Investigation of the Effects of Bamboo and Safe concrete Cages on

Coral Fragment Utilizing Pillars Corals (Dendrogya cylindricus)

as an Artificial Environment for
the Enhancement of Marine Diversity

A Research Paper
Presented to the Faculty of the
MINDORO STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
Alcate, Victoria, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING

By

Mejico, Mia Suzane M.

March 2021
 Introduction
Background of the Study
The Philippines is the Marine Biodiversity “center of the center”
worldwide, whereas here lies the very diverse range of species that is
not found elsewhere. Meanwhile, each year the population of our Marine
species is beginning to decrease mainly caused be overfishing, climate
change, illegal fishing, water pollution, and coastal development. It
also contributes to the loss of tropical coral reefs which have an
enormous factor in marine biodiversity survival. Reducing rates
biodiversity by species extinction inevitably leads to the
deterioration in health and stability of the ecosystem itself.
The above-mentioned country lies within the Coral Triangle which
includes more than 75% of all coral species and 35% of the world’s
coral reefs. Coral do build the reef structure and provide the
foundation of global coral ecosystems. They protect coastlines against
the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms, and
henceforth the source of nitrogen and other essential nutrients for
marine food chains. However, approximately 98% of the Philippine reefs
are classified under threat with 70% at high risk. In fact, up to 1
million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction, and
many could disappear within decades of their existences. Unsustainable
practices such as blast and cyanide fishing are agreed to be the
largest contributors to coral degradation and animal extinction.
Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) have become an effective mean of
conserving reef ecosystems from human impacts, (Halpern,2003; Lester
et al. 2009), while still allowing for recreational use of resources
including scuba diving and snorkeling, (Thurstan et al., 2012).
Considered by some to be ‘pinnacle’ in marine conservation, (Thurstan
et al., 2012), an MPA is therefore define as “an area of sea bodies
especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological
diversity and of natural and associated cultural sources, and managed
through legal or other effective means,” (Department of Environment,
2013). This study assesses the home-based conservation and enhancement
of the marine biodiversity depending on its artificial environment
such as the Bamboo and Safe Ceramic Cages with environment variables.
Specifically, this study evaluates the observation of survival
growth of marine species through distributing it into two different
artificial environments, Bamboo and Safe Ceramic environments. It
takes 2 months and a half to properly observe the changes throughout
the experiment and to get the final result of the research work using
the various methods of experimentation. The study undergoes three
replications to come up with reliable and factual results.
Marine biodiversity is also an aggregation of highly
interconnected ecosystem components or features, encompassing all
levels of biological organization from genes, species, population, and
ecosystems, with the diversity of each level having structural and
functional attributes. Humanity has viewed the sea as an infinite
source of food, a boundless sink for pollutants, and a tireless holder
of coastal habitats. Marine conservation focuses on limiting human-
caused damage to marine ecosystems, and on restoring damaged marine
ecosystems. Ocean conservation is essential for protecting the marine
environment and safeguarding the resources that people rely on for
livelihood and food security.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter consist the review of related literature about
Investigation of the Effects of Bamboo and Safe concrete Cages on
Coral Fragment Utilizing Pillars Corals (Dendrogya cylindricus)
as an Artificial Environment for the Enhancement of Marine
Diversity.
This consist the following topics and subtopics;
1.1 Enhancement of Marine Diversity in the Philippines
1.2 Coral Propagation
1.3 Method of Coral Propagation (Coral Fragmentation)
1.4 Factors that affect coral restoration.
2.1 Bamboo and Concrete Environment
2.2 Benefits of bamboo in aquatic resources.
2.3 Benefits of concrete in aquatic resources.

According to Rhodora V. et al., ”Valuing and Managing the

Philippines’ Marine Resources toward a Prosperous Ocean-Based
Blue Economy”, As an archipelago, the Philippines’ marine-based
wealth spans roughly 70 percent of its internationally and
legitimately defined aggregate geographic area, compared with its
land-based resources covering the balance of only 30 percent.
