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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Over 36,000 ha of marine protected areas at risk due to Oriental Mindoro oil spill — UP experts

Over 36,000 ha of marine protected areas at risk due to Oriental Mindoro oil spill — UP experts

Published Mar 4, 2023 02:05 pm
Over 36,000 hectares of marine protected areas (MPAs) are at risk due to the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress in Oriental Mindoro, said the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Science Marine Science Institute (UPD-CS MSI) in its latest bulletin on Saturday, March 4.
Courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard

This area includes approximately 20,000 ha of coral reefs, 9,900 ha of mangroves, and 6,000 ha of seagrass. UPD-CS MSI noted that more than half, or 11,000 ha, of the potentially affected reefs, were found in the Cuyo group of islands. “Among the coastal sites that may be at risk are several marine protected areas (MPAs) including but not limited to the reefs in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro, amounting to some 1,100 ha of coral reefs. Significant seagrass beds are present in several areas, including the coastal barangays of Pola, Mansalay, Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro. Caluya Island in Northwestern Antique, which has a high possibility of being affected based on the oil spill trajectory model, also has significant areas of coral reefs (2,900 ha), mangroves (350 ha), and seagrass meadows (850 ha),” UPD-CS MSI said. “The earlier estimate of 24,000 ha coral reef was arrived at using preliminary coarse resolution data, which resulted in an overestimation,” the institute said, about a bulletin report published on Friday, March 3 stating that there was some 24,000 ha of coral reef areas are in danger in Mindoro province alone.
    Courtesy of University of the Philippines Diliman College of Science Marine Science Institute The UPD-CS MSI noted that its experts have already teamed up with UP Visayas, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for possible measures on how to address the incident. It added that the extent of the oil spill and countermeasures that will be taken depend on the type and kind of oil that was contained in the ship, “which the PCG is currently working towards identifying.” A team of representatives was also already deployed on-site to personally assess the damages. “Other efforts being done to help understand the spill include hydrodynamic modeling to determine where the oil might end up given the wind and currents in the area,” UPD-CS MSI said.
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