Our research studies at Silliman University, which have taken
us to many areas in the central, western and southern Philippines, as well as to
the South China Sea, convince me that marine biology is not enough. It must be
integrated with other marine sciences.
To illustrate, earlier in this column, I gave a summary of
the marine biology findings on marine resources of the joint marine expeditions
of the Philippines and Vietnam in the South China Sea from 1996 to 2007. This
summary showed that the marine biodiversity of this body of water used to be
characterized by abundance and high species richness, but that some components
of this biodiversity have deteriorated over the 11 year period of study. The
basic geological framework of this Sea (the coral reef ecosystem) has remained
relatively stable, but the biological resources in this ecosystem are threatened
by over-exploitation. The findings also showed that the marine ecosystems in
this sea, such as atolls, islands, shoals, cays, and oceanic deeps, most
probably export marine propagules to surrounding countries like China, the
Philippines and Vietnam based on biogeographic grounds.
All these are sending a message to the countries that dispute
the ownership of these marine ecosystems to come together and agree on a
framework for cooperation in the protection and management of the biological
resources of the disputed area, otherwise these resources will continue to be
regarded as common resources to be ravaged by people of the claimant countries,
an example of Hardin's "tragedy of the commons."
Going back to my earlier concern for the integration of
oceanographic data with marine biology, it is becoming clear that to ensure the
long term conservation and management of the marine resources in the South China
Sea for the benefit of surrounding nations, the important role of oceanic
currents, upwellings, downwellings, nutrient circulation, wind patterns, etc. in
the different ecosystems as well as the transport of propagules or "seedlings"
of economically important marine organisms to our own shores, inland waters and
archipelagic seas.
It is, however, sad to note that oceanography is not
appreciated by many political and government leaders of the Philippines, and
only one academic institution, the University of the Philippines, is active in
oceanographic research and development. Yet, Filipinos wax eloquent over the
fact that our territorial waters, which cover about seven times the area of our
land, are teeming (more correctly, used to teem) with resources on which our
people depend for food security and livelihood.
Most academic institutions with marine biology programs have not seen the
need to expand their programs to include oceanography. They are perhaps waiting
for widespread changes in oceanographic regimes with the climate change
phenomenon now gripping the country before acting, and by that time the
opportunity to contribute to the proper understanding of marine conservation and
management through oceanography shall have been lost! Pity the Philippines. We
are bound to remain a second class nation.
