At Apo Island in Dauin, Negros Oriental Int'l expert lauds condition of coral reefs

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – Professor Terence Hughes of James Cook University in Australia has commended the present condition of the coral reefs at the world-renowned dive destination in Apo Island of Dauin town, Negros Oriental.

Hughes, also the convener of the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) to be held next month in Cairns, Australia, was in Dumaguete on Friday to speak at Silliman University on “Scale, Stock-Recruitment Dynamics and the Global Decline of Coral Reefs,” part of the Scientist in Schools Lecture of the Australian Embassy in Manila.

In an interview following his lecture, Hughes said he was impressed with the “incredibly beautiful,” vibrant and diverse coral reefs in Apo Island during a dive visit there Thursday.

He noted at least 60 to 80 percent coral cover in Apo Island, in what he further described as “incredibly diverse as I’ve ever seen in other parts of the Coral Triangle.” Some 60 species that are not found in Australia, even though there are 350 species on the Great Barrier Reef, were also seen in Apo Island, he said.

Apo Island is very famous among coral reef researchers and managers and is the location of an ongoing study and collaboration between Filipino and Australian researchers, Hughes said.

“Looking at the effectiveness of no-take areas that are initiated and maintained by local people, Apo Island is really a good example of how local communities can sustainably manage their coral reefs and gain the long term benefits that coral reefs can give to them,” he said.

Hughes however said that, while the coral reefs are in very good condition, there is now a need to increase the level of fish on the reefs in this island, which he said was quite low.

Coral reefs can look incredibly healthy but without any fish left, and after a disturbance, such as a typhoon or a bleaching event due to global warming, the reefs can lose their capacity to bounce back because of the role fish play in the recovery of corals, he said.

Hughes cited the herbivores or some types of fish, such as the parrot fish, that eat seaweed, thus preventing blooms after a typhoon or bleaching event due to global warming. Fish is important not just for the fisheries value that they provide but also for the overall health of the eco-system, he said.

“We have seen reefs around the world where fish have long since been depleted. So we need to manage the fish for their ecological role as well as sustaining fisheries,” said Hughes.

Hughes’ visit was his first in the Philippines where he has given five lectures around the country and met with coral reef researches and people working on the Coral Triangle Initiative, of which the Philippines is a part of, the most diverse region in the world.

In Manila, Hughes delivered lectures at the UP-Marine Science Institute and the Philippine Science High School.

The Australian Embassy’s Scientists in Schools program aims to bring an Australian scientist each year to Philippine universities and high schools to help raise appreciation for science education, research, and innovation as a path to development.

Scientists in Schools program was launched in May 2011 at the UP College of Medicine with distinguished Australian scientist and cervical cancer vaccine pioneer, Professor Ian Frazer, together with the Department of Science and Technology.