Given its vast, largely untapped potential, a recommendation for
the creation of a Department of Marine Resources, separate from
the Department of Agriculture, seems in order. This new agency
can lead the efforts in valuating the ocean-based economy,
developing investment and development strategies for ocean use,
as well as lead in the coordination and harmonization of efforts
and policies from various government agencies related to marine
resources and their uses. The Philippines’ pursuit of the blue
economy potential will require a perspective of promoting
inclusive sustainable development incorporating an archipelagic
development framework (DENR-UNDP/MERFI 2004). This will require
strategic and pragmatic international cooperation that will
enhance the benefits derived from marine resources within and in
areas beyond national jurisdiction. While some updated estimates
of the country’s marine ecosystems have been done, adaptive
management studies are required for incorporating the 20 Azanza
et al. Volum e 18 (2017) monitoring of the cost effectiveness of
the management of marine ecosystems goods and services, as well
as communicating the appropriate proactive responses. Refocusing
on the Philippine blue economy should primarily consider the
resiliency, health and sustainability of these ecosystems.
Equitability of costs and benefits pertinent to sustainable
development of its ecosystem goods and services for the people
should be primordial.
 The journal STATE OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE: Philippines(2016)
states that The Philippines is geographically located at the apex
of the Coral Triangle, an area recognized by marine ecologists
the world over as a global center of marine biodiversity. The
coastal waters of this vast marine expanse contain a wider range
of species of corals, reef fishes, seagrasses, and mangroves than
anywhere else in the world. The other marine vertebrates,
invertebrates, and plant species, as well as their terrestrial
counterparts, in the Coral Triangle are also reported to be
richly diverse. Millions of Filipinos depend on coral reefs and
their associated ecosystems for both food and income. This
includes small-scale and subsistence fishers and commercial
fishers alike. Similarly, the recreational, educational, and
aesthetic values of these coastal ecosystems contribute
significantly to the country’s tourism sector. Damage to these
ecosystems beyond restoration would entail significant adverse
consequences for all Filipinos. Sustainable development of these
marine ecosystems is thus critical to the long-term future of the
Philippines, as 78% of its 80 provinces and 56% of its 1,634
cities and municipalities are located along the country’s
coastline. However, degradation of these coastal ecosystems is
already apparent, in part because of the high-profile nature of
the activities that cause it. These include overfishing; use of
destructive fishing practices; unsustainable development along
the country’s coastline; pollution originating in the
agriculture, industry, transport, and domestic sectors; and
elevated sediment loads caused by unsustainable removal of forest
cover. Population growth in the country’s coastal areas has
amplified these threats; thus, compromising food security and
socioeconomic stability in coastal communities. Climate change
has further exacerbated these impacts. In sum, the factors
referred to above have together made the Philippines one of the
most environmentally vulnerable countries in Southeast Asia. As a
signatory to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), the
Philippines promotes conservation of biodiversity. The Protected
Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) regularly reports loss of biodiversity
to the CBD, as well as gains in protecting it, in promoting
sustainable use of these living resources, and addressing threats
to biodiversity in general. The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI)
on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security addresses the
threats to sustainability referred to above through a
multilateral partnership that includes the six CTI member
countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the
Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. The CTI’s primary
objective is safeguarding Coral Triangle coastal and marine
resources for future generations. The Philippines’ National
Coordinating Committee Causes of Underinvestment and Persistent
Energy Inefficiency Executive Summary xv (NCC) for the CTI is co-
chaired by DENR and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
(BFAR) in the Department of Agriculture.
Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of
Aquatic Resources (DAR) 2016, “Analysis of Global Coral Bleaching
Literature: Efforts to Promote Recovery and Resilience”, Coral
mortality caused by frequent coral bleaching events leads to
systematic changes in the structure of tropical ecosystems. The
frequency and severity of these events are predicted to increase.
Despite the pressing consequences of these events, direct
management interventions to promote recovery and increased
resilience. Work is needed to increase the application of reef
resilience theories and develop innovative techniques to promote
coral recovery. This project collected and analyzed information
from scientific literature that will inform a decision-making
process to promote recovery in Hawaii through policy-making. This
effort sought to outline types of restoration strategies present
in the literature, synthesize evidence of support relevant to
each strategy, and describe specific instances of management
interventions following bleaching events. Primary literature and
management reports were gathered from multiple sources and
collated using Zotero, a research software tool. If an entry
discussed management actions following a bleaching event, it was
categorized by ‘type of action’ (monitoring, bolstering existing
management, or active recovery). Within these management actions,
five recovery strategies were recorded: 1) stimulating new coral
settlement 2) stimulating coral regrowth 3) replacing dead coral
4) preventing additional damage to coral 5) and controlling algae
overgrowth.
A total of 207 papers were reviewed as part of this effort.
Slightly more than half (52%) of papers discussed management
actions and the majority of these (56%) discussed bolstering
existing management. A smaller portion of the papers (74 papers,
36%) discussed one of the five recovery strategies.
