Of the 15 species of coral reef spotted in the site in 1991, only five have survived, according to NMI coral reef point of contact Fran Castro.
She said this is due to disturbance and land-base pollution.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Castro, who is also the manager of Division of Environmental Quality’s marine monitoring program, said they have been trying to address the issue for many years.
Back in 1997, the commonwealth started a re-vegetation project and formed a marine monitoring team to address the problems on runoffs and land-base pollutions surrounding Laolao Bay.
Now that there’s available funding, Castro said they expect a lot of planning and road construction projects.
In a press briefing yesterday, Congressman Gregorio C. Camacho announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is investing $2.9 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, or federal stimulus, funds to restore the coral reefs in Laolao Bay.
This will be done by addressing sources of upland sediment which include restoring 15 acres of upland habitat, road upgrades, drainage improvements, and elimination of unsustainable beach activities like dumping of garbage and driving on the beach.
Of the 814 proposals from different states and territories, 50 of them, including that of the CNMI, were chosen.
Sablan said aside from the 75 jobs it will create as soon as it starts, the project will also provide people indirect jobs in tourism.
Sablan congratulated DEQ for the “excellent job” of putting the grant applications together.
Proposals were ranked by overall quality and with consideration of priority areas.
The project must be “shovel ready,” should generate the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time, and create lasting value for the American public.
In a separate interview, marine biologist Peter Houk said it is still possible to bring those lost coral reef species back.
Once the problem in a certain locality is fixed, he said “slowly but steadily” the lost species will return to the coral reef.
