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The Story of Mangrove Depletion: Using SocioscientificCases to Promote Ocean LiteracyRachel A. Luther a , Deborah J. Tippins a , Purita P. Bilbao b , Andrew Tan b & Ruth L.Gelvezon ba University of Georgia , Athens , GAb Iloilo City , PhilippinesPublished online: 12 Mar 2013.

To cite this article: Rachel A. Luther , Deborah J. Tippins , Purita P. Bilbao , Andrew Tan & Ruth L. Gelvezon (2013) The Storyof Mangrove Depletion: Using Socioscientific Cases to Promote Ocean Literacy, Science Activities: Classroom Projects andCurriculum Ideas, 50:1, 9-20, DOI: 10.1080/00368121.2013.768952

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Science Activities, 50:9–20, 2013Copyright ©c Taylor & Francis Group, LLCISSN: 0036-8121 print / 1940-1302 onlineDOI: 10.1080/00368121.2013.768952

The Story of Mangrove Depletion:Using Socioscientific Casesto Promote Ocean Literacy

Rachel A. Luther andDeborah J. TippinsUniversity of Georgia,Athens, GA

Purita P. Bilbao, Andrew Tan,and Ruth L. GelvezonIloilo City, Philippines

ABSTRACT The value of mangroves and mangrove ecosystems has not al-ways been recognized. In fact, mangroves were historically regarded largely aswastelands with little or no value. Over time, humans began to recognize themultiple ways in which they could be used, particularly through development,making the mangrove ecosystem vulnerable to destruction and depletion, aglobally alarming issue. Mangrove depletion is presented here as socioscientificissue cases with activities designed to promote and strengthen ocean literacy.Through these activities, students can explore scientific concepts relating tomangrove ecosystems while fostering moral and ethical reasoning to determinewhat is affected and valued, and who shares responsibility.

KEYWORDS cultural studies, environment, mangrove ecosystem, ocean literacy, socio-scientific issue

INTRODUCTIONThe Ocean Literacy Principles (U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy 2004)

clearly emphasize that an ocean-literate person should be able to think criticallyabout issues related to the ocean and its resources and use his or her knowledgeof the ocean to engage in democratic discourse. An ocean-literate person canuse the broad notion of texts to analyze current national or international eventsor those specific to their community to determine the authors’ stand on theissue. Additionally, an ocean-literate person can determine what the power issueare, and through their knowledge, what viable options are for community andenvironmental justice and protection. Ocean-literate individuals take action,and through active participation in marine science experiences, attach emotionand values to the ocean and its resources. Action, too, links ocean understand-ings to economic, environmental, and social issues, promoting an even deeperunderstanding. Finally, the ocean-literate individual understands that his or herliteracy can bridge gaps of inequality. There are countless inequalities related tothe ocean and its resources, from varying fish populations among communitiesdue to overfishing to polluted beaches and waterways.

Ocean literacy provides a way for individuals to work with their communitiesto remedy these types of inequalities and change behaviors to reduce negativeimpacts on the ocean and its resources, ensuring that a healthy ocean will be

Address correspondence to Rachel A.Luther, University of Georgia, 212Aderhold Hall, Athens, GA 30602,USA. E-mail: rachel.luther@gmail.com

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available for future generations. Ocean literacy doesnot strictly have to occur in formal education contexts;it can include knowledge from one’s home, culture, orcommunity, or knowledge from some other domain.In this article, we explore the relationship between hu-mans and mangrove ecosystems, specifically within thePhilippines. The cases and activities are designed to pro-mote ocean literacy so that students are better preparedto tackle issues such as mangrove depletion within theircommunity or take responsibility for actions that mightlead to an issue such as harm to an aquatic ecosystem.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TOMANGROVE FORESTS

A mangrove forest is a type of aquatic ecosystem,abounding in tropical and subtropical regions, usuallybetween 25◦N and 25◦S latitude. Most tropical coun-tries have had mangroves at some point in history,with the exception of far northern New Zealand andfar northern Japan (Choudhury 1997). In the UnitedStates, mangrove swamps are found along the southerntip of Florida, and along the Gulf of Mexico coveringsouthern Louisiana to southern Texas.

