CMBAM Manual

Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring Manual HOW-TO GUIDELINES

COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL Reproduction of this publication in full or in part or adaptation for local use for education and other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior permission from the publisher, provided that the Biodiversity Management Bureau and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is fully acknowledged.

Reproduction of this publication for sale or other commercial purposes is prohibited.

ISSN: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Source and Copyrights © 2017 GIZ Layout / Design Ryan G. Palacol Copyright on Photos The photo used in the front cover of this publication is owned by GIZ. Printed and distributed by Biodiversity Management Bureau and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Place and date of publication Manila, Philippines September 2017

COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING HOW-TO GUIDELINES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION TO THE BIO-PHYSICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUALS

1

1.1 Background 1.2 General Approach 1.3 Stratification

1 5 6

ABOUT THIS MANUAL

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2.1 At A Glance 2.2 Why Another Manual 2.3 What Are The Goals of this Manual 2.4 In A Nutshell 2.5 Before You Begin: Is This Manual For You

8 8 8 9 9

RATIONALE

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PREPARATION AND METHODOLOGY

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4.1 Survey Mapping 4.2 Sampling Protocol For Coastal and Marine Habitat Assessment 4.3 Selection Of Sampling Sites For Detailed Assessment, Establishment Of Monitoring Sites And Parameters

17 20 23

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GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) AND REMOTE SENSING

26

METHODS FOR DETAILED ASSESSMENTS OF ECOSYSTEMS

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6.1 Protection Provided by Coastal Habitats to Coastal Areas Establishing Monitoring Sites Frequency of Monitoring Data Collection Data Processing and Management 6.2. Coral Reefs and Associated Reef Fish Additional notes on Coral Reef assessment and monitoring Establishing Monitoring Stations Frequency of Monitoring and Expected Data Output Data Collection Data Processing and Management

34 35 35 38 46 60 67 68 68 71 78

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

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6.3 Mangroves 6.4 Seagrass Beds Additional notes on Seagrass Assessment and Monitoring Establishing Monitoring Stations Frequency of Monitoring and Expected Data Output Data Collection Data Processing and Management 6.5 Mudflats/Softbottom Additional notes on Mudflat and Intertidal Assessment and Monitoring 6.6 Plankton 6.7 Marine Cryptobiota 6.8 Methods for Seaweed Assessment and Monitoring Establishing Monitoring Stations Frequency of Monitoring and Expected Data Output Data Processing and Management 6.9 Methods for Megafauna Assessment and Monitoring Establishing Monitoring Stations Frequency of Monitoring and Expected Data Output Data Collection Data Processing and Management 6.10 Methods for Fisheries Assessment and Monitoring Establishing Monitoring Stations Frequency of Monitoring and Expected Data Output Data Collection Data Processing and Management

79 83 87 88 88 89 91 92 96 98 101 103 103 104 106 107 110 110 114 124 128 129 129 131 135

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DATA ANALYSIS

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REFERENCES

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LIST OF TABLES Table

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1. Data to be generated by coastal and marine biodiversity assessment and monitoring.

2. Minimum datasets for the different thematic components of coastal and marine biodiversity assessment and monitoring.

3. Recommended frequencies and durations of CIVAT methodologies per monitoring group.

4. Expected output of CIVAT from each monitoring group.

5. Scoring guideline for exposure indicators.

6. Rating guide for exposure.

7. Scoring guideline for sensitivity indicators.

8. Scoring rubrics for habitat assessment results.

9. Rating guide for sensitivity.

10. Scoring guideline for adaptive capacity indicators.

11. Adaptive capacity matrix for coastal habitats.

12. Rating guide for adaptive capacity.

13. Cross-tabulation guide for determining potential impact.

14. Recommended frequency and duration for coral reef biodiversity assessment and monitoring per monitoring group.

15. Expected output of coral reef biodiversity assessment and monitoring for each monitoring group.

16. Percent cover index for manta tow.

17. Recommended coding system for coral and other lifeforms using point-intercept technique.

18. Recommended frequency and duration for seagrass biodiversity assessment and monitoring per monitoring group.

19. Expected output of seagrass biodiversity assessment and monitoring per monitoring group.

20. Recommended frequency and duration for mudflat and intertidal area biodiversity assessment and monitoring per monitoring group.

