[Coral-List] Preliminary coral survey in Thailand after the Tsunami

[Suchana Chavanich]

Dear Coral-lists,
Thank you very much for your concerns on the effects by the Tsunami in
Thailand.  We all appreciate it.  I just got back from the southern part
of Thailand where was hit by the Tsunami.  On the December 29, my
university had sent me and some marine scientists to  there for a
preliminary survey of the coral damage.  We went to Phi Phi Island and
certain spots in Similan Islands where were hit very hard by the wave,
and found that not many corals are damaged by this Tsunami.  In most
areas, only about 5-15% of corals are damaged (broken) (vary from places
by places).  However, now the government and universities are going to
survey intensively in all the areas affected by Tsunami to see whether
marine national parks should be opened to tourists or not since the
tourism is the main economics in Thailand, and the government wants to
get the tourists back as soon as possible.  During the survey, we saw
garbage and debris in the reefs.  Some corals are covered by sand, and
in one area at the 100 feet depth, the sand was disappeared as deep as 2
meters.  However, in our opinion corals are still in a good shape, but
we need  to clean up all the debris in the reefs as soon as possible.

Apple Chavanich

-- 
Suchana Apple Chavanich, Ph.D.
Department of Marine Science
Faculty of Science
Chulalongkorn University
Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Tel: 66-2-218-5395, 66-2-218-5401
Fax: 66-2-255-0780
e-mail:csuchana at sc.chula.ac.th

Homepage:
http://www.marine.sc.chula.ac.th/faculty/Suchana%20Chavanich/Suchana/PH.html


-- 
Suchana Apple Chavanich, Ph.D.
Department of Marine Science
Faculty of Science
Chulalongkorn University
Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Tel: 66-2-218-5395, 66-2-218-5401
Fax: 66-2-255-0780
e-mail:csuchana at sc.chula.ac.th

Homepage:
http://www.marine.sc.chula.ac.th/faculty/Suchana%20Chavanich/Suchana/PH.html


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