Mangroves and mangrove ecosystems have been ac-knowledged to support the conservation of biologicaldiversity by providing habitats and spawning groundsfor fish and other organisms, shrimps, prawns, andother crustaceans, nurseries, and nutrients for a num-ber of animals. The great variety of aquatic animalsand plants residing in mangrove forests has adaptedto thrive in this harsh saline environment. They relyon the type of substrate, the wind flow based on loca-tion, the hydrology or natural water flow through themangroves, and the salinity found in mangrove forestsfor optimal survival. These abiotic factors are importantfor the healthy growth of the mangrove trees, whose oc-currence is determined by local environmental factors.The role of the mangrove forests in the marine foodchain is very crucial. They help protect coral reefs, seagrass beds, and shipping lanes by entrapping uplandand runoff sediments, thus reducing coastal erosion.They further protect against coastal erosion and harmto the ecosystem by acting as a buffer from the effectsof waves, winds, and water currents. In addition to thesignificance of their role in the marine ecosystem forthe sake of biodiversity and a healthy environment,mangroves provide valuable ecosystem services to hu-mans. Many commercially important fish spend part

of their lives supported and protected by or huntingwithin mangrove roots, providing a sustainable proteinsource. Mangroves act as a filter, absorbing heavy met-als and other toxins, such as nutrient runoff, whichgrants humans a safer and more sanitary water sup-ply. A harvested mangrove tree provides for humansa renewable source of ecosystem goods such as fire-wood, construction material, and medicine. The manyecosystem services mangroves yield allow coastal com-munities and others to have a sustainable food sourceand livelihood. However, some tensions exist betweena sustainable interaction with mangrove forests and theuse of mangroves for commercial gain.

Mangroves under FireThe mangrove ecosystem is considered one of the

most fragile of the aquatic environments. The biolog-ical and ecological needs of these trees must strike abalance to sustain their growth. If one factor falls outof equilibrium, it can bring havoc to the regular foodchain cycle. In recent history, profitability has pushedthis fragile ecosystem to its limits. Whereas mangroveswere once considered a wasteland of no value at all,humans now recognize their great potential. The eco-nomic contribution of mangroves is so great that theyhave become a major source of commercial benefit tohumans. In general, the largest revenue comes throughdevelopment of mangroves into aquaculture sites forshrimp and fishponds or salt beds, and as a source forlumber, fuel wood, and charcoal. Mangroves are also asource of tannin, a chemical used for leatherwork andcuring and dyeing of fishing nets.

Something Lost, Nothing GainedMore and more trees have been cut to give way

to residential and commercial development, landfill,and other activities that provide a source of income.The changes have occurred rapidly, impacting man-grove forests worldwide. For example, Thailand’s man-grove forests consisted of 360,000 hectares in 1960,and by 1991, they were reduced to 174,000 hectares.Malaysia’s mangrove forests decreased from 505,300hectares to 269,000 hectares during this same time pe-riod. In Indonesia, many mangroves were convertedto fishponds (Choudhury 1996). Even small countriessuch as Fiji have lost mangroves to urbanization. Asmangrove forests are destroyed, a decline in local fishcatches often results. According to Kapetsky (1985), the

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average yield of fish and shellfish in mangrove areas isabout 90 kg per hectare, with a maximum yield upto 225 kg per hectare (Food and Agriculture Organi-zation [FAO] 1994). Assessments of the link betweenmangrove forests and the fishery sector suggest that forevery hectare of forest cleared, nearby coastal fisherieslose some 480 kg of fish per year (MacKinnon andMacKinnon 1986).

The State of Mangrove Forests in thePhilippines

In the Philippines, human population has begun toconverge along mangrove areas where people perceivethey can achieve maximum benefits. Family foodrequirements are met by catching fish, seashells, clams,and crustaceans, especially shrimps and prawns. Aqua-culture farming provides employment to residentsin the mangrove areas. Primavera (2000) reports that70% of the original mangrove forests located in thePhilippines have been lost. Out of the 500,000 hectaresreported in 1918, only 120,000 hectares remained in1994.

Present management techniques have often failed toretain the original level of mangroves needed to con-serve biodiversity at large. In the Philippines, many ofthe rehabilitation efforts are similar to the followingscenario: The fisher folks organization would like toadd more trees to the beach area, understanding that ifmore mangrove trees, like any forest trees, are planted,it would help in the rehabilitation of the mangrove ar-eas. So they dig holes on the beach areas and plantpropagules as directed by the local government forestryoffice. The fisher folks are optimistic that the propag-ules will take root. However, after some time, only afew survive in some areas and none in others. The verylow survival rates of mangroves can be traced to illpractices of planting, where planters focus on plantingfor their own convenience rather than the ecology ofthe plant. Despite failing management strategies andrehabilitation efforts, there is still hope through advo-cacy of reforestation, rehabilitation, and conservation.Stakeholder involvement is needed to mitigate the illeffects of the overuse of mangrove forests.