Recommendations in the literature for preventing additional
damage to coral were the use of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and
reduction of harmful activities. To control algal overgrowth,
there is a body of evidence for the protection of herbivores
through fisheries management – especially parrotfish. Factors to
stimulate new coral settlement into a damaged area include
protection of larval sources, ensuring adequate settlement
substrate, and reduction of anthropogenic factors that affect
early life stages of coral. Lastly, to replace dead coral,
transplantation of fragments from healthy reefs and the farming
of bleaching resistant genotypes is discussed. Four examples were
found of managers intervening following a coral bleaching event:
1) creation of a no-anchor zone, 2) transplantation of corals, 3)
closure of popular dive sites, and 4) a self-moratorium on
aquarium collecting.
Jonathan A. et al, 2015, Coral propagation: a review of
techniques for ornamental trade and reef restoration, Aquaculture
of coral offers an alternative to wild harvest for the ornamental
trade and shows considerable promise for restoring reefs and
preserving biodiversity. Here, we compare advantages and
disadvantages of asexually derived fragments versus sexually
derived propagules and in situ versus ex situ nursery phases for
the ornamental trade and reef restoration. Asexual propagules,
sourced from a donor coral colony that is cut into smaller parts
and attached to artificial substrate, are most commonly used. The
most suitable corals are typically branching species, although
fragments from species with other growth forms can be successful,
albeit slower growing. Sexually derived propagules are collected
from the wild or from colonies in aquaria during spawning, with
an artificial substrate provided for settlement. The timing of
spawning is known for many broadcast spawning corals, but
opportunities for collection of gametes are generally limited to
only once or a few times per year. Brooding species with multiple
periods of larval release provide better options for culture of
sexually derived propagules. Propagation techniques have
developed considerably over the past 20 years, yielding faster
growth rates, reduced mortality and reduced detachment from
substrates. Simple and cost–effective propagation techniques can
be used to restore denuded reefs, preserve endangered species,
provide live corals to the international ornamental trade, enable
livelihood diversification for coastal communities and provide
experimental materials for marine research. This review provides
a comprehensive synthesis of recent developments in aquaculture
propagation techniques for the purpose of ornamental trade and
coral reef restoration, including asexual and sexual propagation,
nursery and transplantation stages.
Coral reef communities have been substantially altered by
human activities over the last several decades. The abundance and
diversity of fishes and reef-building corals have decreased
dramatically and the dominant benthic taxa on many reefs are now
sponges, gorgonians, and macroalgae. Such reef degradation
directly affects vulnerable coastal communities in numerous ways,
including the loss of income from fishing and tourism and reduced
coastal buffering of storms as reefs die and erode away7,8.
Coral reef degradation is thought to be driven by both local and
global factors, some independent and others interacting. For
example, the increase in fleshy macroalgae is due to a
combination of reduced herbivory, increased nutrient input, and
reduced occupancy of the seafloor by coral (AKA “coral cover”),
which alleviates competition and opens benthic substrata for
colonization by other benthic taxa. The underlying causes of
“phase shifts” from coral to macroalgal dominance are also
numerous and include diseases and bleaching that kill corals,
fishing that removes herbivores, and increased runoff from
coastal erosion, agriculture, and human sewage. All these
processes have complex and deeper ultimate causes including
climate change, poverty, human population growth, poor
governance, and inadequate local management.
Likewise, fish populations are declining due to both fishing and
coral mortality that leads to reduced habitat complexity14,15,16.
Ocean warming and acidification may also affect reef fishes via
numerous mechanisms including reduced food for larvae, declining
oxygen concentration due to warming, and changing behavioral
patterns. Even increased UV light could be a cause of benthic
fish declines by reducing larval survival.
The causes of coral loss are even more difficult to decipher, due
to the context dependency of the many potential causal factors
and the scarcity of data on nearly all of the putative drivers of
coral mortality. Surprisingly, this is especially true for local
stressors such as sedimentation, nutrient inputs and
concentration, fishing intensity, and chemical contamination.
Comprehensive monitoring in space and time of these basic
parameters is scarce to non-existent for most tropical and
subtropical coral reefs. In contrast, time-series of sea surface
temperature on most reefs are readily available, indirectly via
satellites, and directly through buoys, stations, and inexpensive
data loggers. This has facilitated a large literature documenting
the role of warming in driving coral loss, generally through
coral bleaching and disease that lead to mortality. This work has
enabled the parameterization of global forecasts of bleaching,
disease, and coral loss under different greenhouse gas emissions
scenarios. Paradoxically, in many ways we have a better
understanding of (and evidence for) the effects of global factors
like greenhouse gas emissions and ocean warming than of local
impacts.
