Author: Jun Ariolo Aguirre (305 Articles)

By JUN ARIOLO N. AGUIRRE

BORACAY – An assessment made by marine experts said the powdery white sand beach of this island will be submerged in sea water several years from now because of the Sea Level Rise (SLR) and other key factors.

Global warming experts from the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute recently presented this finding to stakeholders here.

Dr. Paciente Cordero, Board of Trustees of the NCRP-DOST, presented her paper titled “Seaweed Resources Assessment and Observations on Eco Relative to Climate Change in Boracay Island” while Dr. Miguel Fortes presented his paper on the “Role of Oceanography in Climate Change Mitigation and Community Adaptation.”

Cordero said her recent physiological observations from 2004 to 2008 reveal scenarios that are attributable to climate change.

“These observations have been corroborated by the island’s 15 to 20-year residents and news reports,” she added.

Among her observations was the diminishing fringing mechanism prominent in the white beach area of central Boracay facing the Sulu Sea. Similar observations were also recorded at Balabag Beach facing the Sibuyan Sea.

“The natural fringes of reef-forming hard corals have been caused by the unabated gathering of corals in the early 2000. Grazing of corals by Crown of Thorns (Acanthaster Planci), a large nocturnal sea star that preys upon coral polyps, also contributed to the diminishing corals and coral bleaching,” Dr. Cordero explained.

Other attributes to the said concern were tidal behavior, the one meter-rise in sea water level, poor drainage system, macro-algal bloom, and the sanitary and sewerage factor.
“The island’s untreated garbage/wastes thrown to the sea pose a health hazard to swimmers, contaminate the seawater, encourages growth and development of toxic-carrying microorganisms, and the destruction of the marine ecosystem,” she added.
Dr. Fortes, meanwhile, said one of the strengths of the island lies on the presence of deeper largely destroyed reefs with seaweeds as they still continue to protect the coasts.

“Scientists estimate that a warming of two degrees per Celsius due to greenhouse gas emissions will cause SLR to rise between eight and 30 inches (30-76 cm). If no efforts are made to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, up to 20 million people will be affected every year in South East Asia, which include Boracay,” Dr. Fortes revealed.