Philippines: The Guimaras oil spill afflicts Mangroves with albinism

More info on spill is here: http://www.haribon.org.ph/index.php?q=node/view/364

Cayetano chaired the Senate committee on environment when the oil
spill occurred on Aug. 11, 2006 after the MT Solar 1, chartered by
Petron Corp., sank in stormy seas southeast of Guimaras and spilled
more than 2.1 million liters of bunker fuel oil, which it was
transporting from Bataan to Zamboanga.

Get full text; support writer, producer of the words:
http://www.mangroveactionproject.org/news/current_headlines/oil-spill-keeps-punishing-mangroves – http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=260277&page=8

Sadaba said they took samples of mangrove trees afflicted with albinism during field studies on Jan. 16-19 at the 1,143-hectare Taklong Island National Marine Reserve (Tinmar) in Nueva Valencia town, the hardest hit by the oil spill among the island-province’s five municipalities. He said they expected the growth of these mangrove trees to be stunted because of the abnormalities. Earlier studies conducted among mangroves, which suffered most from the oil sludge, showed their continued defoliation and the reduction of leaf size and canopy cover.

“The recent findings support our earlier conclusions that damage to
marine resources continue to persist despite signs of recovery,”
Sadaba told the Inquirer. Scientific studies also showed abnormalities
in the breeding and growth of mangroves, sea grass, marine animals and
sea cucumbers, which were attributed mainly to the contamination of
the marine environment by bunker fuel from the sunken vessel.

Sadaba cited the need for additional studies because the mangroves still
showed the effects of the oil spill three years after it
occurred.Cayetano said more scientific studies should also be
conducted on the condition of residents who suffered from the oil
spill and the impact of rehabilitation programs on them.

During the same briefing, Provincial Board Member Josephine de la Cruz said that a significant amount of funds allotted for Guimaras have not been
released to the province. “The recent findings support our earlier
conclusions that damage to marine resources continue to persist
despite signs of recovery,” Sadaba told the Inquirer.

Scientific studies also showed abnormalities in the breeding and growth of
mangroves, sea grass, marine animals and sea cucumbers, which were
attributed mainly to the contamination of the marine environment by
bunker fuel from the sunken vessel.

Sadaba cited the need for additional studies because the mangroves still showed the effects of the oil spill three years after it occurred. Cayetano said more scientific studies should also be conducted on the condition of
residents who suffered from the oil spill and the impact of
rehabilitation programs on them.

Get full text; support writer, producer of the words:
http://www.mangroveactionproject.org/news/current_headlines/oil-spill-keeps-punishing-mangroves – http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=260277&page=

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