LRCP Project Aim The Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project (LRCP) is a

collaborative project to protect the coral reefs of Sogod Bay, providing

training and conservation education opportunities for local Filipinos, as

part of an integrated programme to develop local capacity and

ensure the long-term protection and sustainable use of marine

resources throughout the region. Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) is

working at the invitation of and in partnership with the Provincial

Government of Southern Leyte (PGSL). CCC provides the resources to

help sustain livelihoods and alleviate poverty through the protection,

restoration and management of coral reefs and tropical forests.

Latest News CCC welcomes Charles Eve, Scuba Instructor

Since first diving back in 2008 in a little inland quarry and

deciding it was his passion, Charles has endeavoured to gain

experience across the world. He got his first taste of conservation in the

Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa, where he quickly decided

sharing this knowledge would be his goal. His professional career

began in Indonesia where he worked for several months, becoming a

Divemaster, whilst also building artificial reefs. He then headed off to

Australia’s east coast to become an instructor, and then a Master

Scuba Diver Trainer. His passion for the largest Whale shark to the

smallest Nudibranch has found him joining CCC to help preserve them

all for those who love and need the ocean.

Southern Leyte Coral Reef

Conservation Project (LRCP)

Monthly Project Update

July 2016

Location: Napantao Dive Resort, Napantao, San Francisco,

Southern Leyte

Project Scientist: Darienne Lancaster

lrcp@coralcay.org

Contents

Latest news

Story of the Month

Educational &

Community Projects

Survey Update

Marine Scholarship

News

Marine Creature of the

month

Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project

Philippines, May 2016

2

Story of the Month Napatao Community Day and Presentation of Survey Results

On July 25th Barangay officials and community

members from Napantao arrived at the Coral Cay

Conservation base for a day of games, marine

education, and a presentation of survey results from the

2015 assessment of the Napantao Marine Protected

Area.

After a scavenger hunt and marine themed

charades the group settled in for lectures on coral biology

and lifeforms, native fish species, threats to coral reefs,

and ways to protect them. Coral Cay volunteers and staff

took turns lecturing and sharing their love of the oceans

with the local visitors.

The MPA Egg game, which involves protecting a raw

egg with found materials before the opposite team

smashes it against the ground, was also a big hit.

Project Scientist, Darienne Lancaster, also

gave a presentation of results from the 2015

assessment of the Napantao MPA. Overall the reef

is very healthy but there is no difference in fish

abundance inside compared to outside the MPA

and there are no big fish in the area. This suggests

the MPA is not as effective as it could be if

enforcement was increased and fishing pressure

decreased. Barangay Officials requested maps of

the MPA boundaries be posted at the Barangay

Office and on the beach so local fishers know

where the MPA starts and ends.

The day was topped

off by a snorkel adventure

along the Napantao house

reef. The snorkelers visited

Anemone City to see the

clown fish and pointed out

all the coral lifeforms they

learned about during the

morning presentations.

Community day participants acting out a

sea snake during a game of charades - photo D. Lancaster

Volunteer Gareth Turner explaining coral lifeforms

- photo G. Turner

Barangay police officer protecting his

MPA egg in a tin cup

- photo D. Lancaster

Snorkelers and CCC staff and volunteers

heading into the water

- photo C. Ogg

Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project

Philippines, May 2016

3

Education and Community Projects

Dive Against Debris at Ghost Town Dive Site

On July 23rd volunteers Danielle Contrada and

Rachel Pederson headed to Ghost Town dive site in

Barangay Santa Paz, San Francisco for a dive against

debris. Dive against debris is an important way to

prevent human trash from affecting coral reefs.

Plastics can smother corals and choke animals like

turtles that often eat them by accident. The divers

managed to collect over 40 pieces of trash in a single

dive. Items collected included pots, a toy truck, a

baking tray, plastic bags, and hard plastic debris.

Great work keeping our oceans clean!

Sea Stars Education at San Francisco High School

On July 22nd Community Liason Officer Jesse

Tinapay and volunteer Alex Wady visited CAASAFI

High School in San Francisco to give the first of three

Sea Stars marine education lectures. Jesse and

Alex taught students in two difference classes

about the marine life they can find in the oceans

near them as well as talking about threats to the

oceans and tools to protect the marine

environment. This first lecture qualified the two

groups of students as Bronze Star level Sea Stars.

With each consecutive lecture the students

will move up a level, eventually arriving as Gold Star

Sea Stars, at which point the students will be invited

to the CCC base in Napantao to participate in a

Reef Rangers day. Jesse, Alex, and the students had

a great day playing games and learning about the

ocean creatures and coral reefs that surround their

town.

