Reef fish community structure and biomass in a fish sanctuary and a proposed marine protected area in Ilocos Sur, Philippines
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61326/jofbs.v6i1.01Keywords:
ARs, Biomass, Diversity, MPAs, Reef fish structure, Sto. Domingo, Ilocos SurAbstract
This study assessed reef fish community structure and biomass in an established fish sanctuary and a proposed marine protected area (MPA) in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur, northwestern Philippines. Underwater fish visual census (FVC) was conducted along belt transects in established Calay-Ab fish sanctuary and the proposed MPA (Calay-Ab-Sived reef), supplemented by assessments of artificial reef structures within the sanctuary. Diversity, evenness, and biomass were estimated using species-specific length–weight relationships. A total of 1562 individuals representing 43 species from 18 families were recorded. The established Calay-Ab fish sanctuary supported 28 species from 13 families, while the proposed MPA harbored 30 species from 16 families. Species diversity was moderate in the established Calay-Ab fish sanctuary (H' = 2.719) and low in the proposed MPA (H' = 2.485), with very low evenness at both sites (J' ≈ 0.11), indicating dominance by a few species. Fish biomass values were relatively higher in the sanctuary (26.289 MT/km²) than in the proposed MPA (21.849 MT/km²) during the assessment period. Of the 86 AR units deployed, 59 (69%) remained intact and were colonized by macroalgae, gorgonians, reef fishes, and an endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), underscoring their ecological value. The findings provide baseline ecological information that may support future MPA management, monitoring, and conservation planning in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur, Philippines.
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