Marine Biodiversity

Question 1

Ever heard of the Philippines being
the “________________” of
marine biodiversity? Various
reasons contribute to this, with
scientists from all over the world
taking the “_____________” to the
archipelago, discovering new
species during every trip.

Answer 1

center of the center; pilgrimage

Question 2

Philippines is located in a spot in the globe called the “_____________” an area of tremendous importance because it is recognized as the global center for marine biodiversity

Answer 2

Coral Triangle

Question 3

The region is called the Coral Triangle due to the ________________________. But if the region is the center of global marine biodiversity, the center of this center is no other than the Philippines

Answer 3

large number of corals in the area

Question 4

the coral triangle is a _____________________ km2 area

Answer 4

6 million km2 area

Question 5

Philippines’ marine resources are made up not just of coral reefs but
__________________________________________________________________________and many others

Answer 5

seagrass beds, mangrove and beach forests, fisheries, invertebrates, seaweeds, marine mammals

Question 6

The idea of being “the center of the center” came out of a study by _____________________ in 2005, where they noted that there__________________________________________________________

Answer 6

Kent Carpenter and Victor Springer; there is a higher concentration of species per unit area in the Philippines than anywhere else in this region

Question 7

Philippines is also the center of the center of _______________________in the world

Answer 7

marine shore fish diversity

Question 8

Philippines Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(2009)
* _____ scleractinian corals,
* ______ reef-associated fishes,
* ______ species of mollusks,
* ______species of seagrass and _____species of algae

Answer 8

468 scleractinian corals
1755 reef-associated fishes
648 species of mollusks
19 species of seagrass and 820 species of algae

Question 9

Fishbase records indicate that the country harbors about ___________ fish species (list still incomplete), __________ of which are considered commercially important
The Philippines has the ______________________ in the world, second only to Australia

Answer 9

3,212; 731; second highest seagrass diversity

Question 10

Threats to Philippine marine biodiversity have been grouped into five major categories:

Answer 10

• chemical pollution and eutrophication,
• fisheries operations,
• habitat alteration,
• invasion of alien species and global climate change.
• Primary threats are habitat loss due mostly to destructive human
  activities such as mining, logging and hazardous and solid waste
  disposal