[Coral-List] Coral Reef Assessment in Thailand after the tsunami

[Jim Hendee]

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Subject:
Coral reef assessment in Thailand after the tsunami
From:
Thamasak Yeemin <thamasakyeemin at yahoo.com>
Date:
Sun, 23 Jan 2005 19:51:07 -0800 (PST)

To:
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
CC:
jamrearn at hotmail.com


  Dear Coral-Listers, I am most grateful for your worries
  regarding to the tsunami. As you know, the tsunami hit six provinces of
  Thailand along the coastline of the Andaman Sea, namely, Ranong, Phang
  Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. Department of Marine and Coastal
  Resources, seven Thai universities and volunteer diving groups
  conducted a rapid assessment program during December 30, 2004 to
  January 15, 2005 by using a survey method developed by Thai
  researchers. A total of 175 study sites were completely carried out and
  the impacts of tsunami on coral reefs were categorized in to five
  groups, i.e., no impact, very low impact (1-10% of corals were
  damaged.), low impact (11-30% of corals were damaged.), moderate impact
  (31-50% of corals were damaged.) and high impact (> 50% of corals were
  damaged.). Only 13% of the study sites were in “high impact”. No impact
  study sites were around 40%. Very low impact, low impact and moderate
  impact study sites were 21%, 17% and 9%, respectively. Department of
  Marine and Coastal Resources and several universities have routine
  research on coral reefs in the Andaman Sea. In the case of Marine
  Biodiversity Research Group, Ramkhamhaeng University, we have conducted
  a research program on development of appropriate techniques and methods
  for coral reef rehabilitation for sustainable tourism in certain
  provinces since 2001. The research has mainly focused on condition of
  coral reef, status and change of coral fragment, coral reproduction,
  ecology of juvenile coral colony, coral recruitment (settlement plate
  experiment), status and change of partial mortality of coral colony and
  ecology of reef macroinvertebrates and fish. We will continue
  monitoring our 20 study sites in the Andaman Sea. We do appreciate any
  suggestion, recommendation and future research collaboration. [...]