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National Committee on Marine Sciences (NCMS)

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  • Vegetative dynamics and sexual reproduction of monospecific Thalassia hemprichii meadows in the Kalayaan Island Group
    Rollon, Rene N.; Cayabyab, Napo M.; Fortes, Miguel D. (Elsevier BV, 2001-11)
    We surveyed eight offshore islands and shoals in the Philippine Kalayaan Island Group. The aims were to (1) map the distribution, (2) evaluate the demographic status, (3) elucidate the vegetative growth dynamics, and (4) quantify the sexual reproductive capacity of Thalassia hemprichii meadows in the region. We combined age reconstruction techniques and in situ estimations to attain such goals. We found T. hemprichii meadows only in Pag-asa Island. These meadows were generally young (mean age <1 year) and rapidly expanding (net recruitment ∼0.8 ln units per year). This was consistent with the horizontal rhizome apices being dense (162–334 apex m−2) and fast-spreading (36–56 cm per apex per year). The results for in situ measurements of plastochron interval (9.2 days), and relative leaf (3.7 cm2 cm−2 per shoot per day) and areal growth rates (2.3–2.7 cm2 per shoot per day) were similar to those of previous studies. The variation in the vertical internodal lengths showed a unimodal annual trend more distinctly in the south than in the north station, suggesting local, small-scale differences in environmental conditions between stations. Flower production was clearly seasonal, peaking around January 1999. Fruiting (128–134 m−2) and seedling recruitment (22–32 m−2) values were high, indicating a substantial contribution of sexual reproduction to the rapid expansion or meadow maintenance. The apparent disjunct occurrence of such young and highly reproductive meadows in the region merits further investigation.
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    Sexual reproduction in the soft coral Lobophytum schoedei in Bolinao‐Anda Reef Complex, Pangasinan, northwestern Philippines
    Baran, Christine C.; Baria‐Rodriguez, Maria Vanessa (Wiley, 2021-04-02)
    The characterization of early life-history strategies of soft corals is important in understanding population maintenance, replenishment, and recovery in disturbed coral reefs. This study examined the sexual reproduction of the soft coral Lobophytum schoedei in the Bolinao-Anda Reef Complex (BARC), a degraded reef in northwestern Philippines. Reproductive strategies such as sexuality, sex ratio, fecundity, and reproductive timing were examined. Random colonies of L. schoedei were sampled a few weeks before the predicted time of spawning to assess fecundity (n = 73 colonies), and sexuality and sex ratio (n = 221 colonies). Monthly sampling of tagged colonies of L. schoedei (n = 20) was done over 13 months to determine the reproductive timing through polyp dissection. Peak of annual spawning was inferred based on the presence of large gametes and their absence in the next sampling period. Results showed that L. schoedei is a gonochoric broadcast spawner with 1:1.1 sex ratio. Although oogenesis and spermatogenesis exhibited overlapping cycles, both gametes matured and spawned in April, coinciding with increasing sea surface temperature. Prior to spawning, oocytes and spermaries ranged 300–633 µm and 150–337 µm in diameter, respectively. Mean female fecundity was 6.7 ± 3.9 oocytes per polyp and male fecundity was 39.2 ± 22.5 (±SD) spermaries per polyp. Some of these results, including the low number of oocytes produced by female polyps, may be caused by sexual reproduction in a degraded reef environment. Understanding these reproductive traits may be useful for predicting the resiliency of populations of L. schoedei in response to ongoing and future environmental change.
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    Institutional dimensions of coral reef restoration in the Philippines
    Matorres, Dane Erlo; Fabinyi, Michael; Horigue, Vera; Novilla, Carmela Therese; Baria-Rodriguez, Maria Vanessa (Elsevier, 2024)
    While the Philippines is mostly known for its experiences on marine protected areas, local governments and non-government organizations are increasingly using coral restoration with the aim of rehabilitating degraded reef areas. Since the establishment of artificial reefs in the 1970s, the application, techniques and corresponding policy directives for reef restoration have evolved over time, and restoration has recently generated significant interest and investments from donors and government agencies. As the Philippines does not have a policy framework to support effective and sustainable practices for the use of different coral restoration techniques, the increase and unregulated use of restoration may result in unintended consequences and pose potential challenges to coastal management. To address this gap, we conducted a review of existing coral restoration policies, programs and projects across the country, with a focus on social, economic and governance aspects. The study collated existing published literature and unpublished information on coral restoration in the country, and conducted key informant interviews. The results show that coral restoration continues to increase, and that existing guidelines on coral restoration are poorly implemented and not widely understood among practitioners. While coral restoration projects reported ecological benefits, socio-economic impacts are limited. The evidence supports the need to review existing policies and contextualize coral restoration to contribute to relevant policy decisions about the restoration and protection of reefs.