The sea has a complex and diverse undersearelief.[4] The floor is formed into a structural basin by a series of geologic faults and fracture zones.Island arcs, which are actually extended ridges protruding above the ocean surface due toplate tectonic activity in the area, enclose the Philippine Sea to the north, east and south. The Philippine archipelago,Ryukyu Islands, and theMarianas are examples. Another prominent feature of the Philippine Sea is the presence ofdeep sea trenches, among them thePhilippine Trench and theMariana Trench, containing the deepest point on the planet.
The Philippine Sea has a marine territorial scope of over 679,800 square kilometers (262,500 sq mi), and anEEZ of 2.2 million km2. Attributed to an extensive vicariance and island integrations, the Philippines contains the highest number of marine species per unit area relative to the countries within theIndo-Malay-Philippines Archipelago, and has been identified as the epicenter of marine biodiversity.[6] With its inclusion in the Coral Triangle, the Philippine Sea encompasses over 3,212 fish species, 486 coral species, 800 seaweed species, and 820 benthic algae species, wherein theVerde Island Passage is dubbed as "the center of the center of marine fish biodiversity".[7] Within its territory, thirty-three endemic species of fish have been identified, including the blue-spotted angelfish (Chaetodontoplus caeruleopunctatus) and the sea catfish (Arius manillensis).[8] The Philippine marine territory has also become a breeding and feeding ground for endangered marine species, such as the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the dugong (Dugong dugon), and the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios).[7] Within theSouth China Sea, Philippine scientists have discovered an abundant amount of marine life and species that have the potential to be biomedical advances for the Philippines as well.[9]
TheCoral Triangle (also called the Indo-Malayan Triangle) is considered to be the global center of marine biodiversity. Its total oceanic area is approximately 2 million square kilometers.[10] It encompasses the tropical waters ofMalaysia,Indonesia, thePhilippines,Timor-Leste,Papua New Guinea, andSolomon Islands.[11] The Philippine islands, which lie at its apex, make up 300,000 square kilometers (120,000 sq mi) of it.[12] The part of the Coral Triangle's coral reef area that lies within the Philippines ranges from 10,750 square kilometers (4,150 sq mi) to 33,500 square kilometers (12,900 sq mi). It contains over 500 species of scleractinian or stony corals, and at least 12endemic coral species.[10]
The Coral Triangle contains 75% of the world's coral species (around 600 species). It is home to over 2000 types of reef fish, and six of the world's seven species of marine turtles (thehawksbill,loggerhead,leatherback,green turtle,olive ridley, andsea turtle).[13] There is no single causal explanation for the unusually high biodiversity found in the Coral Triangle, but most researchers have attributed it to geological factors such as plate tectonics.[14]
The Philippine Sea provides or supports the livelihoods of 120 million people, and is a source of food for the Philippine coastal communities and for millions more people worldwide.[13] Whale-shark tourism in the Coral Triangle also provides a steady source of income for the surrounding community.[13] The marine resources in the Coral Triangle have a high economic value, not only in the Philippines, but across the globe. The countries surrounding the Coral Triangle work to provide their people with technical assistance and other resources needed to promote conservation, sustainability, biodiversity, food security, sources of livelihood, and economic development.[11]
Climate change is affecting the coastal ecosystem found in the Coral Triangle. It is contributing torising sea levels andocean acidification, thus endangering marine animals like fish and turtles. This has a negative effect on local sources of livelihood, such as fishing and tourism. It is also making the waters warmer, which endangers corals. Warmer water causes corals to absorb more carbon dioxide. This alters the water's pH balance, making it acidic, a condition to which the corals are not adapted, and in which they are ill-equipped to survive.[13]
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The Philippine Sea hosts an exotic marine ecosystem. There are 421 of the 577 known species of corals in coastal waters, including 19 seagrass species and 30 species of mangrove, both of which contribute nutrients to coral systems. The Philippines also consists of 20 percent of theshellfish globally.Sea turtles,sharks,moray eels,octopuses, andsea snakes, along with numerous species offish such astuna can commonly be observed. Additionally, the Philippine Sea serves as spawning ground forJapanese eel, tuna, and differentwhale species.[4]
Pass of the ISS over Eastern Asia to the Philippine Sea and Guam
The Philippine Sea is a centre ofmarine biodiversity as well as abiodiversity hotspot. However, at least 418 species are being threatened because of unsustainable practices.
The rise in temperature change caused shifts in themarine ecosystems. which could cause corals to die due to changing sea temperature. As fish and other marine life rely on corals for sustenance and habitat, communities that rely on fishing are heavily affected as well.[15] As the Philippine Sea is situated in a particularly active Western Pacifictropical cyclone basin, the physical damage caused bytyphoons coming from the east can further destroy the marine habitats.[16]
The first European to navigate the Philippine Sea wasFerdinand Magellan in 1521, who named itMar Filipinas when he and his men were in theMariana Islands prior to the exploration of thePhilippines.[citation needed] Later it was discovered by other Spanish explorers[who?] from 1522 to 1565.
Japanese Carrier Division Three under attack byUnited States Navy aircraft from Task Force 58, late afternoon, 20 June 1944. The heavy cruiser circling at right, nearest to the camera, is eitherMaya orChōkai. Beyond that, is the smallaircraft carrierChiyoda.
Aside from the navy, aerial activity was also present in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, as hundreds of aircraft from both countries fired at each other. The Americans indisputably won, and nicknamed the aerial war the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" due to the number of Japanese aircraft shot down.[18]
Japan struggled to recover from the severe damages of its imperial navy and air strength suffered from the battle. This heavily attributed to the victory of the United States in the Battle of the Philippine Sea which was a vital part of the Americans' reclamation of the Philippines, and the Mariana Islands from Japan.[19]
Following an escalation of theSpratly Islands dispute in 2011, various Philippine government agencies started using the designation "West Philippine Sea" to refer to parts of theSouth China Sea. However, aPAGASA spokesperson said that the sea east of the Philippine archipelago will continue to be called the Philippine Sea.[21]
The Philippines depends on the Philippine Sea as one of the sources of its food, and for many people's livelihoods. In the Coral Triangle area, the Philippines harvests seaweeds, milkfish, shrimp, oyster, mussel, and live reef fish as aquaculture products. Fishermen catch many types of fish, including small pelagic, anchovy, sardine, mackerel, and tuna, among others.[13]
Recent scientific expeditions have found that theBenham Rise (also known as the Philippine Rise) in the Philippine Sea has a diverse marine ecosystem that attracts migratory commercial fish like tuna, marlin and mackerel.[22] The Benham Rise is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from Aurora, Quezon and Bicol.[23] The PhilippinesBureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources trains fishermen in sustainable-fishing techniques to prevent the destruction of coral formations, which could negatively affect the food chain that the migratory fish depend on. Migratory fish generally sell at high prices. For example, a single bluefin tuna from the Benham Rise can be sold at market for₱2,000.[22]
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