21. Expected output for mudflat and intertidal area biodiversity assessment and monitoring per monitoring group.

22. Recommended frequency and duration of seaweed biodiversity assessment and monitoring per monitoring group.

23. Expected output for seaweeds assessment and monitoring per monitoring group.

24. Species cover code after Saito and Atobe (1970).

25. Recommended methods for megafauna biodiversity assessment and monitoring.

26. Recommended frequency and duration for megafauna biodiversity assessment and monitoring per monitoring group.

27. Expected output for megafauna biodiversity monitoring per monitoring group.

28. Beaufort Sea State (BSS) using the Modern Beaufort Scale.

29. Recommended frequency and duration for fisheries biodiversity assessment and monitoring per monitoring group.

30. Expected output for fisheries biodiversity monitoring per monitoring group.

14 29 35 37 52 52 54 55 57 58 59 59 60 69 69 72 75 88 89 97 97 104 104 105 108 111 112 119 130 130

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure Figure Figure

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Figure Figure

Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure

Figure Figure iv

1. Overview of amended coastal and marine biodiversity monitoring process.

2. Grid GIS database (Bantayan et al. 2015).

3. Gridded map of a portion of the Guiuan Marine Reserve Protected Landscape and Seascape.

4. Manta tow map (size of circle denote hard coral cover).

5. GIS database for the Manta Tow. 6. Common indicators of erosion 7. Different coastal landforms 8. The Emery method of beach profiling.

9. Zones of beach profile.

10. Reading made at seaward rod 11. A modified method of beach profiling referenced to constant water level 12. Determining sediment sample size by using grain size comparator.

13. On coasts adjacent to fringing reefs or sandflat, shoreline tracing can be done at the beach toe, which is used as a shoreline change reference. On coasts adjacent to fringing reefs or sandflat, shoreline tracing can be done at the beach toe, which is used as a shoreline change reference. It is marked by a break in slope and drastic change in sediment size and composition.

14. Example of an encoded beach profiling data.

15. Example of how to calculate Cumulative dz column.

16. Example of how to reset to sea level.

17. Example of tide correction for tide data not yet referenced to MSL. 18. Schematic diagram of the manta board redrawn from English et al (1997).

19. View of observer while being towed.

20. Observer signaling direction towards next stop.

21. Camera calibration.

22. Diver recording lifeform every 0.25m of the transect.

23. Sample 1x1m quadrat captured during photo-identification.

24. Reef fish found within the 50m x 5m belt.

25. Some macro-invertebrates found in coral reefs.

26. Seagrass percent cover estimation with the use of 0.5m x 0.5m quadrat without grids.

27. Some macro-invertebrates found commonly in seagrass beds.

28. Belt transect on mudflats and some macro-invertebrates found within the transect.

29. Diagram of the Cetacean Watching Protocol (Aragones et al., 2013).

30. Cloud cover using Oktas.

31. Sample filled out data sheet.

32. Sighted dugong feeding trail.

33. Leading edge and trailing edge of a typical dorsal fin.

34. Sample spreadsheet for cropped image grading.

35. Sample spreadsheet for building encounter histories.

36. FGD to generate seasonal calendar of fishing activities and CPUE using FGD tables enlarged in manila paper.

37. Visual assessment of sex and gonadal maturity of dissected fish.

38. Raising of catch per unit of effort to total catches (Source: Sparre 2000).

12 30 31 32 32 38 39 40 41 42 43 43 45

46 47 48 49 71 72 72 74 74 75 77 78 90 91 98 117 119 120 120 124 125 127 132 133 137

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INTRODUCTION TO THE BIO-PHYSICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUALS 1.1 Background A protected area is defined by the IUCN as ‘clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values’ (Dudley 2008:8).

Thus, protected areas aim to conserve nature and sustain ecosystem services through managing space. Managers of this area or space must therefore not only know what types of ecosystems, species, and ecosystem services are in the area/space they are managing, but their abundance and distribution as well. Since many protected areas are often meant to serve as natural capital or reproductive stock to provide for the broader ecosystem (i.e. river basin and coastal/marine area) of which they are a part, then managers should know the types, abundance and distribution of ecosystems, species, and ecosystem services both inside and outside the protected areas.

This kind of information is needed to:

In the Philippine protected area system, the objectives on the left column are meant to be addressed through the following: (1) Protected Area Suitability Assessment (Technical Bulletin 2016-04)

(1) determine whether an area needs to be protected to begin with and where to delineate its boundaries, (2) plan regulations and their place of (2) Previous: Resource Basic Inventory (RBI) application (i.e. zoning), and Survey and Registration of Protected Area Occupants (SRPAO)

Current: Bio-physical Assessment and Monitoring (BAMS; BMB-TB 2016-05 and 2017-09) and Socio-economic Assessment and Monitoring System (SEAMS; BMB-TB 2016-07) (3) allocate management effort in (3) Biodiversity Monitoring System communicating with communities/ (DAO 2000-13) user groups; deter and respond to violations of regulations on a dayto-day basis; and (4) periodically report the degree of (4) Biodiversity Monitoring System achievement of nature conservation (DAO 2000-13) and ecosystem services sustainability.

