Initial findings of the nationwide assessment of reef benthos

The National Assessment of Coral Reef Environments (NACRE) Program is the first endeavour of its kind since the late 1970s.  This Department of Science and Technology -funded research program seeks provide the basis for an updated picture of the current state of Philippine reefs. NACRE's SHINE (Synoptic investigations of Human Impact on Nearshore Environments): Coral Reefs Project determines the locations and selects the fringing reefs to be sampled.  This project focuses on assessing the state of reef benthos.  Initial analysis of partial data from 26 reefs of the over 60 sampled so far reveal an average HCC of 25.9% (median is 27.2%), ranging from 1.9% to 46.4%.  This is not significantly different from the 22.1% average cover for the Indo Pacific in 2003. These suggest an outlook for local reefs that is not as grim as many expected, but it also shows Philippine reefs are far from being in a pristine state. A well defined sampling domain and an appropriate sampling design are critical in determining the validity and general applicability of the data and findings of the program.  Additional parameters (e.g., reef rugosity, algal functional groups) also need to be quantified if critical answers about the health of Philippine reefs are to be provided and explained.