Baganga, Philippines — Seagrass meadows along the coast of Baganga, Davao Oriental, continue to support rich marine biodiversity despite increasing pressure from human activities. The finding comes from a study conducted by Christine M. Young of Davao Oriental State University, based on field surveys carried out in October 2024. The research provides valuable baseline ecological data to support seagrass conservation, sustainable coastal resource management, and long-term environmental monitoring in the region.
Seagrasses are flowering marine plants that grow in shallow coastal waters and form extensive underwater meadows. These ecosystems play an essential role in maintaining healthy coastal environments by providing nursery grounds, feeding areas, and shelter for numerous marine species. They also stabilize sediments, reduce coastal erosion, store significant amounts of blue carbon, and contribute to the overall resilience of marine ecosystems. However, coastal development, tourism, fishing activities, pollution, and increasing human disturbance continue to threaten seagrass habitats worldwide, including those in the Philippines.
The Philippines is recognized as one of the world's richest regions for tropical seagrass diversity. Despite this status, ecological information from eastern Mindanao remains limited. To address this gap, Christine M. Young investigated the community structure of seagrasses in three coastal barangays—Baculin, Kinablangan, and Lambajon—to compare habitats affected by human activities with those that remain relatively undisturbed.
Field surveys were conducted at six sampling sites representing both disturbed and undisturbed coastal habitats. The researcher systematically examined seagrass beds using standardized ecological sampling techniques to identify species, count individual shoots, and evaluate species abundance, distribution, richness, and diversity. This approach enabled a comprehensive comparison of seagrass communities under different levels of human influence while maintaining consistency across all study locations.
The study recorded nine seagrass taxa belonging to four genera across the study area. Among them, Cymodocea rotundata was the most widespread species, occurring at every disturbed and undisturbed site surveyed. In contrast, Halophila ovalis was the rarest species, appearing only in the undisturbed habitat of Kinablangan. These findings demonstrate that Baganga still supports a relatively diverse seagrass ecosystem despite varying degrees of environmental pressure.
Researchers documented a total of 6,088 seagrass shoots across all sampling locations. Baculin recorded the highest number of individual shoots, followed by Lambajon, while Kinablangan had the lowest overall abundance. Nevertheless, the study highlights that greater abundance does not necessarily indicate a healthier ecosystem. Some locations were dominated by only one or two species, resulting in lower biodiversity despite having larger populations. Conversely, areas with fewer individuals but a more balanced distribution of species exhibited healthier ecological conditions.
Among all surveyed sites, Kinablangan, particularly its undisturbed habitat, demonstrated the healthiest seagrass community. It recorded the highest species richness, the greatest diversity, and the most balanced distribution of species. Baculin and Lambajon, on the other hand, showed stronger dominance by a limited number of species, reducing overall ecological diversity. The findings suggest that relatively undisturbed habitats generally provide more favorable conditions for sustaining resilient and balanced seagrass communities.
Interestingly, the research also revealed that human disturbance is not the only factor shaping seagrass communities. In Lambajon, one undisturbed site displayed lower diversity than a nearby disturbed habitat because several species overwhelmingly dominated the community. According to Christine M. Young of Davao Oriental State University, this pattern indicates that environmental factors such as sediment type, water depth, hydrodynamic conditions, nutrient availability, and species interactions also play significant roles in determining seagrass diversity and community structure.
The findings reinforce the ecological importance of seagrass meadows beyond their role as underwater vegetation. Healthy seagrass ecosystems support fisheries, protect coastlines from erosion, conserve marine biodiversity, and contribute to climate change mitigation through long-term blue carbon storage. As tourism and coastal development continue to expand in Baganga, the study emphasizes the need for stronger conservation measures and science-based coastal management to minimize physical disturbances and preserve these valuable ecosystems.
Overall, the research concludes that Baganga's seagrass meadows remain ecologically significant and continue to support diverse marine plant communities. However, maintaining this biodiversity will require continuous monitoring, stronger habitat protection, and careful management of coastal activities. The baseline data generated by this study are expected to guide local governments, coastal resource managers, conservation organizations, and future researchers in developing effective strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability of seagrass ecosystems in eastern Mindanao.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i7.207
Journal Link: https://journaleajmr.my.id/index.php/eajmr/article/view/207
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