Community Liason Officer Jessey Lou Tinapay and

volunteer Alex Wady teaching a Sea Stars lecture

in San Francisco

– photo A. Wady

- photo A. Wady

Volunteer Danielle Contrada collecting a

discarded rice sack at Ghost Town

– photo R. Pederson

Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project

Philippines, May 2016

4

Survey Monthly Update

Survey background: Since January 2013, survey efforts have been focused on assessing

potential and existing Marine Protected Areas in Sogod Bay to provide appropriate management

recommendations. To do this CCC uses an expanded version of the Reef Check protocol, which

has been customised to perfectly fit our work in Sogod Bay. Prior to this a baseline appraisal of marine

resources in Sogod Bay was carried out. If you would like more information about our surveying

please contact our Project Scientist, Darienne Lancaster.

We completed our survey of the proposed Cuasi MPA site. This is now the second Protected

Area Management Enhancement (PAME) Project proposed MPA site that Coral Cay Conservation

has successfully surveyed. PAME proposes to create between 12 and 20 new MPAs by the end of

2016. Cuasi was a beautiful site with a wide diversity of corals, invertebrates, and fishes.

The Coral Cay survey team is still working on our third PAME sites at Dinahugan in Padre Burgos.

This site is dominated by sand, but it has numerous invertebrates like feather stars and fire urchins,

and many small patches of healthy coral. Hawksbill sea turtles also frequent the area. However,

this site also has a large number of Crown of Thorns starfish, which can voraciously predate healthy

coral.

Scientific reports from all of CCC’s sites around the world are available on our website at http://www.coralcay.org/science-research/scientific-reports

Photos from Dinahugan proposed MPA in Padre Burgos.

Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project

Philippines, May 2016

5

Marine Scholarship News

Each month CCC offers Filipino nationals who display an ambition to study and protect the

vital marine ecosystems of the Philippines an opportunity to take part in our Marine Conservation

Scholarship. The programme lasts for one month and involves training in SCUBA diving to the level of

PADI Advanced Open Water. Scholars then take part in an intensive Skills Development Programme

giving them the knowledge and expertise to conduct sub-marine surveys of the coastline.

This month we are introducing our two scholars, Angelie Cabales and Jay Ann Quileste.

Angelie and Jay Ann are both recent graduates from SLSU in Sogod where they studied marine

biology. Both girls are Southern Leyte locals who will put their new surveying skills to good work here

in their local waters of Sogod Bay.

If you would like to apply for the CCC Marine Conservation Scholarship programme or read more

about it, please visit: http://www.coralcay.org/volunteer/scholarship-opportunities/

Angelie Cabales

“In my stay at CCC, I gained a lot of knowledge including diving

skills. I experience the real world under the sea. At the same time

I enjoy and I learned. There is a big difference in just studying

inside a class than in actual studying in underwater, you will be

acquainted to different species and you will explore the beauty

underneath. Not just that, I also learned how to mingle new

people in other race, make new circle of friends and developed

in building friendship with other people especially from foreigners

where Language Barrier is really a problem but it was an

enjoyable and great experience to remember. My message to

them that we thank them a lot for the knowledge experiences

and that they will continue to enhance the skills of many scholars

like me and continue to support marine life conservation here in

the Philippines.”

- Jay Ann Quileste

“My expedition at Coral Cay Conservation was so amazing! My

stay there was good, but at first, I find it difficult, I did some

adjustments and eventually I able to understand and fit in to the

people around me. The people behind CCC are very friendly and

accommodating. They are very artistic, helpful, optimistic and

best encourager. They helped me conquer my fears and replace

it with lots of confidence through the trainings. I have also learned

additional knowledge on marine creatures as well as their

environment and I had great experiences with my co-scholars and

trained divers that are treasured. In addition, I gained new skills

that are very useful in my future career. I am very thankful to Coral

Cay Conservation team and to their project partners for

accepting me to their scholarship programme.”

- Angelie Cabales

Jay Ann Quileste

Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project

Philippines, May 2016

6

Learn More! To learn more about the CCC Philippines project, to join the expedition, or

to find out about local marine scholarships, visit www.coralcay.org

Marine Creature of the Month!

Our creature of the month is the Fire Urchin (Astropyga radiata)

and its friend the Coleman Shrimp (Periclimenes colemani). Fire Urchins

and Coleman shrimp have a special symbiotic relationship. Fire Urchins

have poisonous spines, which the Coleman Shrimp depends upon for

protection. Coleman Shrimp usually clear away some of the urchins’

spines to make a small space to live. They help the Fire Urchin by

keeping them clean and eating the algae and parasites that grow on

it.

Fire Urchins can also live on the back a crab (Dorippe frascone),

which protects the crab and carries the urchins more quickly to new

areas where they can access fresh food sources. Many juvenile fish also

live in the spines of these urchins. Although Fire Urchins are poisonous,

they do not cause serious injury to humans and their bright, beautiful

colours make them easy to see underwater.