Mangrove Depletion andthe Human Connection

With urbanization and globalization, societies arelargely anthropocentric in their relationship with natu-

ral systems, where human benefit is considered fore-most in all actions. Social justice today focuses onthe inequalities of humans, often associated with dis-parities between the haves and have-nots and humanrights without considering social and ecological injus-tices that have impact on nonhumans, such as man-groves (Mueller, Zeidler, and Tippins 2010). In thiscontext, fundamental questions are raised in light ofhumans’ impact on mangroves. What are human ac-tivities that significantly contribute to mangrove de-pletion? How do humans perceive their relationshipwith the mangrove and other nonhuman organismsin coastal areas? What human practices are perceivedto be mitigating mangrove depletion, yet are practicesthat violate the fundamental rights of nonhuman or-ganisms? How can humans seek justice or fairness forplant organisms like mangroves? For example, how canadvocates of mangrove conservation determine the bestmethod for rehabilitation that guarantees survival ofthe mangrove for its own value rather than its utilityfor humans? In this article, we hope to address someof these questions by examining the socioscientific is-sue of mangrove depletion in the Philippines. The useof cases in this socioscientific issue is a way to engagestudents in activities to develop and strengthen theirocean literacy, particularly understanding the diversityof this ocean environment and how inextricably in-terconnected we are to mangrove ecosystems. Whenchallenged to use their understanding of mangrove andaquatic ecosystems and ocean literacy, students are bet-ter prepared to act and gain a sense of responsibility forthe activities they or their community might participatein that lead to mangrove ecosystem degradation.

LEARNING OUTCOMES ANDNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR SCIENCE

Similar to the goals of science education in theUnited States, Philippine science education is premisedon the belief that science should be approached in anintegrative way to solve critically, think innovativelyand creatively, and make informed decisions in order toprotect the environment, conserve resources, and sus-tain quality of life (National Research Council [NRC]1996; American Association for the Advancement ofScience [AAAS] 1993, 2009; Bureau of Secondary Ed-ucation [BSE] 2010). The goal is to achieve functionalscientific literacy for all, through acquisition, under-standing, and creation of scientific knowledge through

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contextual learning, problem-based learning, and pro-cess and constructivist approaches.

The lessons on mangroves in this article were writ-ten for middle grades science students, or lower sec-ondary level in the Philippines, to collectively addressan ultimate goal of helping the student citizens makeinformed decisions to protect the environment and ul-timately sustain quality of life. They trigger critical andinnovative thinking through contextualized learningutilizing narratives in the form of cases. These lessonsare also valuable to students in the United States, de-spite their proximity to mangrove forests. The use ofsocioscientific cases and inquiry makes students awareof their relationship with mangrove ecosystems regard-less of where they live and challenges them to thinkcritically about how their lifestyle and actions affectmangrove forests.

Simulation Lesson 1 presents preliminary activitiesthat would address the much-needed understanding ofthe biological and ecological needs of the mangroveplants. They are based on the second case, in whichMr. Tinong Longno must learn and use the ecologicalrequirements of growing mangroves to help his childrencomplete a school project. Simulation Lesson 2 allowsthe actual exploration of the mangroves by teams toprovide experiential learning and hands on activities.Likewise, it is designed to create collaborative team-work and further critical thinking. Simulation Lesson 2is based on the first case, in which students learn the im-pact of converting mangrove land for other purposes.Because this lesson requires inquiry and investigationwithin a mangrove forest, this lesson is optional. How-ever, it is possible for teachers to modify this lessonfor use in other types of local aquatic ecosystems ifthe goal is to teach students critical thinking in thefield. In a modified situation, the teacher could teachabout or have students research mangrove ecosystemsand lead a class discussion to compare what the stu-dents learned in the field to what they learned aboutmangroves. Simulation Lesson 3 is a peripheral activitythat would lead students to develop an understandingof broader concepts of ecological footprints and de-velop scientific knowledge relating to Earth’s energyresources and use, waste, and climate change. Thoughthe first two lessons are linked to a specific case, whatthe students will learn from each case and through theactivities can apply to all of the lessons. Simulation Les-son 3 is based on the understanding that the studentsshould have upon completion of the first two simu-

lation lessons; therefore, it is not linked to a specificcase.

VOICES FROM THE FIELDThe activities are organized around two case studies,

in which local community members living near IloiloCity, Philippines, narrate their experiences with andmemories of the mangrove in this area. The mangroveecosystems on the island of Panay in the Philippines arecentrally located near Iloilo City, a port city of morethan a million people. Iloilo City is experiencing rapideconomic development, where expansion and trans-portation is causing the value of the mangrove area tobe reconsidered, resulting in an overall loss of man-grove. These cases were developed by educators in thisarea to serve as hooks to engage the students in under-standing the importance of the mangrove ecosystem.The use of cases can help students to use their knowl-edge of the ocean to act for the resolution of specificissues relating to ocean sciences (e.g., mangrove deple-tion) or for the betterment of their community (e.g.,through mangrove conservation).

