Chapter V Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations

Summary

This study was undertaken with the objectives of identifying macroalgal species and solving for their mean biomass in MPAs and non-MPAs in Danjugan Island and in Agutaya Island and correlating these results with live hard coral cover in the same areas. The study hypothesized that there was no significant difference in mean biomass between MPAs and nonMPAs in Danjugan Island and that there was no significant correlation between macroalgal biomass and live hard coral cover in the said areas. From the study, it was found that Agutaya Island had the highest macroalgal diversity followed by non-MPAs and then MPAs in Danjugan Island. Members of the family Sargassaceae were the most frequently occurring species in both MPAs and non-MPAs while members of the family Dictyotales were the most frequent in Agutaya. Non-MPAs in Danjugan had the highest total mean biomass followed by Agutaya and lastly MPAs. No environmental differences were found among the sampling areas to suggest the cause for the results. It was also found that there was a significant difference in mean biomass between MPAs and non-MPAs in Danjugan with the latter being significantly higher than the former. No significant correlation was found between macroalgal biomass and live hard coral cover in unprotected areas (non-MPAs in Danjugan and Agutaya Island) while a positively significant correlation was found in MPAs.

Conclusions

Based on the results, it is concluded that there is a significant difference in macroalgal biomass and diversity in MPAs and non-MPAs in Danjugan Island and that non-MPAs have a significantly higher value for both. This difference was concluded not to stem from environmental differences in the area but from the presence of marine protection in the areas. Therefore, protection is significant in macroalgal biomass and diversity. It is also concluded that macroalgal biomass does not have a significant relationship with live coral cover rather it is the presence of a marine protected area that controls both. Therefore, protection is also significant in determining live coral cover.

Recommendations

From the study and the results drawn, it was recommended that maintenance of marine protected areas in Danjugan Island should be continued as it shows a significant difference in macroalgal biomass in protected and non-protected areas. Further research in the areas can be done to find a more representative sampling size of the macroalgal population and to obtain more definite biomass and diversity values for the areas. The methodology can be improved upon such as using an oven instead of sun-drying the samples for a more precise estimate of species weight and eventual biomass, lengthening the duration of the research to find any variability with time and the environment and the possible effects of this variability with species diversity, and expanding the sampling areas to encompass a larger scope of the island.