GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF CORALS OF OPPORTUNITY (Acropora spp.) AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS AT TUKA 3, KIAMBA, SARANGANI PROVINCE

Coral reefs in the Philippines have been degrading over the years. In Sarangani Bay, only 26% of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are in good condition, thus, efforts to restore damage MPAs should be done to improve their ecological functioning. One rearing methodology used for restoration projects is the cstablishment of coral nursery by using Corals of Opportunity (COP) fragments to ensure less stress. This study used this method to cvaluate the growth performance of branching Acropora spp. at Tuka 3, Kiamba, Sarangani Province for four months (Feb-May 2017) in three different depths: 10ft. 20ft. 30ft. The study shows that Acropora sp. Corals of Opportunity (COP) fragments has higher growth rates in the first depth (10ft) setting than in other deeper depths (20ft and 30ft). Mean branch initiation on 10ft and 30ft is greater and more rapid than 20ft. As months progressed, the increment added monthly on the 3 depths decreases. Over the span of three months, the number of fragments survived was higher in 10 ft. than the other two depths. This shows that the Acropora sp. on the 10ft. depth performed better in an umbrella-type Artificial reef. After three months, the umbrella-type artificial reef recruited a total of 10 species, and family Pomacanthidae is the most abundant. Thus, these results can be used as ground to further test other type of structures under the same condition. Further studies should be done to test other coral species, morphotypes, and rearing methodologies.