Macrofouler Community Succession in South Harbor, Manila Bay, Luzon Island, Philippines During the Northeast Monsoon Season of 2017–2018
Philippine Journal of Science 148 (3): 441-456, September 2019 ISSN 0031 - 7683 Date Received: 26 Mar 2019 Macrofouler Community Succession in South Harbor, Manila Bay, Luzon Island, Philippines during the Northeast Monsoon Season of 2017–2018 Claire B. Trinidad1, Rafael Lorenzo G. Valenzuela1, Melody Anne B. Ocampo1, and Benjamin M. Vallejo, Jr.2,3* 1Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila, Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila 1000 Philippines 2Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines 3Science and Society Program, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines Manila Bay is one of the most important bodies of water in the Philippines. Within it is the Port of Manila South Harbor, which receives international vessels that could carry non-indigenous macrofouling species. This study describes the species composition of the macrofouling community in South Harbor, Manila Bay during the northeast monsoon season. Nine fouler collectors designed by the North Pacific Marine Sciences Organization (PICES) were submerged in each of five sampling points in Manila Bay on 06 Oct 2017. Three collection plates from each of the five sites were retrieved every four weeks until 06 Feb 2018. Identification was done via morphological and CO1 gene analysis. A total of 18,830 organisms were classified into 17 families. For the first two months, Amphibalanus amphitrite was the most abundant taxon; in succeeding months, polychaetes became the most abundant. This shift in abundance was attributed to intraspecific competition within barnacles and the recruitment of polychaetes.
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