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

The above are collections of methods that include: (1) review of existing data and information (including remotely sensed data), (2) indirect collection of data and information from various documents and informants, and (3) direct observations either specifically for the purpose of monitoring changes in nature and ecosystem services or in the course of other activities such as communication or patrols.

With respect to #3 recording direct observations, some natural features and ecosystem services may be more easily recorded (e.g. large vertebrates, forest cover, water wells, tourist visits, fish catch, etc.) and are thus useful indicators which can be analyzed from data collected by patrols (e.g. through the Lawin or Daloy system) whereas others (e.g. certain small and/or difficult to identify plants and animals, protection from landslides and floods, etc.) may require more purposive sampling.

OBJECTIVES This series of Bio-Physical and Socio-Economic Assessment and Monitoring Guides is meant to support #2 and #4 objectives above by providing specific methods for measuring various physical, biological, social and economic variables (Table 1). These guides describe simpler methods for biodiversity conservation practitioners and their technical partners.

TABLE 1. VARIABLES OF INTEREST / METHODS IN THE GUIDEBOOK SERIES Terrestrial (TB 2016-05)

Wetland

Coastal/Marine (TB 2017-05)

GIS (ArcGIS) GIS GIS (not in TB) Watershed Delineation Watershed Delineation Landslide Susceptibility Surface Water Watershed Function

2

Water Quality

Socio-Economic (TB 2016-06) GIS

Protection provided Secondary data by coastal habitats collection to coastal areas (in PAME manual but not in TB) Coral Reefs, reef fishes and macroinvertebrates (latter in PAME manual)

Group consultation

Seagrass and macroinvertebrates (latter in PAME manual)

Household survey

COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

Terrestrial (TB 2016-05) Flora including mangroves (latter also in coastal/marine TB)

Wetland Phytoplankton Aquatic Macrophytes

Fauna – Arthropod

Fauna – Vertebrate Birds Mammals Reptiles/Amphibians

Coastal/Marine (TB 2017-05) Plankton Cryptobiota (in TB only) Seaweeds and macroinvertebrates Mudflats and intertidal macroinvertebrates (in PAME manual) and microinvertebrates (in TB only)

Wildlife/Megafauna Birds/Bats Reptiles/Amphibians

Megafauna (marine mammals, sharks and rays, marine turtles) (in PAME manual but not in TB)

Fisheries

Fisheries (in PAME manual but not in TB)

Socio-Economic (TB 2016-06) Analysis: Demographic Profile Analysis: Resources, Resource Uses and Threats Analysis: Social Profile Analysis: Economic Profile Analysis: Institutional Profile and Perceptions

Note also: Survey of subterranean ecosystems are outlined in the Cave Handbook (DENR 2017)

The BMS Manual identifies the following information that management needs: 1. Where and how extensive (area) are the various ecosystem sub-types?

And where are they being degraded/improving? (not just in PA but even beyond) 2. Are the populations of threatened species of plants and animals declining/ increasing?

3. What are the causes for declines or increases?

4. Has management intervention had the intended impact on the ecosystem?

5. Are there increased benefits to local communities from sustainable natural resource use?

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

For socio-economic data, management also needs the following information: 1. How valuable (a) currently, (b) in future if business as usual; and (c) potentially in future, if well managed are the various major ecosystem services being supported by the protected area? Where are the sources and benefit areas of these various major ecosystem services? (not just within the PA but even beyond where relevant) 2. What is the rate of change, and where are these major ecosystem services being degraded/improving? What are the causes (pressures and threats) for declines or increases? What magnitude and where are these pressures and threats?

3. What would be the future estimated values of these ecosystem services under the following major options for management: (a) business as usual, (b) primarily conservation with compatible sustainable use as secondary objective, and (c) alternative use [depending upon what is relevant to the area, e.g. mining] with conservation as secondary objective?

4. What are the names/identities, periods of occupancy, locations, boundaries, and extents of the areas occupied by, as well as, resource uses of the PA occupants and other entities (e.g. firms), as well as their resource uses?

