DEQ marine biologist, Peter Houk and coral reef/watershed outreach specialist Kathleen Herrman conducted the presentation at the Kagman Community Center at 6 p.m.
Organized by Houk and Kagman Komunidat president Jesse Torres, the presentation discussed water quality as well as the trends and practices that impact the reefs of the CNMI.
Houk focused on the three coral systems of the CNMI — the Saipan Lagoon, the near-shore coral reefs and the Northern Islands coral reef.
Herrmann talked about the watershed issues in the CNMI.
Houk, in an interview, said he wants to give people as much information as possible about the CNMI’s marine environment.
Houk has been conducting presentations at different schools and community groups about the condition of coral reefs surrounding the islands.
People, particularly on Rota, are happy about having the chance to learn what’s going on with CNMI’s coral reefs, he said.
According to Houk, the Saipan Lagoon and the near-shore coral reefs, or those outside the reefs surrounding the islands, are impacted by land-base pollution that allows algae to grow faster than corals.
Houk noted changes in the condition of sea grass in the Saipan lagoon.
The halodule, or short sea grass, is very vulnerable to land-base pollution and is already “fading,” he said.
He added that the enhalus or the long grass is too big to be killed by algae but can harm the reef system when infested with algae.
The near-shore reef, on the other hand, is starting to show negative trends, Houk said.
The population of marine animals like sea cucumbers are declining in certain areas due to algae caused by land-base pollution, he added.
Around the Northern Islands, the coral reefs are impacted by volcanic disturbances, Houk said.
Once impacted, it takes coral reefs 50 to 70 years to recover due to the high wave energy and ashes from the volcano.
The Northern Islands waters, he said, are a harsh environment for coral reefs.
The CNMI has a number of marine protected areas where coral reef health is maintained, but Houk said the islands need to do more to conserve its marine resources.