Case 1: Wasteland No MoreMang Nardo is a fishpond caretaker for a rich and

affluent fishpond owner, Mr. Espinosa. As caretaker, helives in a small shanty near several hectares of fishpondleft to him to care and oversee by the absentee owner.He has been living in the coastal community for manylong years before the fishpond was developed. He canclearly remember that the site of the present pond wasa lush mangrove area before it was converted into anaquaculture fishpond.

“Sang una, bakhawan gid ini diri. Masi-ok nga katung-gan kag madamo nga mga isda” (Before, this place is alush mangrove area. There are lots of fish, which natu-rally spawn and grow). This is Mang Nardo’s nostalgicrecollection of this place. With a sigh, he continues toshare his story: “However, when my landlord boughtthis land, he thought that it should be ‘developed’ tohave more economic benefits so that this wastelandwould be more productive.”

The owner began to clear the area. He felled treesand burned the area. He built fishpond dikes, first us-ing only mud-formed bricks with corresponding sizesfor the dikes, but later with materials made of concrete(see Figure 1). Once the ponds were ready, brackish wa-ter was forced to flow in and stay. In doing so, algae

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FIGURE 1 A fish pond developed in a mangrove near Iloilo City,Philippines.

grew, creating food for fish. During times when thealgae did not grow well, chicken manure or dung wasbroadcast. Fingerlings were placed in the ponds oncethey were ready. Some ponds were used to culture milk-fish, while others ponds were used for prawn culture.Local fish technicians provided appropriate care andaquaculture technology. The pond owner had a high-stake investment for the production of these marineproducts. Development was rapid because there was agreat demand for marine products in the country andneighboring countries. Nardo took care of almost 6hectares of fishpond for the owner in order to increasehis income. His family depended on his salary and thefish or marine products he was able to get from the fish-pond he cares for. Nardo also recalled a time when thearea was flooded and the fingerlings were washed away.It was a great loss for the owner and the caretaker. De-spite the destruction brought about by natural calami-ties, the fishpond owner continued to expand the areasuch that mangrove vegetation continued to dimin-ish. According to Nardo, his employer has indicatedthat he will be expanding the fishpond area even morein the future, thus destroying more of the mangroveecosystem.

Case 2: The Money TreeMr. Tinong Longno is 70 years old and married.

He does not have more than a secondary educationand supports his family by maintaining a mangrovenursery and caring for the fish pen along the coastalarea of Ajuy, Iloilo (see Figure 2). We found him in the

FIGURE 2 The mangrove nursery.

field, collecting mangrove seedlings, and stopped tointerview him. While we were waiting for him, we wentaround the village and stopped by his house, where wesaw hundreds of seedlings sown in black plastic bags,ready for sale.

Tinong shared his story with us:

I was in the prime of my youth when the late President Fer-dinand Marcos declared Philippines as under martial law rule.As citizens, we were expected to abide without question withthe government programs. There were numerous programs im-plemented, such as Masagana 93, Green Revolution, and TreePlanting. With the vision of greening the country, every elemen-tary pupil was required to plant twenty-five trees annually. I wasindirectly involved in the required tree planting because three ofmy elementary children were involved in the project. I realizedthat my family did not own any parcel of land, so where couldwe plant those trees? We live on the edge of bakhawan, a [man-grove] forest that is flooded with brackish water almost eighthours every day. So my three children asked their teachers if wecould utilize the available space in our backyard for the requiredtree planting. The teacher readily consented with our request,as long as we could grow trees in the habitat. Since we saw thatthere were certain kinds of trees in the area, we continued toplant Bakhaw [Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, andRhizophora stylosa]. This started my love affair with mangroves.What a gratifying sight to see healthy Bakhaw trees, Bungalon[Avicennia marina and Avicennia alba], and Pagatpat [Sonnera-tia alba] growing healthier every day! With my well-developedmuscles as a high school boxer, wading through muddy for-est to gather and plant mangrove seedlings came as a breeze.It became my daily routine aside from my job as a fish pencaretaker. This simple way of making a nursery of seedlings forthe mangrove plants caught the eyes of a Japanese organization,Omida, and aquaculture scientists. Prominent environmental-ists contacted me about expanding my nursery for commercialpurposes. When we started planting with my children, I had noidea of the technique for selecting good planting materials. Ihad no knowledge of how the mangrove plants could survive.We only kept on planting. But I started to study the techniquesbased on reading materials lent to me by the technicians and

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TABLE 1 Guide of Environmental Requirements for Mangrove Survival

