The Importance Of Echinoderms

The Indo-Pacific region, and particularly Philippines, is the most species rich region of echinoderms in the world (Stöhr et al. 2012). Various studies have been conducted to study the distribution and diversity of echinoderms (Rajakumar, Ebanasar 2008). The term echinoderm is from the Greek words echinos meaning “spiny” and derma meaning “skin.” Echinoderms have a hard endoskeleton covered by a thin, bumpy, or spiny epidermis. They are radially symmetrical, which allows them to sense food, predators, and other things in their environment from all directions. All echinoderms have a mouth, stomach, and intestines. They feed on a variety of plants and animals. For example, sea stars feed on worms and mollusks, and sea urchins feed on algae. Others

They also have cells that respond to light and touch (Gayora, 2014). Echinoderms play a vital role in marine environments where representatives are found in almost every ecosystem. Many are keystone species, playing significant and valuable roles (Dupont et al. 2010). Sand dollars and sea cucumbers burrow into the sand, providing more oxygen at greater depths of the sea floor. This allows more organisms to live there. In addition, starfish prevent the growth of algae on coral reefs. This allows the coral to filter-feed more easily. And many sea cucumbers provide a habitat for parasites such as crabs, worms, and snails. In some countries, echinoderms are considered delicacies. Around 50,000 tons of sea urchins are captured each year for food. They are consumed mostly in Japan, Peru, and France. Sea cucumbers are considered a delicacy in some South Eastern Asian countries. Echinoderms are also used as medicine and in scientific research. For example, some sea cucumber toxins slow down the growth rate of tumor cells, so there is an interest in using these in cancer

Baloganon in Masinloc, Zambales. Water samples will be collected every third week of every month starting from May to September with three sampling trials each site. The collection of the water samples and species during the month of May and June was conducted in high tide while the remaining months will be during low tide. Physico-chemical parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, biochemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, conductivity, phosphates, nitrates and total coliform were used as a measure of water characteristics of each established three station for the two