# Ep69 - A new grading system to measure the health of coral reefs

An episode of [Behind The Science Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1753464681), 12 Jun 2025, 1 h 09 min.

Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/ee2ce360/podcast/play/103962208/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-5-11%2F401953764-44100-2-9e56fd74878c2.mp3

Marine biologist Dr. Wilfredo Licuanan explains his team’s groundbreaking work in developing a new scale to assess coral reefs. The new letter-grade scale replaces the outdated standards and helps scientists, policymakers, and citizen scientists better understand reef health. This research has already influenced national guidelines and could reshape how we protect our reefs. #CoralReefsPH #MarineScience #FilipinoScientist #EcosystemServices ⌛Chapters 00:00 Starting the Conversation on Marine Research 00:30 Podcast and Partners Introduction 04:01 Introduction to the Shore Center and Projects 07:47 Citizen Science and Coral Reef Monitoring 11:46 Introduction to the Monopod for Reef Surveys 17:57 Review of the Policy Brief on Coral Cover 30:04 Understanding Hard Corals and Coral Reefs 35:53 Understanding the Status of Coral Reefs 41:06 Changing Assessment Methods 46:15 Assessing Ecosystem Services 51:36 NAKER Program Projects 55:12 Research Challenges and Successes 01:01:05 Translating Science into Action 01:06:39 Advice for Beginning Researchers 📚Reference: Licuanan WY. 2020. New scales to guide the assessment of hard coral cover and diversity in the Philippines. The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, 27(2), 121-126. 🤝Follow the DLSU Br. Alfred Shields FSC Ocean Research Center on Youtube and Facebook. 🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.

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