Species Substrate Salinity Wind exposure

a. Bungalon/apiapiAvicennia marina

Varied substrates Wide salinity range Frontliner

b. Bungalon/apiapiAvicennia alba

Sandy to muddysubstrate

Full seawater salinity Frontliner

c. PagatpatSonneratia alba

Sandy substrate Full seawater salinity Frontliner

d. BakhawRhizophora stylosa

Sandy substrate Full to brackish salinity More sheltered sites, orbehind A. marina/S. alba zone

e. Bakhaw lalakiRhizophora apiculata

Sandy to muddysubstrate

Full to brackish salinity More sheltered sites, orbehind, e. g., lagoonsor behind A.marina/S. alba zoneor along riverbanks

f. Bakhaw babaeRhizophora mucronata

Muddy substrate More brackish salinity Along riverbanks

experts. This widened my understanding of habitat, growth re-quirements, and possible additional income. My hobby turnedinto an economic opportunity. The Omida organization andmangrove scientists contacted me as seedling provider. Forevery plant I was paid Php 5.00 [US $0.11]. Orders came inbulk, so I asked other community members to help with theplanting in the nursery. I made a nursery module with 180plants per module, which costs Php 500 [US $10] when sold.Since there was a demand and the need to plant more and takecare of the plants, I asked eight other fisher folks to work forme. My enthusiasm in mangrove planting heightened when Isaw the potential for more income. Aside from being recognizedin the community, my income steadily improved. Voluminousorders were placed as early as one year before the planting ofthe propagules in the field. This forced me to carefully assessthe availability of seeds, seedlings, and even mother plants. Theeconomic returns motivated me to plant more seedlings on theblack polybags, rehabilitate the vacant shore area, and protectmother plants for assured seeds supply. My journey with themangrove was colored with many challenges. Almost every day,I heard discouraging words that somehow made me feel frus-trated.

Rudy: Look at Tinong. He is such a fool. Why continue plantingthose trees that bear fruits which cannot be eaten?

Luna: I agree. He is wasting his energy. His muddy feet andhands smell awful too. What a fool.

It pained me to hear those unsolicited negative remarks. Tothem, I was a fool and insane for engaging in nonsense activ-ities. They laughed at my muddy feet and hands as I carefullygathered the seeds for my nursery. Then, events turned dramat-ically. With my income from the mangrove nursery, four ofmy children became professionals. From a small hut, slowly apermanent structure replaced my house. More appliances cameto furnish it. It was then that my neighbours realized there’sindeed money in the mangrove. With this unexpected source of

income, I have provided my children a secured future. However,when I visited one of the places where the seedlings, which werepurchased from me, were planted, I was shocked. With the hun-dreds of seedlings bought from my nursery only a few survived.Where have all my seedlings gone? What went wrong? Were myseedlings planted only to die? Why did they not survive?

Mang Tinong looks back with disappointment.Though he has earned good income from the seedlingsale, he was sad as he reflected on the survival rate of theseedlings. “What a waste of my well-cared seedlings,”he told himself. “If I only I had known that they woulddie, I would have not sold them to anyone. I wouldrather not earn money, if my plants will be left to die.Life of plants wasted. It seems that my efforts all werein vain.”

SIMULATION LESSON 1: PLANTEDTO DIE—–OUR DESTINY

See Table 1 for the “Guide of Environmental Re-quirements for Mangrove Survival.”

TABLE 2 Common Soil Textures

Water retentionParticle Feel capability

Sand Coarse LowMuddy Sticky and fine High

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TABLE 3 Soil Texture Data

Type of soil Combination of Type of mangrove species that will Give your(substrate) Sandy Muddy sandy and muddy grow on the soil sample reasons

Sample 1Sample 2Sample 3

Activity 1: What Kind of Soil DoMangroves Need?

Materials

• 500 mL each of various soil samples1 collected in themangrove forest

• Table for comparing the characteristics of sand andclay

• Hand lenses• Tables 2 and 3 in an Activity Sheet

Safety

When students are in the mangrove forest (or otherlocal aquatic environment), they should walk only inareas designated by the teacher. They should wear ap-propriate clothing (i.e., boots, long pants) and sun pro-tection (i.e., sunscreen, wide-brimmed hat). Studentsshould not touch or disturb local wildlife, unless givenapproval first by teacher. Teachers should research lawsand regulations regarding accessibility to mangroveforests or alteration/trimming of mangroves for col-lection purposes.

