Hinatuan Mining Corp. (HMC), a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC), has announced the success of its coral nursery project on the island of Hinatuan in Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte. The coral nursery initiative, designed and implemented by HMC’s Mine Environmental Protection and Enhancement Department (MEPEO), aims to further enhance the growth of the natural coral reef systems around the marine waters of the island, said Forester Manuel A. Torres, Jr., HMC’s MEPEO lead and Envi-Manager. For Jusua dela Peña, HMC’s dedicated marine biologist, success means that in less than a year of establishing the nursery, initially with 343 coral fragments in four nursery beds, the coral fragments have fully recovered with an excellent growth rate and a yield of 90% survival against a mortality rate of 10%.

Hinatuan Mining coral garden project a success. (2020, July 24). Manila Standard, p. A4.