5. Which populations/communities and sub-sectors of these populations/ communities (e.g. subsistence fishers, farmers of irrigated farms, coastal communities adjacent to coral reefs and mangroves, etc.) are benefiting/ losing, will benefit/are bound to lose from changes in these ecosystem services?

Since monitoring is just one of the tasks of management, overall monitoring should not use too much (e.g. up to 10-15%) of the overall human and financial resources. Thus, simple and easy-to-measure indicators (Table 2) should be preferred while more complex monitoring may be better approached through partnerships with organizations which may have these studies as among their core mandates (e.g. research and academic organizations). Due to large number of variables that may be measured and difficulty of measurement, many of the methods (Table 1) are not suitable for objective #3 (day-to-day monitoring).

For #3, the Biodiversity Monitoring System using easily observable indicators (Table 2) complemented by more modern digital technology (e.g. SMARTLawin and eBMS) are still more practical and applicable. Of course, one can always simplify but without sacrifice of the objective of providing reliable trends in biological features and ecosystem services that are vital to management needs. Thus, managers may need to supplement the results of easy opportunistic monitoring those from purposive studies that give a more comprehensive picture of the situation.

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

TABLE 2. SOME EASIER INDICATORS Terrestrial

Wetland

Coastal/Marine Coral, seagrass, and mangrove extent and cover

Socio-Economic

Forest extent and cover

Extent of water bodies (wet season and dry season)

Locations of houses, farms, key infrastructure (e.g. roads) and other production facilities (e.g. factories, drying areas)

Abundance of large vertebrates (mammals, birds including raptors)

Water Reef fish abundance transparency and especially of large dissolved oxygen piscivores (groupers, snappers and emperors)

Total population and occupation per adult

Fish catch

Fish catch of hightrophic pelagic fishes

Production (crops, livestock, fish, wood, etc.)

Abundance of large vertebrates

Easy health indicators (height/weight, mortality, morbidity)

1.2 General Approach 1. List known key features of interest (physical, ecosystems and/or species, e.g. reason for wanting to protect the area).

2. Map the estimated extent of the various ecosystems (e.g. forest types including mangroves, rivers, lakes, seagrass beds, coral reefs). Methods: Secondary map data (please identify BMB website reference for relevant links), GIS, Measurements for Ecosystem Level Assessment (terrestrial) and manta tow (coastal/marine) with sampling points distributed as much as possible across the various sampling strata and across the entire area of interest (use of SMART/Lawin would be appropriate).

3. Select key ecosystems of interest (or adjust list from step 1).

4. Outline areas to be sampled (see stratification below) 5. Sample and estimate relative abundance of flora and fauna in the key ecosystem types of interest. For purposes of maximizing the number of native species recorded, you may wish to sample relatively undisturbed areas; however, this sample will not be representative of that ecosystem through the area of interest.

6. Select indicator species/taxa (flora, fauna), physical features (or adjust list from step 1), sampling stations for monitoring in cooperation with biodiversity expert(s).

7. Monitor abundance through time and distribution of indicator species/ taxa/physical features of interest across the various sampling strata.

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

1.3 Stratification For purposes of sampling and extrapolation of results, Areas of Interest and surrounding watersheds and coastal/marine influence areas are to be classified by: a. Ecosystem sub-types: For example, the 12 forest formations for terrestrial areas and coastal ecosystems (mangrove forests, seagrass/seaweed beds, coral reefs) for coastal areas b. degree of human pressures (i.e. alienable & disposable, forestland or protected area; protected area management zone [core, multiple-use, buffer, outside PA]; proximity to households and population centers; and accessibility using roads/trails and streams/rivers as proxies).

Example: An area with six sub-systems subject to human pressure (Low, Moderate, High) would require 9 representative classes, each with its own replicate sampling.

Human Pressure Sub-ecosystem Mid-elevation forest Low-elevation forest Coastal forest Seagrass/seaweed beds Coral reefs Deeper water

Low

Moderate

High

Other useful references for this are section 1.1. of FFI (2014) Biodiversity Assessment Manual and the section on Sampling Protocol for Coastal and Marine Habitat Assessment in the Coastal and Marine Guide.

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

USE OF OUTPUT FOR MANAGEMENT PLANNING Ultimately, the Bio-physical Assessment should produce maps of the value of certain areas for protection for example due to high biodiversity, being sources of ecosystem services, and/or being highly hazardous. In the map diagram below, higher numbers would refer to higher value for protection.

