Complete Details about TUBBATAHA REEF

The name 'Tubbataha' is a Samal word for "long reef exposed at low tide". Samals are seafaring people of the Sulu Sea. Cagayanen people who are more geographically associated with Tubbataha Reefs referred the Park as 'gusong'. Location Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) lies in the middle of the Sulu Sea and falls under the political jurisdiction of Cagayancillo, an island municipality situated 130km to the north. The park is around 150km southeast of Puerto Princesa City - capital of the Province of Palawan - the usual jump-off point for visitors and dive boats going to Tubbataha. It is composed of the North and South atolls and the Jessie Beazley Reef. Formation The coral atolls of Tubbataha and Jessie Beazley began to form thousands of years ago as fringing reefs of volcanic islands along the Cagayan Ridge. Over millennia - as the volcanoes became extinct and the islands sunk into the ocean depths - only the corals remained and they continued to grow upwards towards the sunlight. History Tubbataha is well known to fishermen of the southern Philippines but until the late 1970s, Cagayanons were the primary users of the reefs' resources. During the summer, they would make fishing trips to Tubbataha in fleets of traditional wooden sailboats. Tubbataha's isolation and its susceptibility to harsh weather once protected it from over-exploitation. But by the 1980s, fishermen from other parts of the Philippines started exploiting Tubbataha in motorized boats, many using destructive fishing techniques to maximize their catch. In 1988 - in response to a vigorous campaign by Philippine scuba divers and environmentalists alike - President Corazon Aquino declared Tubbataha a National Marine Park. BiodiversityTubbataha Reefs Natural Park is home to no less than: · 573 species of fish · 379 species of corals (about half of all coral species in the world) · 11 species of sharks · 12 species of dolphins & whales · Nesting Hawksbill & Green sea turtles · Over 100 species of birds The park contains roughly 10,000 hectares of coral reef, lying at the heart of the Coral Triangle - the centre of global marine biodiversity. Larvael Dispersal In 2007, the University of the Philippines in the Visayas conducted a study on the distribution and dispersal of fish larvae in the Sulu Sea. The study reveals that Jessie Beazley and Tubbataha Reefs are sources of coral and fish larvae, seeding the greater Sulu Sea. This is of huge significance, since the Philippines - the second largest archipelago in the world - relies heavily on its marine resources for livelihood and food. Management The Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board (TPAMB) is the multi-sector body that formulates policies for Tubbataha. Established in 1999, it is made up of a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sector. The Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) - based in Puerto Princesa City - serves as its TPAMB's executive arm, carrying out day-to-day park management. In the Management Plan formulated by the TPAMB, the following programs and strategies where identified to effectively conserve and protect the Park: Conservation Management. · Conserving and protecting the park requires prudent use of human and other resources to maximize scarce financial assets by a competent organization that practices the principles of adaptive management. Activities such as law enforcement and tourism fall under this program. Conservation Awareness. · This program aims to promote awareness, generate support and achieve voluntary compliance with regulations. It seeks to foster a holistic view of the park ecosystem as an interrelated and interdependent system, thus engender a sense of stewardship towards the marine environment Ecosystem Research and Monitoring. · A regular, uninterrupted monitoring regime and dependable scientific assessments provide inputs for anticipating potential problems and serve as basis for decision-making. Sustainable Resource Management. · This strategy is being implemented in the island municipality of Cagayancillo in order to conserve biodiversity and maintain marine resource productivity to enhance living standards in the locality and serve as a disincentive to fishing within TRNP. These Two Management Bodies Protect Tubbataha in a Number of Ways · Law enforcement · Conservation management · Regular ecosystem research and monitoring · Information & education programs on local, national and international levels · Supporting the municipality of Cagayancillo - which has political jurisdiction over Tubbataha - in their coastal resource management Education Education is a key part of Tubbataha's management program. It is essential to get stakeholders participate in attaining management objectives. The TRNP 3-year IEC Plan thrust is to raise awareness on marine biodiversity conservation to develop an active public constituency for Tubbataha Reefs. Key message was identified for a particular audience, who has direct and direct influence to the Park - such as divers, youths, fishermen and local legislators - to let them know about the value of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. The Tubbataha Management Office also gives briefings on dive boats going to Tubbataha, helping visiting divers to become more environmentally conscious. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is currently part of the line-up in the search for the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Scientific Research Scientists have been visiting Tubbataha for over 20 years. In 1982, a combined team from the Philippine Government and Marine Science Institute conducted one of the first scientific surveys of the reefs. But it was not until 1997 that the research and monitoring of Tubbataha was standardized, allowing data to be successfully compared over the years. Six main areas of research have now been established: · Fish · Corals · Sea Birds · Sea Grasses · Marine Plankton · Marine Mammals (Cetaceans) The World Wildlife Fund has also carried out studies in Tubbataha concerning the effect of climate change on coral reef ecosystems. Researchers normally visit the reef during the summer months of April to June or during the monsoon break in September/October. They have set up seven permanent transect sites for benthic and fish community surveys at depths of 5m and 10m. The research and monitoring program includes sites in Tubbataha and Jessie Beazley Reefs - inside Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park - as well as on Bastera Reef and around the islands of Cagayancillo - outside the park. This range allows marine scientists to compare data from protected and unprotected areas - crucial information in analysing the effectiveness of the park. For more information on scientific reserches in Tubbataha Reefs, plese contact the Tubbataha Management Office. Threats to Tubbataha Coral reefs are among the most threatened ecosystems on our planet… The Philippines is considered a 'Biodiversity Hotspot', one of the world's most biologically rich countries - but also among the most threathened. Until comparatively recently, Tubbataha's remote location and susceptibility to harsh weather acted as a natural barrier against exploitation by humans. But by the 1980s, the decline of fisheries in other parts of the Philippines forced fishermen to look to Tubbataha as a source of revenue. This coincided with their increased use of motorised boats - rather than paddle or sailboats - which gave them easier access to the reefs. Larger vessels from China and Taiwan also started to visit Tubbataha, hauling in large catches. Many fishers resorted to using destructive fishing techniques to maximise catch during their trips to Tubbataha. This included the use of dynamite to blast reef areas - allowing the easy capture of all marine life - destroying entire ecosystems. Some fishers also used cyanide solution, a poison that dazes fish and kills corals. In 1988 Tubbataha was declared a National Marine Park - fishing within the park boundaries was made illegal and the reefs ceased to be under such a constant barrage of unimpeded destruction. Even so, illegal fishing remained a problem and constant vigilance was required to ensure the park's safety. In 1997 the present ranger station was built. Since then the year-round presence of park rangers in Tubbataha has been of immense help in the battle against illegal fishing. Still, each year, there are a number of apprehensions of local or foreign fishermen trying to escape their vigilance. To this day, the struggle to protect Tubbataha continues... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the cause of the deterioration of the tubbataha reef is when people pollute and use dynamite. the cause of the deterioration of the tubbataha reef is when people pollute and use dynamite.

Resources

Top Categories

Product

Company