PUBLISHED: 24 Apr 2025 at 05: 53
More than 60 % of the coral bleached since last year has been saved thanks to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources ( DMCR ).
According to Pinsak Suraswadi, director-general of the department, between 60 % and 80 % of the coral in Thailand’s seas have been found to have been bleached, 60 % of which have been saved, and the other 60 % have died.
The coral’s high stress was brought on by rising water temperatures, which caused them to expel zooxanthellae algae. Marine deteriorates and becomes bright as a result of the algae’s loss, according to Mr. Pinsak.
However, 60 % of coral has already been saved following a survey in the Andaman Sea, where 55 % of coral was discovered last year.
Meanwhile, coral bleaching in the Gulf of Thailand reached its highest level in May of last year, when only 40 % to 60 % of the coral had been bleached, he said.
Coral in shallow water was the most negatively impacted, according to Mr. Pinsak, but no coastal bleaching has been discovered either location at the moment, which is a better-than-expected outcome. He claimed that the DMCR has regrown 24 ray of reefs in seven regions: Trat, Rayong, Chon Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Phangnga, and Phuket, totaling 24 ray of islands.
As part of the department’s effort to retain Thai coral islands and make them grow repeatedly, he said, about 60, 000 reproduced provinces were also being nursed.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on has recommended actions to stop coral bleaching, including briefly closing some sea tourist attractions to help the coral to regrow.
Additionally, officials are advising people to avoid feeding fish in the ocean, removing trash from coral, encouraging the use of environmentally friendly sunscreen, and briefly relocating marine to help preserve them.