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While from Socio-Economic Assessment would produce maps of the value of certain areas for use for example due to proximity to human settlements and transportation (roads and rivers), and/or being beneficiary sites for ecosystem services. In the map diagram below, more negative numbers would refer to the social and/or economic demands for less protection and more use.

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Taking these both into consideration (e.g. summing both values for each grid on the map diagram) would provide the basis for zoning and potential negotiations of zones. (These can be facilitated by software such as MARXAN and the like.)

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ABOUT THIS MANUAL 2.1 At A Glance A rich biodiversity offers many natural and economic benefits. It provides coastal area protection, food, and livelihood. The Philippines is known for its rich coastal and marine biodiversity. However, many years of the country’s rapid unsustainable consumption of natural resources has led to the decline of its valuable biological richness.

The main threats for many species degradation are habitat destruction and ecosystem changes. Monitoring will help detect changes that significantly impact biodiversity and provide scientific basis for designing interventions that can address biodiversity loss.

2.2 Why Another Manual With the constant changes and new knowledge brought and introduced by the scientific community, several updates had to be made. In this case, the Biodiversity Assessment Monitoring System (BAMS) was developed by Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology (NORDECO) and DENR back in 2001 to serve as a starting point for monitoring, thus becoming this manual’s forerunner. This was to ensure that no major change in the PA biodiversity went undetected. With the incorporation of recent advances in coastal ecosystems monitoring, this manual is an enhancement of the previous version by having included the operationalization of biodiversity monitoring in more areas in the country, with more available resources.

This How-To Guidelines are designed for use in the Philippines.

2.3 What Are The Goals of this Manual This Manual aims to: 1. set a standard assessment and monitoring guideline that is consistent across all regions in the Philippines; 2. describe the tools and methodologies employed in the monitoring process; 3. provide instruction on the methodologies concerning data generated, and 4. serve as the companion Manual in facilitating capacity development events related to the assessment and 5. monitoring of marine biodiversity.

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

2.4 In A Nutshell This manual for coastal and marine biodiversity assessment and monitoring was developed based on the training module developed by team of experts engaged by WorldFish, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the potential of aquaculture, to serve as an attachment to the technical memo for facilitating easier and better compliance.

In order to sustain the effects of the capacity development initiatives of the PAME project, there arose a need to institutionalize an assessment and monitoring system, consistent across the regions of the country. This was to be done through the circulation of a technical memo to all DENR regional offices.

2.5 Before You Begin: Is This Manual For You This Manual is for you if you are either: A. A technical personnel of PAs under the National Integrated Protected Areas System B. A prospective technical service provider with knowledge and skills for the efficient and effective management of biodiversity conservation.

If yes to one or both, let’s proceed!

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RATIONALE DENR Technical Bulletin

Coral reefs, seagrass, mangroves and soft bottom/mudflats provide various types of habitats for fish, invertebrates and other marine organisms essential for the completion of their life cycles. Coral reefs, mangroves, and associated habitats (e.g. beach forests and mudflats) protect coastal communities from strong wave action, winds, storm surges and tsunamis. More importantly, these habitats are important sources of food and income such as from fisheries and ecotourism. In addition, coastal and marine ecosystems are equally efficient sequestors of carbon dioxide making them important repositories tempering effects of climate change.

As the population increases, the demands for goods and services of coastal and marine ecosystems also increase often resulting to varying degrees of degradation of habitat condition. The threats include overexploitation, loss of habitats, pollution, destructive methods of extraction, perverse incentives and many others. Coastal habitats and resources in the Philippines are also threatened and declining due to catastrophic events related to climate change. The habitats have the natural capacity to recover from disturbances, however overall neglect and poor management impede its recovery. Thus, there is a need for proper management approach in order to decelerate loss and destruction, as well as concerted efforts to rehabilitate and allow the ecosystems to recover.

In order to develop an appropriate, logical and effective management strategy for the Philippines’ coastal and marine ecosystem, there is a need for an accurate and updated assessment of the extent and condition of the country’s coastal and marine ecosystems as well as the factors/ threats/pressures affecting its state and health. Information on the condition of the various coastal and marine ecosystems on a national scale will help the DENR in calibrating appropriate management responses and set realistic annual targets.

There are ongoing assessments being implemented in selected sites under the DENR and DOST through DENR’s Coral Reef Visualization and Assessment (CoRVA) and DOST’s National Assessment of Coral Reef Ecosystems (NACRE). However, additional efforts are urgently needed to cover other sites in the Philippines.

