Apo Reef
Encyclopedia
Apo Reef is a series of coral reef
s encompassing 34 square kilometers within the waters of Occidental Mindoro
in the Philippines
. It is the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system and the largest in the country. The reef and its surrounding waters are administered as a National Park as part of the Apo Reef Natural Park project; the Apo Reef is within the Sulu Sea
.
. Two separate coral reefs make up the atoll
-reef system. The two reefs are separated by a 30 meter-deep channel between them. Several environments can be found within the reef's boundaries. Aside from coral reef
s, seagrass meadows
, beds of macroalgae and mangrove stands
are present on and around the reef proper.
surrounding the national park.
Politically, the reef lies in waters within the jurisdiction of the province of Occidental Mindoro
in region IV-B of the Philippines. It is directly administered by the local government of the municipality of Sablayan.
Originally, Apo Reef was first officially declared a "Marine Park" by then-Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos
in 1980. This was followed up with the local government of Sablayan declaring the reef a special "Tourism Zone and Marine Reserve" three years later. In 1996, the entire reef was declared a protected natural park by then-president Fidel Ramos.
In 2006, the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources
submitted the reef to the UNESCO
World Heritage Centre for consideration as a World Heritage Site
.
Following a survey by the local chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature
, fishing within the reef was banned by the Philippine government in September 2007. The marine park would be opened for tourists to help generate funds for its protection as well as provide an alternative livelihood for hundreds of fishermen in the area.
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s encompassing 34 square kilometers within the waters of Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro is a province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon. "Home of the Indigenous Mangyans". Its capital is Mamburao and occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro, on the west by Apo East Pass, and on the south by the Mindoro Strait; Oriental Mindoro is...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It is the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system and the largest in the country. The reef and its surrounding waters are administered as a National Park as part of the Apo Reef Natural Park project; the Apo Reef is within the Sulu Sea
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago. Borneo is found to the southwest and Visayas to the northeast.Sulu Sea contains a number of...
.
Geology
Apo Reef can be found around 33 kilometers west off of the mid-western coast of the Philippine island of MindoroMindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
. Two separate coral reefs make up the atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
-reef system. The two reefs are separated by a 30 meter-deep channel between them. Several environments can be found within the reef's boundaries. Aside from coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s, seagrass meadows
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...
, beds of macroalgae and mangrove stands
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
are present on and around the reef proper.
Conservation history
The waters of Apo Reef are protected within a National Park encompassing 274.69 km2 of the reef and its surrounding area. Of the total area, 157.92 km2 comprises the Apo Reef Natural Park while the remaining 116.77 km2 constitute a buffer zoneBuffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
surrounding the national park.
Politically, the reef lies in waters within the jurisdiction of the province of Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro is a province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon. "Home of the Indigenous Mangyans". Its capital is Mamburao and occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro, on the west by Apo East Pass, and on the south by the Mindoro Strait; Oriental Mindoro is...
in region IV-B of the Philippines. It is directly administered by the local government of the municipality of Sablayan.
Originally, Apo Reef was first officially declared a "Marine Park" by then-Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
in 1980. This was followed up with the local government of Sablayan declaring the reef a special "Tourism Zone and Marine Reserve" three years later. In 1996, the entire reef was declared a protected natural park by then-president Fidel Ramos.
In 2006, the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Philippines)
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, development, utilization, and conservation of the country's natural resources.-History:The Department of Environment and Natural...
submitted the reef to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Centre for consideration as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Following a survey by the local chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
, fishing within the reef was banned by the Philippine government in September 2007. The marine park would be opened for tourists to help generate funds for its protection as well as provide an alternative livelihood for hundreds of fishermen in the area.