Impacts of Climate Change to Philippines Marine Ecosystem
Seventy percent of Philippine communities are located in coastal areas thus The Philippines is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
The increase in temperature is already is causing irregular monsoon and extreme weather events in recent decades that devastate the fishery sectors.
The warming of sea water often associated with El Niño episodes have caused coral bleaching on massive scales never seen before. In the Philippines, the case of the El Nido reefs is instructive. Despite being one of the better managed reefs in the country, what used to be a diverse reef with 60-70% coral cover is now down to 5-10% after the devastating coral bleaching event during the 1997-1998 El Niño. It has not recovered to date. Nationwide, the 1998 coral bleaching event decreased live coral cover by as much as 49%.
The sea surface temperature (SST) in Bolinao during the same period ranged between 34.1 °C to 34.9 °C, killing a large number of giant clams.
Moreover, the increased concentration of dissolved CO2 in seawater will lower its pH, which in turn will alter ocean carbonate chemistry resulting to decreased calcification in corals, mollusks and other shell-forming organisms.
High SSTs also trigger algal blooms that cause red tides as well as fish kills.
Further, high SSTs disturb upwelling, depriving fish of vital nutrients necessary for survival and growth.
These climate-related impacts will devastate Philippine fisheries and the mercury and lead emissions from coal-fired power plants, particularly in the inner seas of the Visayas will probably render whatever remains of our fisheries unfit for human consumption. The advent of climate change just made the challenges to our mission more complex
The increase in temperature is already is causing irregular monsoon and extreme weather events in recent decades that devastate the fishery sectors.
The warming of sea water often associated with El Niño episodes have caused coral bleaching on massive scales never seen before. In the Philippines, the case of the El Nido reefs is instructive. Despite being one of the better managed reefs in the country, what used to be a diverse reef with 60-70% coral cover is now down to 5-10% after the devastating coral bleaching event during the 1997-1998 El Niño. It has not recovered to date. Nationwide, the 1998 coral bleaching event decreased live coral cover by as much as 49%.
The sea surface temperature (SST) in Bolinao during the same period ranged between 34.1 °C to 34.9 °C, killing a large number of giant clams.
Moreover, the increased concentration of dissolved CO2 in seawater will lower its pH, which in turn will alter ocean carbonate chemistry resulting to decreased calcification in corals, mollusks and other shell-forming organisms.
High SSTs also trigger algal blooms that cause red tides as well as fish kills.
Further, high SSTs disturb upwelling, depriving fish of vital nutrients necessary for survival and growth.
These climate-related impacts will devastate Philippine fisheries and the mercury and lead emissions from coal-fired power plants, particularly in the inner seas of the Visayas will probably render whatever remains of our fisheries unfit for human consumption. The advent of climate change just made the challenges to our mission more complex
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