Tubbataha Reef Natural Park declared a World Heritage Site in 1994, lies in the global center of marine biodiversity. The two atoll reefs that form Tubbataha are the best regional example of a well-protected, no fishing, marine park that contains a very diverse and abundant array of fish, corals and other animals in clear and pollution free waters.

Expedition Location

The 2014 expedition was held at Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea, Philippines a premier diving destination in Southeast Asia that lies in the global center of marine biodiversity. The Tubbataha Reef Natural Park covers 130,028 and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1994. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100-m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands. The two atoll reefs that form Tubbataha are the best regional example of a well-protected, no fishing, marine park that contains a very diverse and abundant array of fish, corals and other animals in clear and pollution free waters. This diving site is rated among the top ten in the world.

It plays a key role in the process of reproduction, dispersal and colonization by marine organisms in the whole Sulu Sea system, and helps support fisheries outside its boundaries. The property is a natural laboratory for the study of ecological and biological processes, displaying the ongoing process of coral reef formation, and supporting a large number of marine species dependant on reef ecosystems.

Expedition Purpose

The purpose of the reef monitoring expedition was to determine the coral reef condition within the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park and several surrounding reefs including Jessie Beasley Reefs in comparison to monitoring data collected in 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000, 1996, 1992, 1989 and 1984 using similar methods. The expedition results will support the current management of Tubbataha Reef Natural Park and indicate effectiveness of protection from illegal fishing and improper tourism activities in the area.

What data was collected?

The dive volunteers and staff will make surveys to document the status of the coral reefs in Tubbataha Reef Natural Park by collecting the following information:

Percent bottom cover of living coral
Percent bottom cover of non-living reef substrates (e.g. rock, rubble, sand, dead coral)
Percent bottom cover of other living substrates (e.g. seagrass, algae, sponges)
Fish species diversity per unit area
Total number of fish individuals per unit area
Total number of fish species on the reef
Number of indicator species per unit area (e.g. butterflyfish, giant clams, lobsters, Triton shells, Crown-of-thorns seastars and others)
Presence of large marine life (e.g. sharks, manta rays, Bumphead wrasses, sea turtles,
whales and dolphins, and others)
Causes of coral damage
Presence of visitors of intruders in the area
Effectiveness of management protection in the area

All the data collected on this trip was summarised in the following report and disseminated to all interested parties in the Philippines and elsewhere. It is helping guide and improve management efforts and give us all an indications of the condition of the reefs in Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, Sulu Sea, Philippines

The Results

Covering 97,000 hectares in the epicenter of global marine biodiversity, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and World Heritage Site is one of the greatest Philippine natural treasures. Its global ecological importance is recognized as studies show that it is a source of larvae for the fishing grounds and coral reefs in the Sulu Sea and in western Palawan Island. The atoll reefs are also home to thousands of marine species that attract scuba diving tourists and researchers from all over the world to enjoy the diversity of underwater life that Tubbataha offers.

This report is an analysis of the condition of the Tubbataha Reefs benthic and fish fauna, at seven selected and recognized dive sites within the protected area. Live hard coral ranged from fair to good. The highest percentage live hard coral (LHC) was recorded at SR-1 (53.63% ± 2.84) for the shallow reef and NR-2 (58.56% ± 4.59) for the deep reef. Despite a Crown-of thorns breakout at NR-2 in 2009 and the major 1998 ENSO bleaching episode, overall the survey sites displayed stable or increasing trends in live hard coral cover.

For fish, the biomass per unit area increased in every site with the highest on Lighthouse Reef (SR1) at 538.4 kg/500m2. In contrast, a general decline in fish densities (number per unit area) was observed in most sites. Factors that contributed to this decline are likely to be: 1) variation in spatial distribution of fish communities throughout the sites, and 2) an important newly apparent phenomena of an increasing biomass of larger predator type of fish that are feeding on smaller fish and thus reducing the total number of fish observed.

Butterflyfish species seen totaled 31 which is comparable with past years. Although there was a slight rise in number of target fish/500m2 in all of the study sites of Tubbataha reefs since 2012, the general trend in the mean fish density for all reef fish species was declining. However, fish species richness for target fish species and all reef fish species have shown significant increases since 2012. For very large marine life, there have been increases in the number of turtles, sharks, and Humphead wrasse sightings over the past 10 years with 2014 being no exception.

With the 2007 addition of Jessie Beazley Reef to the marine park, and with its inclusion in regular patrolling, an improvement in this site is evident in 2014. Since 2012, Jessie Beazley had a small decrease of LHC (45.73% ± 4.12) in the shallow reef. Fish density of target species (219 fish/500m2) increased significantly in 2014 and there was a small increase in all reef species density of 1,565 fish/500m2 in 2014 compared to 1,529 fish/500m2 in 2012 (Table 22).

In conclusion, our research team agrees that Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park continues to be a proud legacy of the Tubbataha Management Office and its Park Rangers. As an important and rich marine resource, it continues to lend hope to the Philippines in sustaining food security and increasing eco-tourism. It is evident from the surveys in April 2014 that the reef and fish resources of Tubbataha continue to thrive as evidenced by increasing fish biomass in all survey sites which indicates that the Park protection and patrol team of rangers continue to do an excellent job despite the remote location of Tubbataha. Finally, it is important to maintain and improve efforts in patrolling, education, and research to maintain the already resilient protected area to overcome future challenges from increasing tourism, shipping in the Sulu Sea and other possible threats.

The Organisation

Coastal Conservation & Education Foundation

Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the management and sustainable use of Philippine coastal resources through active leadership and participation of coastal communities and stakeholders. Driven by its passion to create sustainable coasts and actively engage communities, CCEF develops and disseminate tools, techniques and research for better marine management, while promoting integrated coastal management approach that includes marine protected areas (MPAs) localized law enforcement and other participatory best practices.

Find out more info here: https://www.coast.ph/

SPR Tubbataha, Philippines 2014