Beneath the waters of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and Benham Rise (Philippine Rise), scientists have discovered wide swathes of diverse soft corals that are reinforcing the Philippines’ status as a world hotspot of marine diversity. Specifically, the country has emerged in a recent study as one of the global centers of “zooxanthellate soft coral diversity,” according to scientist Jue Lalas, who previously served as a research associate at the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Bautista, J. (2025, July 1). Study: WPS, Benham Rise world's soft coral hot spots. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A3.