 Divak P. et al, “Bamboo Reinforced Concrete”, The use of small
diameter whole culm (bars) and/or split bamboo (a.k.a. splints or
round strips) has often been proposed as an alternative to
relatively expensive reinforcing steel in reinforced concrete.
The motivation for such replacement is typically cost—bamboo is
readily available in many tropical and sub-tropical locations,
whereas steel reinforcement is relatively more expensive—and more
recently, the drive to find more sustainable alternatives in the
construction industry. This review addresses such ‘bamboo-
reinforced concrete’ and assesses its structural and
environmental performance as an alternative to steel reinforced
concrete. A prototype three bay portal frame, that would not be
uncommon in regions of the world where bamboo-reinforced concrete
may be considered, is used to illustrate bamboo reinforced
concrete design and as a basis for a life cycle assessment of the
same. The authors conclude that, bamboo is a material with
extraordinary mechanical properties, its use in bamboo-reinforced
concrete is an considered concept, having significant durability,
strength and stiffness issues, and meet the environmentally
friendly credentials often attributed to it.
Sebastian C. (2015),”Effects of Concrete Bamboo Cages on
coral fragments: Evaluation of a low-technology method used in
Artisanal Ocean based Coral Farming”,to evaluate the effect of
inexpensive cages made from concrete and bamboo on the skeletal
extension rates of the scleractinian corals Acropora
gomezi and Pavona cactus, fragments were cultured without cages,
inside partial cages, and inside full cages with bamboo covers of
two mesh sizes at different depths around Sambangan Island,
Indonesia. An additional experiment was designed to assess the
impact of shading by cages on skeletal extension. Linear
extension rates of all fragments were measured over a period of
four months. Culture inside cages led to significantly reduced
extension rates of A. gomezi at both depths, while P. cactus only
showed significantly reduced extension rates when cultured in
full cages at greater depth. Caging lead to a significant
increase in skeletal damage at both depths in A. gomezi, and at
shallow depth in P. cactus. Shaded fragments of A. gomezi had
much smaller extension rates (5 ± 1 mm/132 days, mean ± SE) than
unshaded fragments (24 ± 1 mm/132 days) and sustained
significantly more damage, while shaded fragments of P.
cactus grew significantly better (15 ± 0 mm/132 days) than
unshaded fragments (12 ± 0 mm/132 days) and sustained less
damage, although the difference was not significant. The culture
of coral fragments without cages may yield the best results.
However, the choice of the optimal culture method will depend on
the species to be cultured and the conditions encountered in the
reef.
METHODOLOGY
A. GENERAL PROCEDURE
Collection of Coral Sample
The coral sample was requested and collected under the body
of salt water in Gloria, Oriental Mindoro. It was then brought in
the laboratory on MINSCAT.
Set Up of the Tank in Concrete Environment
To perform this experiment, a tank was set up to place the
micro-fragmented coral in. After visiting an aquarium store and
talking with the experts who have extensive experience with
setting up tanks and maintaining them, the tank was 30 ¼× 12 ½ ×
18 ¾ inches that contains air pump ang lights, and else needed to
maintain a tank, besides a heater incorporated into the tank. The
tank was set-up according to the instructions of the aquarium
store, and other reliable sources.
In terms of the preparation of the concrete, it was shaped
30×1/2 inches were assembled into the desired design. The Large
Polyps Stony Corals were cut into smaller pieces using a bone
cutter. The fragments were be epoxied with a marine super glue on
the surface of the cement that was much bigger than fragment, in
order for coral fragments to have room to grow. Lastly, salt
water was contained on the aquarium and was changed bi-weekly.
Set Up of the Tank in Bamboo Environment
To perform this experiment, a tank was set up to place the
micro-fragmented coral in. After visiting an aquarium store and
talking with the experts who have extensive experience with
setting up tanks and maintaining them, the tank was selected to
be used was 30 ¼× 12 ½ × 18 ¾ inches covered by a blue paper and
contains air pump and light and everything else needed to
maintain a tank, besides a heater incorporated into the tank. The
tank was set-up according to the instruction of the marine
experts and other reliable sources.
In terms of the preparation of the bamboo, it was collected
in Gloria, Oriental Mindoro and was cut in 2 inches and was
assembled into the desired design. The Large Polyps Stony Corals
(LPS) were cut into smaller pieces using a bone cutter. The
fragments was epoxied with a marine supe glue on the surface of
the Bamboo that was much bigger than fragment, in order for coral
fragments to have room to grow. Lastly, salt water was contained
on the aquarium and was changed Bi-weekly.