Procedure

Students should be organized into four groups ofapproximately five to ten members. Each group willcollect at least three different samples of soil. By feel-ing the soil, the students should be able to tell whetherit is wet, moist, or dry (note: moist soil will sticktogether). They should examine the soil for other char-

acteristics, such as texture, color, and smell. The stu-dents should use hand lenses to help with their ob-servations and comparisons. They will use Table 2to determine the characteristics of soil and fill inTable 3.

Data and Analysis

1. Complete the table to show what you have discov-ered about the type of soil (substrate) in the man-grove area.

2. Using the table, can you infer the type of mangrovespecies that will grow on a certain soil (substrate)sample? How?

Activity 2: How Strong Shouldthe Wind Blow?

Materials

• Electric fan• Strips of paper• Table 4 in an Activity Sheet

Procedure

Students should be organized into four groups of ap-proximately five to 10 members. Ask the groups to usea small strip of paper to determine the strength of thewind. To do so, one student can hold a strip of paperaway from the body, while the others observe whetherit hangs straight down or blows at an angle. Use the

TABLE 4 Wind Data

Strength of thewind (shown in thepaper strip angle asblown by theelectric fan)

Paper moves thefastest and forms a

straight angle

Paper moves fasterand forms almost

straight anglePaper only moves

fast and hangs low

Type of mangrovespecies that will

grow on the areawith that wind

strength Give your reasons

Speed number 1Speed number 2Speed number 3

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TABLE 5 Salinity Data

Salinity More salt Moderate salt Less saltType of mangrove species that will grow on the

area with that amount of salt (salinity) Give your reasons

Sample 1Sample 2Sample 3

electric fan to control the strength of the wind. A lowspeed of 1 represents the strength of winds along river-banks, a medium speed of 2 represents wind strengthin sheltered sites, and a high speed of 3 represents thewind strength in the frontliner zone, the front areaof mangroves in normal salinity seawater for the area.Students should describe the appearance of the paperin reference to the angle made and movement of the pa-per as blown by the electric fan. They should completeTable 4 based on their observations.

Questions such as the following can be asked:

1. What would the appearance of mangrove treesfound in the frontliner zone be like in terms of roots,trunks, and branches?

2. Why is it important to know the species of man-groves that can withstand stronger wind?

Repeat the questions except that frontliner zone willbe replaced with sheltered sites and along riverbanks.

Data and Analysis

1. Complete the table, indicating what you havelearned about the strength of the wind that blowsalong the mangrove area. Identify what mangrovespecies can survive in relation to the strength of thewind.

2. Using the table (Table 4), can you determine thetype of mangrove species that will grow in an areawith a particular wind strength? Why?

Activity 3: How Salty Should WaterBe for Mangroves to Survive?

Materials

• 250 ml of water samples collected from 3 differentsites of the mangrove area2

• Beaker• Alcohol lamp• Evaporating dish• Platform balance

Procedure

1. Before starting the activity, students will collect wa-ter samples from three different locations in themangrove areas. If mangrove areas are not acces-sible, students can use water samples premade bytheir teacher. Sites could include the frontliner zone(for full seawater salinity), sheltered sites (for seawa-ter to brackish salinity), and along estuarine riverbanks (for brackish water). These samples should belabeled properly (frontliner water, sheltered sites wa-ter, or estuarine riverbanks).

2. Students should be organized into four groups of ap-proximately five to 10 members. Provide each groupwith three samples of water taken from three differ-ent sites.

3. Instruct students to use the following evaporationtechnique to determine which water sample containsmore salt.• Use a beaker to measure 100 ml volume of water

for each sample.• Place the water on an evaporating dish. Use an

alcohol lamp to heat and evaporate the water untilonly salt crystals remain.

FIGURE 3 Students collect data on the health of the mangroveecosystem.

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TABLE 6 Flora Abundance Data

Plant species Number Remarks

• With the use of a platform balance, measure themass of the salt crystals and record on Table 5.

4. Repeat the procedure in number 3 for the remainingwater samples.

5. Compare the mass of salt crystals from the threewater samples.

6. Compare the results at the conclusion of the exper-iment.

7. Ask the following questions:a. Which sample contains more salt?b. What does salty water mean to the growth of man-

grove seedlings?c. Why is it important to determine the saltiness of

water before planting the mangrove?

Once all of the activities have been completed, stu-dents will make comparisons of the data found in Ta-ble 5.

Data and Analysis

1. Complete Table 5, showing what you discoveredabout on the salinity of the water from differentsample sites.

2. Using Table 5, can you tell the type of mangrovespecies that will grow on an area with a specific salin-ity of the water? Why?

SIMULATION LESSON 2:MANGROVES—–WASTELAND

NO MOREThis lesson is optional, although it can be modi-

fied for use in local aquatic ecosystems and followedup with class research and discussion comparing andcontrasting findings to mangrove forests.

