Coral reef restoration involving local communities in the Philippines (IWC5 Presentation)

Coral reef restoration involving local communities in the Philippines

E. D. Gomez, Ph.D.Coordinator, Southeast Asia Center of Excellence

GEF-WB Coral Reef Targeted Research Program

Professor Emeritus, The Marine Science InstituteUniversity of the Philippines

How do we improve reef resilience?

Reduce fishing effort

Eliminate destructive fishing

Reduce coastal pollution

Establish marine protected areas (MPAs)

Initiate Restoration/Rehabilitation of reefs

Restoration strategy used in Bolinao, Philippines

used a well-studied and highly successful transplant species: Porites cylindrica targeted dead bommies of this species used sustainable transplant material

“corals of opportunity” fragments from experimental transplants

(research)

involved the stakeholders (local community)used low-cost technologyrepeated incrementally as materials became available

Sources of sustainable transplant materials

“Corals of opportunity”• coral fragments broken off intact colonies by natural

events or accidents• found loose on the reef and in danger of burial or abrasion

or death

Transplant material from previous experimental transplants used in research

• taken from 2.5-year old transplants from earlier experiments

• <50% of each colony (N.B. Not from natural population, where the best practice is to use <10% of each donor colony)

Restoration strategystep-wise increments

involve the local communitygive lectures on coral biology and ecologyprovide coral transplantation trainingconduct actual transplantation

Community-based

restoration

Local divers in action

April 2008

March 2009

1st transplantation (April 2008)

…one year later

Sep 2008

Mar 2009

2nd transplantation (September 2008)

Results of the 2nd transplantation (September 2008), as an example

51 3782 66

129 122

200 11464 79

200 140

69 83200

122

53 56

36 22 3410 19 22

97 89 97

40 31 32

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%S

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Oct

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Dec

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Mar

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Sep

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Oct

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Dec

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Sep

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Oct

ober

Dec

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Mar

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Site A Site B Site C

Mean

% o

f T

ran

sp

lan

ts

self-attached unattached dead unaccounted

Training for setting up nursery rescue stations for corals of opportunity for future use

set up coral “rescue stations” inside MPAsuse “corals of opportunity”use low-cost materials

April 3, 2008 March 19, 2009 September 25, 2009

A

B

T=0 T=11 m T=17 m

Community-based coral transplantation

Species other than coral for restocking

PurposePrioritiesCostsBenefitsExamples

Collaborator deploying juveniles for grow out in Samal,Davao.

Giant clam re-stocking

CORAL TRANSPLANTATION AND GIANT CLAM

RESTOCKING AT THE HUNDRED ISLANDS

NATIONAL PARK, PHILIPPINES - PTA Project

2000-2002 Source: UPMSI Giant Clam Laboratory

• Supplemental source of livelihood for fishers

• Heightens local environ- mental awareness

• Fosters community participation/ cooperation

• Develops local resources management capabilities

Community-based sea urchin grow-out culture

Viable resource management tool together with

reseeding of protected areas

Source: UPMSI Marine Invertebrates Laboratory

Terima kasih!

GEF-Restoration and Remediation Working Group

European Union, 6th Framework Project (Number 510657)

REEFRES: Developing ubiquitous practices for restoration of Indo-Pacific reefs

Marine Environment and Resources Foundation, Inc., Philippines