Dan Anthony U. Bataan, Paul John L. Geraldino, Judith R. Silapan, Lawrence M. Liao
Coastal ecosystems have been seriously impacted by anthropogenic activities, which are compounded by recent climatic and environmental changes. To provide some evidence of these changes, a study of marine benthic algal composition was conducted by comparing historical (1969–1970) and contemporary (2013–2014) collections in Silot Bay in Cebu, Philippines. A quantitative survey revealed a total of 30 species of benthic algae (11 red, nine brown, and 10 green) in the historical collections, whereas only 15 species (four each of red and brown plus seven species of green algae) were accounted in the latter years. This decline in the marine benthic algal composition may be attributed to sedimentation, which is indirectly caused by urbanization and human population increase. Altered environmental conditions inside the Bay may also explain the decline and qualitative changes of algal species composition therein. Continued monitoring of the benthic macroalgal composition and environmental parameters may help document anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems. Historical herbarium samples represent a valuable yet underappreciated resource for tracking environmental changes through time. © 2022, Department of Science and Technology. All rights reserved.
Environmental Science Program, Sciences Cluster, University of the Philippines Cebu, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines; Department of Biology, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines; Aquatic Botany Laboratory, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan; Graduate School of Kuroshio Science, Kochi University, Oko Campus, Kochi, Nankoku, 783-8505, Japan
