The scientists warned that continued nutrient buildup can greatly reduce the coral cover and diversity of the reef in the coming years.The Tubbataha Reef is globally-renowned for its high coral diversity. Recently, however, its status as a global benchmark for reef conditions within a marine protected area is under threat by notable changes in its residing species.
According to him, hard coral cover in four study sites shrunk by 1.1 percent per year from 2012 to 2019, as algal cover expanded by 1.9 percent over the same period. Rocky spaces for coral growth are steadily being overrun by sponges and cyanobacteria or “blue green algae.” He added that shifting conditions are most consistently seen at the South Atoll, where lagoon waters drain through during low tide. The atoll, which is already prone to damage from drifting logs and metal buoys, is also exposed to rising ocean temperatures and acidity.
He explained that sponges and algae can outcompete coral larvae for space to settle and impair the photosynthesis of symbionts that supply oxygen to corals while the crown-of-thorns starfish aggressively feed on coral polyps.
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