Coral predators, like the crown-of-thorns starfish, are among the stressors threatening the coral-rich Panaon Island in Southern Leyte. WorldOceansDay
SOUTHERN LEYTE, Philippines – Deonel Beto, 42, dives the surrounding waters off Panaon Island in Southern Leyte for a cause. He and other members of his group, the Dap-ag Boys, spend their time conducting coastal cleanups and collecting crown-of-thorns starfish , a coral predator locally known as “When I discovered diving, I knew immediately that this is what I really wanted to do. My experience with diving is amazing, but I still want to dive with a purpose,” Beto told Rappler in Cebuano.
The same paper noted that the causes of the outbreaks had yet to be determined. Several studies have also pointed out that the drivers of a COTS outbreak are still a poorly understood phenomenon. The Philippines forms part of the so-called “Coral Triangle,” an area of high marine biodiversity stretching across multiple countries in the western Pacific Ocean, where more than 250 species of hard coral and plenty of soft corals have been documented.2019 study
The survey, conducted from February to March 2021, also found that over one-third of surveyed fisherfolk are reliant on nearly all their catch for food. Thirty-five percent of them kept 81% to 100% of their daily fish catch for personal or family consumption, while 45% kept over half of their catch. Napala, who was among those commissioned by the Department of Tourism in Eastern Visayas to survey dive sites in Sogod Bay after Typhoon Odette, said their team found that most of the coral reefs were damaged, especially those located in shallow parts of the water.
“In addition to weather, corals are vulnerable to predation. Fish, marine worms, barnacles, crabs, snails and sea stars all prey on the soft inner tissues of coral polyps. In extreme cases, entire reefs can be devastated if predator populations become too high,” Napala said. “It is important to immediately address these local stressors to ensure that the current state of the reefs is maintained,” he said.There are at least 19 marine protected areas in Panaon Island initiated by local government units. These designated areas effectively improve the health of coral reefs by increasing coral cover and diversity and the fisheries of nearby areas through a spillover effect, where fish inside no-take zones in MPAs migrate to areas where they can be fished.
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