TropicalCoast 4th new indd

26

July 2008

was tested through 

a series of expert 

workshops. The first of 

these workshops was the 

Marine Key Biodiversity 

Areas Definition 

Workshop where the 

2007 IUCN Red List   

was used as a primary 

reference. Workshop 

participants were 

experts in various areas 

of marine life, classified 

as follows: highly 

mobile (elasmobranchs, 

fish, marine turtles, 

cetaceans); site-attached 

(reef fish, marine 

invertebrates, giant 

clams, groupers); and 

the habitat-forming 

group (corals, seagrass, 

mangroves, seaweeds).   

The workshop validated 

the list and distribution 

of species that trigger 

the vulnerability 

and irreplaceability 

criteria (Table 1), 

and determined the 

applicability of the 

marine KBA process to 

the Philippines. Marine 

KBAs in the country 

were also identified. 

Map overlays showing 

the distribution of KBA 

trigger species  were 

produced and later 

integrated  to show the 

first-cut version of the 

marine KBAs for the 

Philippines (Figure 2). A 

total of  70 marine KBAs 

were identified. 

A second workshop was conducted 

to develop a set of criteria to refine 

the boundaries of the marine KBAs 

identified during the first workshop. 

It also  established priorities for 

these KBAs.    

Conclusion

The overlap of identified marine 

KBAs with existing MPAs in the 

Philippines is currently being 

analyzed.  It is expected that the 

integration of the terrestrial and 

marine KBAs for the Philippines 

will provide an enhanced 

decision-making framework for 

stakeholders and decision-makers 

at local, national, and regional  

Figure 2. Initial marine key biodiversity areas identifi ed for the Philippines based on the two expert    

workshops conducted by Conservation International in 2008.

Image Source: CI-Philippines.

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27

Tropical Coasts

References

Conservation International. 2008. 

Guidebook  for the identification, 

delineation and prioritization of 

marine Key Biodiversity Areas: Global 

site conservation targets for the 

marine environment. Conservation 

International, Arlington, VA. 35pp.

Conservation International-Philippines, 

Department of Environment and 

Natural Resources-Protected Areas 

and Wildlife Bureau and Haribon 

Foundation (CI-DENR-Haribon). 2006. 

Priority Sites for Conservation in the 

Philippines: Key Biodiversity Areas. 

Quezon City, Philippines. 24 pp.

Edgar, G.J., P.F. Langhammer, G. Allen, T.M. 

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