August 28, 2008, SAN FRANCISCO -- A preview of the Philippine Reef Exhibit at the Academy brought the Filipino American media together to update the community on the exciting developments in the aquarium as the countdown gets closer to opening day. The media was not disappointed. Already the aquarium is teeming with fish of different sizes, colors and hues, blending or feeding off the corals and plants. One is awed by the varied species of coral colonies and the diverse marine population that can be seen through every viewing window at the aquarium. As Dr. Terry Gosliner said, every visit to the aquarium will be different from the next because of the dynamics in the marine life growing every moment in the reef.
The world’s deepest living coral reef exhibit opens at the new California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park on September 27, 2008. The permanent Philippine Coral Reef Exhibit, in a 212,000-gallon aquarium tank, will be home to a variety of soft and hard corals, black-tipped reef sharks, rays, and more than 4,000 reef fishes that are native to the Philippines. Visitors will be able to view the reef and its inhabitants from the surface as well as from five different underwater windows.
The Academy chose to feature a Philippine coral reef because decades of studies conclusively found the reef systems in the Philippines the most diverse in the world. Despite their global importance, most people on the planet have never seen a living reef. With the opening of the new Academy building, over a million visitors a year will be able to experience the splendor of a living Philippine coral reef and learn what they can do to help save coral reefs around the world.
A 40-year history of research in Philippine waters and else where around the world, conclusively pinpointed that the centre of the centre of marine biodiversity is found in the Verde Island Passage, a busy sea lane not very far from the capital city of Manila. The research resulted into the discovery of dozens of new animal species, and publication of a comprehensive guidebook to Indo-Pacific invertebrates. The Academy is partnering with local education and conservation groups, such as Pusod, a non-governmental organization based in the Philippines and Berkeley, whose mission is to preserve and enhance the ecosystems of the Philippines and show their significance to the world.
Both organizations are committed to scientific, educational, and outreach efforts regarding the coral reefs of the Philippines. These efforts will be targeted toward the Filipino community in the Bay Area and abroad, fostering their appreciation for and personal connection to one of the world's critical biodiversity hotspots.
According to Dr. Terry Gosliner, Senior Curator at the Academy, “Our goal to reach a broad and diverse audience is the reason we have this wonderful evolution of interaction with Pusod and the Filipino community.”
The Academy and Pusod have organized a group of San Francisco Bay Area Filipino Americans to generate interest and excitement about the exhibit, and to get the Filipino community involved. The group, Reaching out through Environmental Education to Filipinos (REEF), has a marketing team that has been aggressively promoting the exhibit to different sectors of the Filipino community. Recently, it participated in the Pistahan parade in San Francisco with a marine-themed float.
Dr. Meg Burke, the Academy’s Director of Education, comments that it is wonderful how the Filipino community has been so cooperative and excited about the Philippine Coral Reef Exhibit. She says she is overwhelmed by how much support the Academy has received from the Filipino community in making the exhibit a spectacular possibility. Consul General Marciano Paynor, Jr., reiterated that the Philippine government will continue its collaboration with the Academy and continue its programs of conservation, preservation and education to reverse the destructive effects caused by pollution, callous harvesting of fish and corals, illegal fishing practices and other factors caused by humans. Dr. Gosliner said that the Philippines is one of a very few number of countries who can be proud of their conservation efforts.
“Because the Philippines has more marine biodiversity than anywhere else in the world,” says Malou Babilonia, Pusod Founder and Trustee, “the Filipino community needs to take action in any way to protect, preserve and enhance our marine environments.” For more information visit www.pusod.org/reef, or http://www.calacademy.org/academy/building/behind_the_scenes.php send inquiries to: reef.project@yahoo.com.