The DENR, through its Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program (CMEMP), developed this Technical Bulletin to provide guidance to the Regional implementers and local environmental

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

managers on how to conduct mapping and assessment of the coastal and marine habitats (coral reef, mangrove, seagrass, softbottom/ mudflats, plankton, cryptobiota) in their respective areas. Specifically, this guidelines aims to: 1. To determine the extent and cover of the various types of coastal and marine ecosystems within each jurisdiction (regional); and 2. To determine the condition, using standard and widely accepted methods, of the various coastal and marine ecosystems.

This Technical Bulletin will apply nationwide for the assessment of coastal and marine environment to cover coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove stands, mudflats/soft bottoms and plankton communities.

Content directly taken from the Technical Bulletin are in blue box.

In addition, the DENR/GIZ Protected Area Management Enhancement Project provided other guidance and methods useful for assessment and monitoring of coastal and marine ecosystems. These supplementary text will not be shaded blue.

4

PREPARATION AND METHODOLOGY Figure 1 provides an illustration of the amended coastal and marine biodiversity assessment and monitoring process overview. This process recognizes that monitoring of coastal and marine biodiversity concerns not only DENR but also other agencies and groups, particularly the academe, local government units (LGUs) and community members, and other government agencies particularly the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) thus a planning and levelling off meeting is needed to establish an effective inter-agency approach. Each agency is to take an active role in the monitoring process, however, in consideration of resources, mandate, and capacity constraints, the design of this monitoring process have different expectations on the frequency of conduct of the different methods and the outputs of monitoring from each agency. These differences are described under the next sections of this guideline detailing the different methodologies and tools to be employed in the assessment and monitoring of coastal and marine biodiversity.

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

PARTNERSHIP

PLANNING & BUDGETING

PREPARATION

DATA COLLECTION

ANALYSIS & REPORT

• Establishing of partnership or cooperation for monitoring and assessment among DENR, academe, BFAR, and LGUs • Levelling-off on expectations of each partner • Mapping of coastal and marine biodiversity assessment and monitoring in the schedule of activities and key target outputs of the agency • Allocation of budget, staff, and other resources for the assessment and monitoring • Strengthening capacities of personnel, if needed • Preparation of map/base map for field work, survey instrument, supplies and materials, equipment, transportation needs, permissions and clearances, etc • Setting and confirming schedule of data collection activitiy with concerned partners (e.g. LGU, fisher groups, landing site/market management) • Protection provided by coastal habitats, coral reef, seagrass beds, seaweeds, mudflat and intertidal areas, megafauna, and fisheries • Updating basemap collected data using GIS • Refer to next sections of this guideline

• Analysis of data collected • Looking at trends referring to previous monitoring reports and other secondary data sources • Preparing of biodiversity report answering key biodiversity questions

FIGURE 1. OVERVIEW OF AMENDED COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY MONITORING PROCESS.

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

The process includes more methods and tools that those in the BMS, which entails more time and resources needed. Thus mapping coastal and marine biodiversity monitoring among the key activities of participating agencies, especially that of DENR, and allocating budget for it is a must.

In making logistical arrangements and budgeting for coastal and marine biodiversity monitoring, the following must be considered: 1. Number of persons needed and required capacities for conducting assessment and monitoring 2. Health and safety of personnel (i.e. access to health facilities, personal accident and life insurances) 3. Number and specification of transportation/vehicle to be procured or rented for transporting personnel and equipment as well as for actual data collection activity (i.e. boats, vans, pick-up, etc.)

4. Need for accommodation depending on distance of monitoring site to base of monitoring team 5. Appropriate gear (e.g. scuba and snorkeling gear) and equipment, and software for data collection and analysis and report making 6. Sufficient supplies for personnel welfare (i.e. food, water, medicine, first aid kit) 7. Enough supplies and materials for data collection proper 8. Facilities for data management, analysis, and storage The following sections detailing the coastal and marine biodiversity assessment and monitoring tools and methods provides information on the minimum personnel and materials needed that can guide budgeting and logistics arrangement.

The amended assessment and monitoring process for coastal and marine biodiversity aims to generate various information (Table 1) needed to answer the key biodiversity questions used in evaluating the effectiveness of the management interventions in the area in addressing biodiversity conservation: • Where are land cover, habitats, and ecosystems? And where are they being degraded/improving? (not just in PA but including buffer zones) • Are the populations of threatened species of plants and animals declining/increasing?

• What are the causes of such decline/increase?

• Has management intervention had the intended impact on the ecosystem?

• Are there increased benefits to local communities from sustainable natural resource use?

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

TABLE 1. DATA TO BE GENERATED BY COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY

ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING.

