Sea cucumber is an important species for gathering and trading among small-scale fishers. While there are several reports on sea cucumber population in the Davao region, these were not updated, and providing continuing assessments will help preserve its biodiversity. This assessment used belt transect methods, morphological analyses, and environmental assessments, while data analysis compared their abundance and biodiversity. This study has identified 13 sea cucumber species in Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental, with Barangay Lavigan having the highest species richness (10 species). Five species—Actinopyga echinites, Bohadschia marmorata, Holothuria scabra, Holothuria leucospilota, and Synapta maculata—were consistently present across all sites, demonstrating ecological adaptability, while rare species like Holothuria albiventer, Holothuria atra, Holothuria gracilis, Holothuria rigida, and Actinopyga caroliniana were limited or absent, indicating potential vulnerabilities. Using principal component analysis, the study found that depth, coarse sand, fine sand, and gravel significantly influenced distribution. In contrast, anthropogenic marine debris and silt had negative impacts. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index revealed higher species richness and evenness in Lavigan (H’ = 1.76), and lower species diversity index in the other two sites (H’ = 1.49 and H’ = 1.48), attributed to anthropogenic marine debris and silt. Sea cucumber gleaning was identified as a vital livelihood activity, with high-value species like A. echinites and Stichopus horrens being heavily harvested. The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted conservation efforts, particularly in biodiversity-rich areas like Lavigan, to address overharvesting and habitat degradation and help in the preservation of marine ecosystems in Governor Generoso.
Macusi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.