The Philippines, particularly the West Philippine Sea and Benham Bank, has been revealed as a global center of diversity for soft corals, according to a groundbreaking study published in Nature Scientific Reports. This international research effort, involving scientists from over 40 countries, highlights the previously understudied richness of these vital marine organisms.
“The samples from the Philippines were major representatives for the Coral Triangle region,” explained Dr. Jue Lalas, one of two Filipino co-authors of the study, “The paper shows that the Philippines, including the West Philippine Sea and Benham Bank in northeastern Philippines, is part of one of the centers of zooxanthellate soft coral diversity.”
collected. Photo: UP MSI.
The study, which analyzed over 4000 soft coral samples using DNA barcoding, identified the Indo-Australian Archipelago and the Western Indian Ocean as key areas of species richness. Philippine samples, collected between 2019 and 2021 from various locations including the Kalayaan Island Group, Western Palawan, Pangasinan, Puerto Galera, and Benham Bank, played a crucial role in this global assessment. Dr. Lalas, while a research associate at the UP Marine Science Institute, led much of the Philippine sample collection, assisted by Rhea Luciano and Christine Segumalian.
“There are just very few papers on soft corals in the Philippines, despite them being obviously dominant components of Philippine coral reefs,” Dr. Lalas noted. He attributed this gap to the relatively small number of researchers focusing on soft corals compared to hard corals. Dr. Maria Vanessa Baria-Rodriguez, the other Filipino co-author, is actively working to address this research deficit.
Since 2019, her IMBiBE lab has conducted training programs on soft coral identification and taxonomy, in collaboration with leading experts like Dr. Yehuda Benayahu. These efforts have led to further studies improving our understanding of soft coral distribution and ecology in the Philippines.
extremely high in species richness and high in endemicity. Photo: UP MSI.
The study’s authors suggest that the actual number of soft coral species in the West Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Red Sea is likely much higher than currently documented. “We have undoubtedly underestimated numbers of species for these taxa,” the study states. Dr. Lalas agrees, emphasizing the vast potential for future discoveries in Philippine waters.
“If you look at the study more closely, and the literature on Philippine soft corals, we have yet to explore their diversity in most of the Philippine seas,” he stated. “This represents an opportunity for coral reef scientists in different parts of the country.”
The importance of soft coral research is increasing due to climate change. Dr. Lalas explained that, “In some disturbed sites in the Indo-Pacific, some studies have reported a shift to the dominance of soft corals. They have been generally reported to have high resilience to disturbances. However, soft corals may also eventually be subjected to mortality if stressors persist.” He added that soft corals can serve as valuable indicators of environmental changes.
This study represents a significant step forward in connecting Filipino soft coral researchers with international experts. It underscores the critical importance of protecting the Philippines’ rich marine biodiversity, including the vast and largely unexplored ecosystems of Benham Bank and the West Philippine Sea. The researchers expressed gratitude to various funding agencies and institutions that supported the collection of Philippine soft coral samples.