TABLE 7 Fauna Abundance Data

Animal species Number Remarks

TABLE 8 Water Quality Data

Site pH Dissolved oxygen Temp

12345

Activity 4: The Diverse MangroveMaterials: Specific to Group

• Digital camera• pH meter• Dissolved oxygen probe• Thermometer

Procedure

1. Organize the class into three groups with at least fiveto 10 members each.

2. Discuss with them safety procedures, their experi-ence and knowledge of mangrove ecosystems, andthe different methods of gathering the informationthat will be used in the activity.

3. Bring the students to a mangrove wetland. Group 1should visit an undisturbed old growth mangrove.Group 2 will go to a mangrove converted into asalt bed, and Group 3 will visit a mangrove thathas been converted into a fishpond for aquacultureproduction (see Figure 3).

4. Each assigned group shall organize three teams ac-cording to the following assignments.a. Photo survey team—–documents graphically the

environment of the assigned ecosystem. Thisteam may best complete this assignment with adigital camera. They should produce a series ofstill pictures of the area.

b. Plant survey team—–records the existing flora inthe area, the number of species, and their abun-dance. The team will complete Table 6.

c. Animal survey team—–this team will use Table 7to record the different fauna existing in the as-signed ecosystem. They should take note of theabundance or nonabundance of birds, shells, fish,and others.

d. Water quality team—–this team will examine waterquality by collecting information about parame-ters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and tempera-ture using the equipment provided by the teacher

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TABLE 9 Product Life Cycles

Item(s)∗ Extraction ProductionPackaging and

distribution Use Disposal

1. Sardines Mining of tin to beused ascontainer; fishing

Canning factories Canning factories;groceries andsupermarkets

Food Tin cans at timesrecycled

2. Toilet paper3. Banana4. Shampoo5. Clothes

∗May be determined by the group.

(see Figure 4). They should identify at least fivesites in the assigned area and fill out Table 8.

e. Map survey team—–this team will construct agraphical representation of the area using the in-formation provided by the four preceding teams.

5. Each team will have to consolidate their findings us-ing the specific table above provided by the teacher.

6. Have the students discuss the different uses of themangrove forest and how they affect the dynamicsof an ecosystem.

SIMULATION LESSON 3: DEVELOPINGA LIFE CYCLE THINKING

Life Cycle Thinking is a teaching and learning strat-egy associated with developing a better understandingof the environment connecting Earth’s resources, en-ergy use, waste, and the challenge of climate change.Each stage of a product’s development affects the en-vironment in different ways, from the way we use theproduct to what we do with the product when we arefinished with it. The product’s life cycle is all the activi-ties that go into extracting, making, transporting, using,and disposing of that product.

Activity 5: Do Products HaveLife Cycles Too?

1. Divide the class into groups of five members each.2. Ask them to identify the life cycle of different prod-

ucts or food items they buy at the supermarket.3. Illustrate using Table 9 how the product came about

and how it was disposed of when not in use.

Based on their answers, students should determinethe process or life cycle of each object presented bygraphically making an illustrative cycle of its existence.

Students should identify the impact the product lifecycle will have on the environment.

Students should explain why life cycle thinking is animportant process to use and know. For instance, lifecycles are often represented as arrows or linearly, butthis type of representation misses the complexity of therelationships involved. Focus in this point should beon these complexities, where students are challengedto think critically on the interrelationships and trans-ferences of energy between and among the stages ofproduct development.

SOCIOECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICALCONSEQUENCES OF MANGROVE

DEPLETIONThe two narrative cases at the beginning of the arti-

cle reflect socioeconomic and ecological consequencesrelated to mangrove depletion in the Philippines. Thefirst exemplifies a scenario that focuses primarily on

FIGURE 4 Investigating water quality in the mangrove ecosys-tem.

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economic benefits with less emphasis on environmen-tal conservation in relation to mangrove destruction.The conversion of mangroves to aquaculture devel-opment has raised big questions among conservation-ist and environmentalists. However, the introductionof new technology from scientific breakthroughs thatwould drive economic benefits has outweighed allarguments to conserve the mangroves. This situationhas been aggravated by the presence of an internationalfacility and research institution on fish and aquaculturein the Philippines. Similar to other development initia-tives, the conservation component seems to have beenintroduced later than the desire to trigger economicgains as an offshoot of scientific discoveries. Educa-tion as a mitigating measure to neutralize the ill effectsof development has been postponed. With the intro-duction of new technology and the great prospect ofeconomic benefits, investors put money into develop-ment of brackish water fishponds or salt bed industries.Business and economic activities have prospered, butthe environmental situation is dismal and alarming.With Mr. Espinosa’s plan of expanding his fishpondarea and Mang Nardo’s dependence on the fishpondas a caretaker, an example of jobs for income, deple-tion of mangrove growth will continue. Natural fishsanctuaries will eventually be lost, other aquacultureorganisms will vanish, and ultimately, the coastal areaswill be barren.

