Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary and Sand Bar

Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary and Sand Bar

Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary and Sandbar is a 251-hectare Marine Protected Area (MPA) located off the waters of Masbate City, It is best known for its abundance of helmet shells, powdery white 1-hectare sandbar as well as a healthy number of mangroves at the far end of the sandbar. The sanctuary serves as a barrier island protecting the mainland mainland from wave attack, storm surge, tidal range, and sediment transport. The reef was declared an MPA in 2002 by virtue of Ordinance No. 021-02 “An Ordinance Establishing A Marine Sanctuary within the Municipal Waters of Masbate”. It occupies 51.42 hectares of core zone and 199.58 hectares of buffer zone, thus a total area of 251 hectares. In the latest study by the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) in 2016, there are 31 groups of fish families at Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary and Sandbar as well as 53.124 metric tonnes/km2 of fish biomass, and a total of 57.11% of total live coral cover.