Meiofauna bioindicator potentials: awareness and management options of the coastal residents of misamis oriental, northern mindanao, Philippines

Abstract

Deterioration of coastal habitats due to unregulated anthropogenic activities has led to loss of marine biodiversity and ecological integrity. The potential use of meiofauna as bioindicators of coastal environmental health, therefore, is a tool leading into the formulation of effective management strategies. Awareness and management options were based on the knowledge, perception and attitude of residents in an urban coastal area of Cagayan de Oro City and in a rural coastal area of Initao, Misamis Oriental. Survey questionnaires, key informant interviews, focused group discussions, walk through method and some secondary data collation were done. Results showed that meiofauna has the potentials of becoming bioindicators of pollution through the observed abundant occurrences of worms in the coastal sediments that might pose health hazards. The appearance and disappearance of macrofauna, feeding on meiofauna, could be the immediate indicator of the negative impacts of pollution and anthropogenic perturbations. Residents observed that both coastal areas were already experiencing degradation due to unregulated untreated effluent discharges, fecal wastes from livestock, overfishing and sediment loading from rivers and creeks. Although, the use of meiofauna for environmental monitoring is not directly considered by the residents, however, it opened an opportunity for them to be informed of new reliable scientific information that can be used to monitor the state of coastal areas. As such, the residents had recommended the serious protection of coastal resources from further degradation to gain back their socio-ecnomic benefits for the present and future generations.