Patterns in abundance and condition of mushroom corals (order Scleractinia, family fungiidae) in Lian, Batangas during and after the mass coral bleaching of 2010

• Main Author: Nava, Aurelia Maria Cecilia G.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/3004
• Institution: De La Salle University

In 2010, from April to May, mass coral bleaching affected reefs around the Philippines. The present study aimed to determine the abundance and generic diversity of mushroom corals in Lian, Batangas and to describe the condition of these corals in terms of coloration (bleaching) and size structure. This was done by analyzing photo transects of mushroom corals in two Toroso stations in Talim Bay, Lian, Batangas taken during the months of May and October 2010. Using the software ImageJ ® the colonies were counted and measured. Bleaching was determined with the use of a Coral Health Chart. Results showed that there were around 3,469 mushroom corals in the two stations during the aforementioned months and up to 23.6 % of these were bleached. Furthermore, the numbers of bleached corals increased from May to October 2010. Majority of these bleached mushroom corals belonged to the 6.0 -10.0 cm size classes, indicating that larger colonies may be prone to bleaching.