TAXA/COMPONENT METHODOLOGY/TOOL Coastal Integrity CIVAT and function of coastal habitats in preserving it

Coral reef

Point Intercept Technique/ phototransect & belt transect

Fish visual census Seagrass

14

Transect-quadrat method and belt transect for associated invertebrates

INDICATORS/INDICATIVE DATA Exposure: • Relative sea-level change (mm/yr) • Wave exposure • Tidal range (m) Sensitivity • Coastal landform and rock type • Seasonal beach recovery • Slope from the shoreline to 20-m elevation • Width of reef flat or shore platform • Lateral continuity of reef flat or shore platform • Beach forest/vegetation • Coastal habitats as sediment source and stabilizer • Coastal and offshore mining • Structures on the foreshore Adaptive Capacity • Long-term shoreline trends (m/yr) • Continuity of sediment supply • Guidelines regarding easement • Guidelines on coastal structures • Type of coastal development • Viability of coastal habitats as sediment source Vulnerability Coral ID and lifeform category Percent live hard coral Percent dead coral cover, soft corals Relative Abundance of associated invertebrate Associated flora (% cover) Coral diseases Fish species richness (Number of species) Fish abundance Seagrass species richness Percent seagrass cover Relative abundance Canopy height (cm) Shoot density (shoot/m2) Invertebrates species richness Invertebrates density (ind/ha) Dominant inverts group (% relative abundance)

COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

TAXA/COMPONENT Seaweeds

METHODOLOGY/TOOL Transect-quadrat method and belt transect for associated invertebrates

Intertidal mudflat

Belt transect

Megafauna

Focus group discussion/ Interview survey, Photo-identification Focus group discussion/ Interview survey Photo-identification Nesting beach survey

Opportunistic survey, Dugong feeding trail/ monitoring survey Opportunistic survey Opportunistic survey, Dugong feeding trail/ monitoring survey, Fish landing survey/ market inspection Dugong feeding trail monitoring/survey Fish landing survey/ Market inspection Stranding data

INDICATORS/INDICATIVE DATA Seaweed species richness Percent seaweed cover Relative abundance Invertebrates species richness Invertebrates density (ind/ha) Macro invertebrates species richness Macro invertebrates density (ind/ha) Biological diversity Range of distribution

Temporal variation*

Population abundance Estimate number of reproductive females Estimate number of nests Estimate number of hatchlings Species of sea turtles Temporal variation* Presence and absence

Species sighted* Extent of range of distribution*

Threats to dugongs* Important species of sharks and rays in the area Threats to sharks and rays* Species composition of marine mammals stranded

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

TAXA/COMPONENT Fisheries

METHODOLOGY/TOOL INDICATORS/INDICATIVE DATA Focus group Number of fishers per fishing village discussion Changes in fish diversity/species composition Number of fishers per km2 of fishing Fishing gear types and number of users/units Focus group Number of hours per fishing trip or day and discussion, Fish number of fishing trips per day landing or dockside survey Fish landing or Catch composition (species richness) dockside survey Landed weight per group/species Trophic structure analysis* Catch per unit effort (kg/g.u./trip) Market Surveys Daily estimates of fish production Fishing revenues (gross income) in PhP Net incomes (GR – fishing costs) in PhP Price per kg of major kinds of fish Sources of fish products/fishing area Market destination of fish products Focus group Changes in fish production and diversity thru discussion, time (temporal) Semi-structured interviews Semi-structured Fishing effort changes interviews Historical trends in catch per unit effort Seasonality of fisheries resources Environmental impacts* Biodiversity loss or fish extirpation studies*

* If possible

The subsequent sections of this document describes each of the tools and methodologies employed in the monitoring process and provides a detailed guide on how to conduct each one and how to process, manage, and analyze data generated. Also included in these chapters are the materials needed and minimum personnel capacity needed, expected frequency of conduct by different agencies/groups, and expected resolution of data produced by these groups.

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

DENR Technical Bulletin

4.1 Survey Mapping I. DATA GATHERING AND CONSOLIDATION a. Remote Sensing images, available maps and other relevant data/information on coastal and marine ecosystems (coral reef, mangrove area, seagrass beds and mudflats) shall be gathered by DENR-BMB and other concerned agencies/ academe i.e., Protected Area (PA), Historical data of coastal and marine ecosystems, Land Cover Map, Topographic Base Map, Administrative Boundary, Monument Description of PRS ’92 Geodetic Control Points (GCPs), etc. The same shall be consolidated to produce baseline maps showing the extent of the coastal and marine habitats. The baseline maps produced will be the bases for the determination of the condition of the various coastal and marine resources in the country using the best available criteria.

