Second stop of virtual study tour continues in the Philippines

The virtual study tour titled “Ocean World: Past and Future”, organised by UTAR Division of Community and International Networking (DCInterNet) made its second stop at De La Salle University, Philippines on 21 April 2023 via Zoom.

Dr Wilfredo Y. Licuanan from De La Salle University, Philippines was invited to be the presenter for this session. The topic presented by Dr Wilfredo was “The importance and current status of Philippine coral reefs”. The session was moderated by Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) academic Kuek Thiam Yong.

Dr Wilfred is a full professor of the Biology Department and a University Fellow at De La Salle University. He was also the founding director of the Br. Alfred Shields FSC Ocean Research Center, where he conducted research as well as education and extension activities pertaining to marine ecosystems and their interface with coastal communities. Moreover, he has been surveying and monitoring coral reefs for over twenty-five years and has led research teams to many previously unstudied reefs from all around the country including the Kalayaan (Spratly) Islands (where he discovered a coral species new to science), and the Pacific Ocean coasts from Luzon to Mindanao. He is currently leading a Department of Science and Technology-funded project, undertaking a nationwide reassessment of the status of reefs.

Dr Wilfredo started his talk by introducing sea organisms, such as moon jellyfish; sea cucumber; soft corals (Xenia sp.); table coral; sea star (starfish); mushroom coral; crown of sea stars and sea urchins, and their common features. “These organisms are invertebrates; they do not have skeletons or backbone; they are radially symmetric; they do not have hard shells or vessels to cover their body. Most of them eat by filtering food floating in the water,” he said and added, “An aquatic animal that feeds on particles of organic matter suspended in the water, especially a bottom-dwelling filter feeder, is known as suspension feeder or filter feeder.”

Next, Dr Wilfredo talked about the “uneven” sunlight issue and normal sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. He stated that the marine organisms are different from land organisms because the environment in the sea is different, as the temperature in the sea does not change frequently like on the land. Thus, seawater as a medium has a good temperature buffer; is 830 times denser than air; has 60 times greater viscosity than air.

Another topic of discussion was the Tubbataha Reef, located in a protected area in the middle of the Sulu Sea of the Philippines. Dr Wilfredo said, “The coral reefs are biologically built by the corals. The coral reefs are built by coral polyps as they secrete layers of calcium carbonate beneath their bodies. Meanwhile, other plants and animals also contribute to the structure of coral reefs, such as algae, seaweed, sponges, sediment, and even molluscs like giant clams and oysters add to the architecture of coral reefs. When these organisms die, they also serve as foundations for new corals.”

“The coral reefs are important because they act as the fisheries support and habitat for biodiversity (home to a quarter of the world’s marine species); provide food to people that live near the coast and serve as natural marine barriers that protect coastal communities from high impact waves. Most importantly, medicinal components have been found in several marine species that inhabit coral reefs,” he enthused.

Dr Wilfredo also mentioned that the rising ocean temperature due to climate change has begun to bleach the corals. According to him, this could lead to coral death, and if too many reefs die, this could lead to the destruction of the marine ecosystem. Apart from that, he also stated that coral reefs can be damaged by natural disasters, such as typhoons and heavy storms. He also mentioned illegal human activities such as the spilling of oil, waste products, sewage and agricultural fertilisers can promote the growth of algae, which could smother corals and lead to their extinction.

The virtual study tour ended with an insightful Q&A and group photography session.