The Reef Ball Thailand Tsunami Coral Restoration
Project was supported by a grant from Project Aware, the Reef Ball
Foundation, The Racha Resort, Seamaster Divers, and expert volunteers who worked
on the project
Xinhua - English, "Manmade reef gives Mother Nature a helping hand"
Bangkokpost.pdf (Reef Ball Thailand Project) April 20, 2005
12 April 2005 Manmade reef gives Mother Nature a helping hand Earthdive News
Apr 12, 2005 Dive News - The Reef Ball Foundation Begins Project in Thailand
Asia Times Online -- Southeast Asia news and business from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, April 8, 2005
TSUNAMI-IMPACT- Coral Reef Rescue Underway in Thailand, April 8, 2005
April 6, 2005, "Copying nature in Thailand, one artificial reef at a time" Channel News Asia
April 6, 2005 News & Media (WBCSD) Copying nature in Thailand, one artificial reef at a time, Thailand
"Reef Ball Foundation Aids in Tsunami Relief", March 23, 2005 What's Up Atlanta Daybook
 RBF |
Phuket Thailand Channel 11 Interview of Todd Barber, Chairman Reef Ball Foundation and John Walch President Reef Ball Volunteer Services Division. (26 mgs, 15 minutes long). Good Spoken Overview. |
Suraphol Chunhabundit1, Nipat Teva-aruk2, Thamasak Yeemin3 and Thanitha Thapanand4
1 Aquatic Resources Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, BKK 10330, THAILAND
2 Special Warfare Unit, The Royal Thai Fleets, Chonburi, THAILAND
3 Biology Dept., Faculty of Sciences, Ramkhamhaeng University, BKK 10240, THAILAND
4 Fishery Biology Dept., Fisheries Faculty, Kasetsart University, BKK 10900, THAILAND
Kham Island (Lat. 13o 14' N; Long. 100o 52' E) is one of 12 islands in Sattahip Bay, Upper Gulf of Thailand. This island is rich in variety of corals and other fauna. However, the fragile coral reef ecosystem of the island has been heavily impacted as a result of the activities of the Navy, as compared with other parts of the Upper Gulf. Transplantation of corals was carried out on this island as one of the scientific steps taken to restore the damaged coral ecosystem. Transplantation of the hard corals: Platygyra spp., Monastrea spp., Porites lutea, Favia spp., Symphyllia radians, Galaxea fasicularis, Montipora spp., Favites abdita, Pavona florida, Diploastrea sp., Acropora spp., and soft corals Sinularia sp.and Xenia sp. was studied during the period from March 1995 to October 1997. A technique was developed for the rapid fixation of coral branches and heads on concrete plates using a special cement, applied in air and underwater. A total of 260 massive coral colonies, 40 coral branches and 3 soft coral colonies representing 13 genera were removed by hand from reef sites degraded by high sedimentation. The coral colonies were transported by navy boats from the collection site to the transplantation site, a new reef area 60 minutes away. During transportation, the corals were submerged in a container containing seawater, and provided aeration and some seawater exchange. After 6 months, the overall survival of the coral colonies was 92%. Small colonies of the coral Porites lutea did not survive. The annual linear growth rates of the surviving colonies were recorded by measuring the maximum widths at the base of the colonies, and heights. Newly generated branches were counted in order to study growth in Acropora spp. In addition, an assessment of the condition of transplanted corals was made by studying the percentage cover of living polyps, as well as polyps lost in coral colonies.
Nalinee Thongtham and Hansa Chansang
Phuket Marine Biological Center, PO Box 60, Phuket 83000, Thailand
A study was conducted on recruitment of corals using different complexities in concrete cylinders welded together to form 50 x 50 x 50 cm3 triangular modules. The size and number of cylinders determined the complexity of the modules, which were laid out in horizontal positions in a coral community Northeast of Maiton Island, Phuket. After 25 months, the first monitoring found Porites to be the most dominant of the corals that had settled on these modules. The second monitoring, carried out six months later, found that Porites was still the most dominant coral, but the fire coral, Millepora, had the highest rate of survival. The number of colonies, the area covered, and the survival rate of corals were higher on high-complexity modules than on the less complex ones. The study concluded that at Maiton Island, artificial substrates provided a more suitable area for settlement and growth of coral larvae compared to natural substrates.
