Southern Coral Reef Conservation Project (SLCRCP)

Monthly Project Update

September 2014

Location: Napantao Dive Resort, Napantao, San Francisco,

Project Scientist: Charlie Wiseman ([email protected])

SLRCP Project Aim The Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project (SLCRCP) is a collaborative project to protect the coral reefs of Sogod Bay. The programme provides training Contents and conservation education opportunities for local Filipinos, as part of an  Latest news integrated programme to develop local capacity and ensure the long-term  Story of the Month protection and sustainable use of marine resources throughout the region. Coral  Educational & Cay Conservation (CCC) is working at the invitation of and in partnership with the Community Projects Provincial Government of Southern Leyte and the Philippine Reef & Rainforest  Survey Update Conservation Foundation Inc. (PRRCFI). Coral Cay Conservation provides the  Marine Scholarship resources to help sustain livelihoods and alleviate poverty through the protection, News restoration and management of coral reefs and tropical forests.  Marine Creature of the month

Latest News CCC attends the 1st Southern Leyte Tourism Summit

On the 26th September, the day before World Tourism Day, CCC’s Project Scientist (Charlie Wiseman) and Science Officer (Alan Kavanagh) visited the capital of Southern Leyte, Maasin City, to attend the province’s first annual Tourism Summit. The event started early with dance performances from local universities to celebrate the arrival of Hon. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Senator of the Republic of the Philippines. The people of Southern Leyte were extremely excited to welcome such a preeminent guest. The summit began with an inspiring speech from the Senator about the numerous prospects of Southern Leyte as a growing tourist destination. He emphasised the Hon. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Senator of the Republic of the importance of advertising and pursuing the Philippines and Gov. Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte taking their st seats at the 1 Southern Leyte Tourism Summit

Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project Philippines, September 2014 right tourist market, discussed the growing number of Filipino tourists desperate to explore their own country and the significance of reliable transport links for successful tourism operations. He then opened up the summit to a panel of discussion where stakeholders from all sectors could ask him questions. The session was extremely diverse, involving such topics as “the potential for Island as a tourist attraction”, “the prospect of establishing a wind farm on Limasawa Island” and “the importance of educating tourist attraction staff”. The afternoon was divided into three sessions of lectures provided by various stakeholder experts, each followed by panels of discussion. The first session addressed “Southern Leyte’s tourism role within the since Yolanda” and “The integration of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a boon or bane for local tourism”. The second session contained the topics “Success of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Cebu” and “The role of social media in tourism promotions”. The final session discussed “Sogod Bay as the next dive mecca of the Philippines” and “Mt. Nacolod as the next major ecotourism destination in the Eastern Visayas/Philippines”. Discussions after each session were full of passion and centred on the main tourist attraction of Southern Leyte, SCUBA diving in Sogod Bay. With such an emphasis upon diving to attract tourists to Southern Leyte, it is apparent that the appropriate protection of dive sites and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is vital to the success of the province’s tourism industry. If such areas are not suitably managed and consequently overfished and damaged, Southern Leyte will lose its main tourist attraction.

Story of the Month CCC welcomes new staff

CCC is thrilled to announce the arrival of our new Medical Officer, James Mercer and our new SCUBA instructor, Amy Hornett. James Mercer first learnt to dive at the age of 14 in the cold waters of the Irish Sea. In 2011, during a gap year in his medical degree at Liverpool University (UK), James first volunteered with CCC in the Philippines and then Cambodia. He has always loved SCUBA diving and obtained his Divemaster qualification in between survey work in the Philippines. Graduating in 2012 he has worked as a junior doctor in East Lancashire (UK) for two years. He is now taking some time out from formal training to follow his passion for diving and expedition medicine by returning to work in the Philippines. James plans to become an A&E doctor, specialising in pre- hospital care and expedition medicine, so his time as Medical Officer in the Philippines will provide him with great experience. Amy Hornett’s first taste of expedition life was with CCC in Cambodia as the resident SCUBA Instructor. She loved it so much that she has also returned to join the Philippines team. Since swapping life in a London advertising agency for one beneath the waves, she has taught people to dive all around the world. It wasn’t until working for a marine conservation organisation, however, that Amy began to fully appreciate how much there is to know about the ocean and how much it needs CCC is excited to welcome our new SCUBA our protection. She looks forward to helping CCC achieve their Instructor, Amy Hornett and our new Medical conservation goals in the Philippines. Officer, James Mercer.

Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project Philippines, September 2014

Education and Community Projects CCC attends an art competition arranged by San Francisco High School’s (CAASAFI) Environmental Committee

On the 30th September Charlie Wiseman (Project Scientist) and Amy Hornett (SCUBA Instructor) attended an art competition at San Francisco High School (CAASAFI). The competition was arranged by the school’s environmental committee, which was established after the school’s completion of 3 CCC Seastar Environmental Award Scheme (SEAS) lectures. Students were given 2 hours to complete a poster in any media to portray their interpretation of the theme “Environment”. It was great fun to watch the students develop their ideas and draw a variety of different pictures under the Filipino sun. Pictures varied from rice paddy landscapes with mountainous backdrops to underwater seascapes. Some of the most thought provoking posters included important messages such Amy Hornett (SCUBA Instructor) judges entries to the art as “Save Our Mother Earth” and depicted scenes of competition held by San Francisco High School’s (CAASAFI) healthy, well-protected environments in contrast to Environmental Committee polluted environments where organisms were no longer able to survive. The results of the competition will be announced on Friday the 10th October during a special prize giving ceremony, which will include certificates displaying the Environmental Committee’s unique new logo.

Survey Update Survey background: Since January 2013, survey efforts have been focused on assessing potential and existing Marine Protected Areas in Sogod Bay to provide appropriate management recommendations. To do this CCC uses an expanded version of the Reef Check protocol, which has been customised to perfectly fit our work in Sogod Bay. Prior to this a baseline appraisal of marine resources in Sogod Bay was carried out. If you would like more information about our surveying please contact our Project Scientist, Charlie Wiseman.

This month CCC completed surveying the beautiful barangay waters of Nueva Estrella Norte, in . The team are very excited to complete the survey report and present their CCC staff and volunteers utilise SCUBA equipment to survey the coral findings to the barangay in October. Currently, reef of Nueva Estrella Norte commercially important fish species in the area appear small in size and low in abundance. The proper implementation of an MPA in the barangay would help fish stocks recover and local fisheries to thrive. CCC hopes to see Nueva Estrella Norte’s waters flourishing under

Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project Philippines, September 2014 protection in the near future. Whilst the report for Nueva Estrella Norte is written up, CCC staff and volunteers have started surveying the reefs inside and outside of Napantao’s MPA. The bi-annual study of this reef will help CCC to assess the effects of MPAs upon reef health and the adequacy of protection efforts in the region.

Scientific reports from all of CCC’s sites around the world are available on our website at http://www.coralcay.org/science-research/scientific-reports/.

Marine Scholarship News

Each month CCC offers Filipino nationals who display an ambition to study and protect the vital marine ecosystems of the Philippines an opportunity to take part in our Marine Conservation Scholarship. The programme lasts for one month and involves training in SCUBA diving to the level of PADI Advanced Open Water. Scholars then take part in an intensive Skills Development Programme giving them the knowledge and expertise to conduct sub-marine surveys of the coastline.

In the third week of September, our two new scholars Jyle Vergara and Jo Annie Corvera eagerly joined the CCC scholarship programme. Jyle is currently studying economics at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, where she also plans on completing a Masters in environmental science. She hopes to combine her experience from both degrees to develop strategies for the valuation of natural resources, which can then be used in MPA management plans. She is excited to learn more about the marine environment and conservation schemes during her time on the CCC scholarship programme. Jo Annie attended the Institute of Aquaculture at the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of the Philippines Visayas, Miago, Iloilo. She completed her BSc in marine fisheries in 2006 CCC scholars Jyle Vergara and Jo Annie Corvera and her MSc in Marine Affairs in 2011. She now works as a prepare to dive Napantao reef to complete their research assistant for the university investigating the application Skills Development Programme of GIS for the prediction of Fish kill alongside Dr. Crispino A. Saclauso. She is excited to expand upon her experience of marine ecosystem assessments by taking part in the CCC Skills Development Programme and learning how to conduct SCUBA surveys of coral reefs.

If you would like to apply for the CCC Marine Conservation Scholarship programme or read more about it, please visit: http://www.coralcay.org/volunteer/scholarship-opportunities/

Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project Philippines, September 2014

Marine Creature of the Month!

CCC’s “Marine Creature of the Month” is the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas). Only seven species of marine turtle exist globally, all of which are listed as “Threatened” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The green sea turtle is the second largest of the seven, capable of weighing up to 230kg and measuring a maximum of 120cm in length. Individuals have been shown to migrate extremely large distances (>2,600km) between foraging and nesting sites, using their strong front flippers to propel themselves through the water. The protection of known nesting beaches is crucial for the survival of sea turtles because females are highly likely to return to the beach they hatched from to lay their eggs. The nesting process for green sea turtles can take anything from 1 to 7 hours, depending on their level of disturbance whilst on the beach. Females use their large front flippers to haul themselves up onto the sand to a suitable nest site above the low tide mark. They then use their smaller rear flippers to delicately dig a deep chamber in the sand, large enough to hold up to 200 eggs. Females lay anything from 50 to 200 eggs in a single clutch, depending upon their age and size. Incubation of the eggs takes roughly 2 months. Tiny hatchlings will then dig their way free of their nest and scurry haphazardly across the beach towards the sea.

Learn More! To learn more about the CCC Philippines project, to join the expedition, or to find out about local marine scholarships, visit www.coralcay.org.