats to coral reefs, such as "bleaching," which is caused by changes in the earth’s climate.

He explains that unlike most animals, corals — which feed on microscopic zooplankton in the water — are also capable of producing their own food. Their living tissue contains symbiotic algae, microscopic single-celled organisms called zooxanthellae, which are like little plants growing inside their skin. It is these same algae which give the corals their bright colors.

If corals are stressed from high water temperatures and bright lights or for any other reason, this symbiotic association with the food-producing algae breaks down.

The corals become bleached, literally turning chalk white and starving to death, Gomez said, adding that bleaching and other new threats are rapidly increasing in frequency and severity.

Gomez said he is not suggesting that people stop fishing, but that they "should fish sustainably."

While there have been many good initiatives and practices in coral reef management in the Philippines, efforts have not been maximized due to poor management and the lack of a unifying vision and framework. For Gomez, this is where governance should come in.

"We have plenty of programs for people who live close to and use coral reefs. We have conservation mandates. What we need now is for local government officials to initiate community-based management strategies to tie these acts together," he said.