On the other hand, the second case narrative exem-plifies Mang Tinong’s desire to propagate more man-grove trees, although first for economic purposes. How-ever, he became disappointed after realizing that despitethe hundreds of seedlings bought from him, only a fewsurvived. This scenario worried him, not only becauseof the expense and the huge amount of money investedto buy seedlings, but more so, because of the injusticeto the growing seedlings nurtured by his bare hands,with the hope that they would all survive. Ignorance ofthe biological and ecological needs of plants is counterto their survival. Yet, with such anthropocentrism, hu-mans destroy other living organisms, deliberately ornot. Thus with this situation, perhaps it is time to con-sider the responsibility humans have to the mangroveecosystem.

CONCLUSIONWe must be aware of the importance of citizen-

ship in students’ education. Using socioscientific is-

sue cases is a great way to foster a responsible citi-zenry, in which youth can share responsibility for im-portant global community and environmental choicethrough the cultivation of awareness of both social jus-tice and environmental fairness. Studying mangrovehabitat degradation provides opportunities for youngpeople to develop and use their ocean literacy to evalu-ate social and environmental inequalities and developsocioscientific reasoning. Inquiry-based science activi-ties and engaging questions help students to foster theirocean sciences content knowledge and see themselvesin relation to the mangrove ecosystem and their com-munity. The complex social and emotional effects ofhabitat overuse and destruction can be studied alongwith environmental effects and can result in increasedawareness of social responsibility. The activities sharedin this article are designed to encourage students to con-sider their own identities in relation to society duringcultural and environmental situations and to give themtools to be proactive for the conservation and care ofocean environments.

NOTES1. If soil from mangrove forests is not accessible, students can collect soil

from areas of comparable texture and moisture, or teachers can makeartificial soil that meets the same basic characteristics. For example,mangrove soil is fine sand, mud, or peat. If it is peat, it is spongy andfibrous. Most mangrove soil is mixed with loose sediment containingroot, branch, or leaf material. Underneath is coarser sand or clay.In tidal zones, this soil is often water-logged and is drier in samplescollected further from the shoreline.

2. If water samples from mangrove forests are not accessible, teacherscan create artificial mangrove water samples by dissolving sodiumchloride into purified water for salinities appropriate to the frontlinerzone (approximately 30–40 ppt), sheltered sites (approximately 20–30ppt), and along estuarine river banks (approximately 15 ppt). Teacherscan also research this data for more location-specific or changingsalinity.

REFERENCESAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 1993.

Benchmarks for science literacy. Washington, DC: AAAS.American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 2009.

Benchmarks for science literacy. Washington, DC: AAAS.Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE). 2010. Bureau of Secondary

Education, Department of Education, 2010 Secondary Edu-cation Curriculum (SEC), Science. http://www.bse.ph/index.php/component/content/article/34-mandate/159-esep.html (accessedNovember 28, 2012).

Choudhury, J. K. 1996. Mangrove forest management: Mangrove reha-bilitation and management project in Sulawesi. N.p.

Choudhury, J. K. 1997. Sustainable management of coastal mangroveforest development and social needs. Paper presented at the WorldForestry Congress, Antalya, Turkey, October 13–22.

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Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 1994. Mangrove forest man-agement guidelines. FAO Forestry Paper 117, FAO, Rome.

Kapetsky, J. M. 1985. Mangroves, fisheries and aquaculture. FAO FisheriesReport 338 (suppl., 17–36), FAO, Rome.

MacKinnon, J., and K. MacKinnon. 1986. Review of the protected ar-eas system of the IndoMalayan realm. Gland, Switzerland: WorldConservation Union (IUCN).

Mueller, M., D. Zeidler and D. Tippins 2010. Moral–ethical character andscience education: Ecojustice ethics through socio-scientific issues(SSI). In Cultural studies and environmentalism: The confluence ofecojustice, place-based (science) education, and indigenous knowl-

edge systems, ed. D. Tippins, M. Mueller, M. W. van Eijck, and J.Adams, 105–128. New York: Springer.

National Research Council (NRC). 1996. National science education stan-dards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Primavera, J. H. 2000. Development and conservation of Philippinemangroves: Institutional issues. Ecological Economics 35: 91–106.

U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. 2004. An ocean blueprint for the21st century. Final report, U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, Wash-ington, DC. http://www.oceancommission.gov (accessed July 17,2011).

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