GLASS BOTTLES AS AN ARTIFICIAL REEFS

Biodiversity is an important factor in all healthy ecosystems. Coral reef ecosystems support an incredibly diverse community of fish species. The coral reefs are in decline due to a combination of factors such as climate change and over fishing.

Artificial reefs (AR) have become increasingly more popular in coral reef ecosystem management and conservation. It has been commonly used in the management of fisheries. University of Colorado (2014) research study affirmed that ten percent of the fish consumed globally and the tourism industry are associated with coral reef ecosystems. It is also supported in the study of Abelson (2006) that the restoration of the degraded reefs can be restored through implementation of the artificial coral reefs.

The Naturephere is the first student-organized group in Macabalan National High School that advocated on coral reef conservation and care for marine biodiversity. The activity simply started from a simple cleaning and collection of the bottles from school campus towards the community of Barangay Macabalan.

The glass bottles were used as artificial reef regardless on its sizes, shapes or designs considering bottles is a common rubbish in Barangay Macabalan. In support of the global awareness on climate change, the glass bottles were recycled and reuse at its best. The highlight of the activity was the deployment of the AR in the marine sanctuary of Tubajon, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.

It was found out in that the implementation of the artificial coral reefs is widely used and apparently accepted by the public and some resource managers. Moreover, the use of glass bottles as AR is the most successful techniques use by marine environmentalist to date (Scott, 2016).

Author(s): Maria Therisa Flora Mabalos

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