MONITORING OF DEPLOYED CORAL NURSERY UNITS (CNU) OF FISHCORAL MAFAR IN MAGUINDANAO

MAGUINDANAO | June 30, 2021

FishCORAL of the Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform conducted monitoring and assessment of the Coral Nursery Units (CNU) deployed in Barangay Banago, Balabagan, Lanao del Sur, Barangay Matuber, Barangay Pura, and Barangay Lapaken in Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao on June 30- July 3, 2021.

Deployment of coral nursery units (CNU) is one of the initiatives of the FishCORAL Project to enhance the density and abundance of fish and other marine life through the restoration of highly destructed coral reefs in the region.

It aims to monitor and assess the growth and survival of the “coral of opportunity” after transplanting. It also includes determining the fish biomass in the CNU sites through visual fish census (FVC), cleaning the corals by brushing off the monofilaments and silt attaching to it, and replanting coral fragments to replace the dead ones.

CNU is artificial reef structures made by transporting dislodged, damaged, and broken pieces of coral reefs into safe coral nursery units where they are allowed to grow and provide “temporary apartments” for fishes.

The CNU in Banago, Balabagan were transplanted last two years ago, while in Datu Blah Sinsuat, transplantation was conducted in April and May of this year.

Also, Regular monitoring of the project will be conducted every month, including the deployed artificial reefs (ARs).

Credits to MAFAR-FishCORAL