The country’s ecologically fragile coral reefs are on the verge of extinction. But despite this, they are not getting the attention they deserve. Right now, there is a lack of updated information on the present status of our coral reefs. The most recent study — the Nationwide Assessment of Philippine Coral Reefs — was published in the Philippine Journal of Science in 2017. Based on live coral cover, more than 90 percent of the sampled reefs were in the “poor” and “fair” categories. “So far, the mean hard coral cover of the country at 22 percent is comparable with that of the Indo-Pacific region, but much lower than previous estimates for the Philippines,” the study said.

Tacio, H. D. (2024, January 22). Coral reefs: Going, going, gone?. Daily Tribune, p. G38.