West PH Sea, Benham Bank among world’s richest soft coral habitats, new study finds

West PH Sea, Benham Bank among world’s richest soft coral habitats, new study finds

Philippine waters currently under threat from China were confirmed as part of global biodiversity center for soft corals, with high potential for new species COMPOSITE PHOTO: Pulse coral Xenia sp. in Puerto Galera, Occidental Mindoro from UP MSI/Inquirer file photo MANILA, Philippines—Soft corals in the West Philippine Sea and Benham Bank in the Philippine Rise, which are under threat from China, are among the richest and most diverse in the wor…