II. PRELIMINARY MAP PREPARATION a. Pre-Processing i. Vector file: The vector file shall be corrected/projected to the reference recent/available satellite image, Google, or Bing Maps. ii. Analog Map: The map shall be scanned and rectified to produce a geo-referenced map. The relevant features i.e., coastal and marine habitats within and/or adjacent to PA in the geo-referenced map shall be digitized to produce a vector files (lines and polygons). iii. Technical Descriptions (TDs): In case of other relevant datasets where only the Technical Descriptions are available, these TDs shall be encoded and plotted to generate vector file (lines and polygons). Back-up copies of the encoded/ plotted TDs shall be created. b. Preliminary Map Generation i. Integration and Geoprocessing: The vector files of the coastal and marine habitats within and/or adjacent to PA, as well as the nearest PRS ’92 GCPs shall be integrated/geo-processed and overlaid to recent/available satellite image using a GIS software. The PRS ’92 GCPs will serve as tie point for the vector files and as reference in Global Positioning System (GPS) testing and localization for calibration purposes.

Strategic corners within the subject area shall be determined (Figure 1).

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COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

ii. A layout of the geo-processed vector file of coastal and marine habitats within and/or adjacent to PA shall be prepared. Print copy of this shall be produced which will serve as preliminary map showing the relative location and extent of the subject area indicating predetermined strategic corners for validation.

FIGURE 1. SAMPLE PRELIMINARY MAP FOR VALIDATION TABLE 1. ATTRIBUTE ENTRIES FOR THE VECTOR FILE

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Required Field

Field Properties

Description

Sample Entry

REGION

Text (50 Char)

Region Number

REGION IV-A

PROVINCE

Text (50 Char)

Name of Province

QUEZON

LANDCOVER

Text (50 Char)

Type of Land Cover Mangrove forest

PANAME

Text (100 Char)

Name of PA

Island of Alibijaban / Alibijaban Island PLSS

AREA

Double (10,4)

Area of Mangrove in hectares

183.15

PA_TYPE

Text (50 Char)

Terrestrial/Marine

Terrestrial Protected Area

COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING MANUAL

I. FIELD VALIDATION/GROUND TRUTHING

1. The Handheld GPS should be initialized/localized and tested before proceeding to the area using the PRS ’92 GCPs as reference.

2. Predetermined strategic corners reflected in the preliminary map shall be validated on ground using Handheld GPS unit.

3. Using the navigational capability of the Handheld GPS and the uploaded waypoints, the direction and distance indicated therein will serve as guide in tracking the predetermined strategic corners of the coastal and marine habitats within and/or adjacent to PA. 4. Should there be discrepancy in the predetermined vis-Ă -vis actual location and extent of the area, the actual coordinates with full description and sketch of the area including landmark shall be recorded with supporting photos for documentations.

II. PREPARATION OF UPDATED MAP AND FIELD REPORT 1. The vector file of the location and extent of the coastal and marine habitats within and/or adjacent to PA based on the ground truthing shall be adjusted accordingly.

2. A layout of the adjusted vector files shall be prepared and a print copy of this shall be produced.

3. A field report and the updated map showing the location and extent of coastal and marine habitats within and/or adjacent to PA shall be prepared and submitted to the concerned CENRO/ PENRO for endorsement to the DENR-BMB. The generated maps will be used to choose sites for the detailed assessments of the overall conditions of the coastal and marine ecosystems. It is important to indicate on the map the locations and positions of the habitats for each of the various types of coastal and marine ecosystems present in each of the regions. This can be best shown using polygons. The area of the polygons can provide an initial estimate of the extent each type of coastal and marine ecosystem cover in each of the region. The suggested sample size for the detailed assessment and determination of the condition of each type of ecosystem is about 20 sampling sites per 500 hectares of an ecosystem.

A widely accepted protocol for sampling is provided by Green et al.

(1979) and is summarized below.

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Deutsche Gesellschaft fĂźr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Biodiversity Management Bureau

Registered offices Bonn and Eschborn, Germany

Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Centre, North Avenue Barangay Diliman, Quezon City Philippines

Berthold Schirm PDCP Bank Center, V.A. Rufino corner L.P. Leviste Sts. Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines

T +63 2 924 6031 E bmb@bmb.gov.ph

T +63 2 426 0198 E berthold.schirm@giz.de