Vipoosit Manthachitra1 and G.P. Jones2
1 Department of Aquatic Science, Burapha University, Chonburi 20131, THAILAND
2 Department of Marine Biology, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, Queensland 4810, AUSTRALIA
The effect of mechanical disturbance of the coral habitat
on reef fish assemblages was experimentally investigated at two spatial
scales, the regional and local. At the regional level, near-shore and highly
impacted reefs at Phuket (Thailand) were compared with inshore, relative
non-impacted reefs near the central Great Barrier Reef (Australia). Local
variation was assessed by repeating experiments at two sites within each
region. The structure of fish assemblages differed between the two regions
in relation to biogeographic differences in the species pool. Phuket was
dominated by both pomacentrids and labrids, while pomacentrids dominated at
central GBR. Experimental manipulations involved a reduction in the cover of
live hard coral (GBR and Phuket) and a reduction in live soft coral (GBR
only), with appropriate controls. The response of fish to habitat
disturbance varied regionally and locally, and depended on which fish taxa
was examined and whether hard coral or soft coral was disturbed. In general,
most fish taxa responded negatively to a reduction in living coral cover,
with decreased diversity, species richness, and reduced abundance of
coral-associated species. In contrast, removing soft coral appeared to have
a positive effect on the abundance of many fish species, perhaps because it
resulted in an increase in habitat complexity. The magnitude of the
influence of habitat degradation appeared to differ between the two regions,
with Phuket exhibiting greater extent of impacts with less tendency for
recovery. In contrast, impacts on the central GBR were slight and recovery
was rapid. The experimental manipulation, by reducing components of the
habitat, illustrated that habitat structure and resource availability may
have a strong impact on the structure of reef fish assemblages at widely
separated locations.
Nalinee Thongtham nalineepmbc@yahoo.com who has conducted a 10 year study and using artificial reefs for reef restoration and rehabilitation in Thailand. Nalinee Thongtham (Marine Ecologist) , Marine and Coastal Biology and Ecology unit, Phuket Marine Biological Center, P.O.Box 60, Phuket 83000, THAILAND
Mr. Suraphol Chunhabundit <csuraphol@yahoo.com>
Coral restoration and recolonization
Researcher
aquatic Resources Reseearch Institute
Chulalongkorn University
Pyathai Road, Pthumwan
Bangkok Bangkok 10330
THAILAND
http://www.arri.chula.ac.th
Telephone: 66-2-2188039 Fax: 66-2-2544259
Field: Coral reef restoration
Experience: Coral restoration by rapid transplantation techniques in the Gulf of Thailand.
Interests: Coral reef colonization for recreation by multidiscipline techniques in the Gulf of Thailand.
|
Reef Ball Foundation |
|
6 Molds of various sizes donated by RBF for use in Tsunami Restoration projects. Currently in the care of Phillip Goh Joo Seng extreme_101@hotmail.com |
|
|
&
Seamaster Divers
The Racha
P.O. Box 213
Muang, Phuket 83000
Thailand
http://www.theracha.com
Tel: 66 76 355 455
Fax:66 76 355 240
&
La Flora Resort
La
Flora, Khao Lak Thailand
59/1 Moo 5 Tambon Khuk-Khak, Takuapa Phang-Nga 82190
Tel: + 66 (0)76 428 000 Fax: +66 (0)76 428 029
http://www.khaolak-hotels.com/laflora/
&
Phillip Goh Joo Seng
xtreme_101@hotmail.com
<Back to World Map (use browser back for one level back)
Copyright 1995 - 2005, Reef Ball Foundation, Inc. all rights reserved. See brochure page footer for information on patents, copyrights, trademarks and service marks referenced, but not indicated, on this page. Other pages we maintain: Reef Ball Shared Resources, Reef Ball Foundation, La falda
Travel Channel Team Trip Contact Info
Philip's mobile is + 66 78916145. La Flora
Hotel is +66 76 428000/28. Racha
+66 76 355455
Daniel mobile + 66 62806526
Urs gm@theracha.com (Racha Hotel General Manager)
Apple is a good contact name at the Racha if you can't find Urs.
Frederick frederickrendina@yahoo.com
Todd reefball@reefball.com
Todd Cell at DEMA 941-720-7549
Lee Cell 321-795-1126
John Cell 602-703-2404