Maintenance of the Tank
A bi-weekly 25% water changed was performed throughout the
experiment, and the filter was changed every 2 weeks. The pump
for the filter was taken out over 2 weeks and cleaned. The two
blue lights (36-watt Actinic Blue Straight Pin, and 0.75-Watt
Lunar Blue LED Bar) were left on from 6 am to 6pm for 12 hours
every day, and the white light used occasionally for observation.
B. TESTING PROCEDURE
Finding Exact Measurements of Coral
The exact measurements of the coral could not have been
found using calipers, because of the irregular shape of most of
the fragments. In order to find the exact measurements, the photo
imaging app GIMP was used. The photo of each fragment at each
specific timing was imported into GIMP.
The area of the circle was selected, free-hand, using the
free-select tool, and the area of the coral was found in pixels
using the histogram tool. Then the length of 1 cm was found in
pixels by measuring 1 cm using the measuring tool. There could be
some errors with extremely precise measurements, but it is
assumed that if any errors were made then they will be repeated
errors since error was be made for each analysis of each picture.
The total number of pixels was divided by the length of 1 cm in
pixels squared to find the area of each fragment in cm2.
Initial Growth Comparison
Omission of photographs of larger fragments taken on day 0
made them unusable for data collection. Therefore, to determine
whether there were initial growth differences between the two
artificial environment, only data collected between day 34 and
day 68 will be used. Kruskal-Wallis tests, with two different
environments (Bamboo Environment Vs. Concrete Environment) as the
independent variable, were used to determine differences in the
overall change in surface are (i.e., amount of tissue created or
lost). The change in the surface area between day 34 and day 68
was divided by the initial surface area measured for each
environment. Analyses at the Bamboo environment and the Concrete
environment was conducted independently to determine if results
were consistent between the two artificial environments. A
Kruskal-Wallis test was also used to determine whether the
changing surface area, standardized by the initial perimeter
(i.e., the surface area to perimeter ratio) significantly
differed between the artificial environments.
Coral Survival Rate
Survival analysis, using a Cox proportional hazard model
(Therneau, 2015) was conducted on the survival rate data to
determine whether fragment type influenced overall survival.
Because an array was considered the primary sampling unit, rather
than each individual micro-fragment, arrays was considered still
alive as long as one micro-fragment contained living tissue. A
logistic regression was used to determine whether the amount of
predation on each fragment effected the overall survival of each
individual micro-fragment.
Maximum Growth Potential
Finally, a student’s t-test was be used to determine whether
there were differences between the maximum growth potential of
coral fragments for Bamboo and Concrete the artificial
environment that did non experience heavy predation effects
(i.e., <40% loss ;sea below). Again, the data was standardized by
the initial surface area of each fragment or array, and then by
total initial perimeter to determine if there was a difference in
the amount of tissue produced by fragment type per initial cm of
perimeter. All statistical analyses was conducted using the
program R(R Core team 2017).
REFERENCES
 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/335032399.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR1Qd_JLHYf_EujJCvcevgb8jUiyaALJB_CpFcNsBQ5O83-
D2RLklXK8f_A
 http://blog.hawaii.edu/hcri/files/2016/11/literature-
review_final-report_FINAL-1.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR1Qd_JLHYf_EujJCvcevgb8jUiyaALJB_CpFcNsBQ5O83-
D2RLklXK8f_A
 https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/42414/st
ate-coral-triangle-philippines.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR01aQiOGmd9ABw4nfE8GILTLlcKuEq5in5OCItN3DuMDeyFNUh
JKhoU1kc
 https://blog1.miami.edu/sharklab/wp-
content/uploads/sites/28/2013/09/Young-2012-Acropora-
Review.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR1hXHbfT0TR1K_tjkMISr5JfKrEa1ObBsoDf8KXmfxCEjDlj-
Wqf7lC0p4
 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?
id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0226631&fbclid=IwAR0s_70UhADXKL_5T
7XmnyH2KCwe5FgSbk-6xTHm7Hh7mL1mWOwMQyaPXyM#sec022
 https://iarjset.com/wp-
content/uploads/2019/09/IARJSET.2019.6906.pdf?
fbclid=IwAR3ri02Z6SNfLKA0757_b9EyJ0oFNGss1qgqFfEDDuFZAjB_oMo
wY40eNG4