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What is Coral?

To the uninitiated, coral is often mistaken for a rock or a plant, but is actually made up of tiny animals called coral polyps. There are hundreds of species of these soft bodied animals, which can be classified into 2 main groups of hard or soft corals. Hard corals such as brain and staghorn grow in colonies and are the architects of coral reefs; they excrete skeletons made out of calcium carbonate (limestone) and it is this skeleton which protects the soft coral polyps. These limestone skeletons are actually white and the coral polyps have clear bodies, but most corals contain symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae, which they need to survive and it is this algae which gives the coral its beautiful colour. Coral

Soft corals such as sea fingers and sea whips are flexible and sway with the current - they do not have stony skeletons and are non reef building. Corals grow at different rates, depending on water temperature, salinity, turbulence and the availability of food. The largest coral are the slowest growing species adding only between 5 – 25mm per year. Branching and staghorn corals can grow much faster adding as much as 20cm to their branches in one year.

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are the oldest and most complex ecosystems on earth and rightly deserve their mantle of rainforests of the sea. They have existed for over 200 million years and attained their current level of biodiversity around 50 million years ago. Although coral reefs occupy less than 1% of the earth’s aquatic environment, they are home to more than a quarter of all known fish species. They provide revenue to millions in the form of food, tourism, recreation and coastal protection and yet they are under serious threat.

Threats to Coral Reefs

The most severe threat to coral reefs is human induced changes to the environment. For coral to survive it needs sunlight, clear water, clean water, salt water and correct temperature. Every year over 20 billion tons of pollutants are dumped into the aquatic environment from land based sources. This combined with over fishing and destructive fishing methods, sediment and run off from inland erosion which chokes the reef with algae, irresponsible tourism and the warming of the world’s oceans have all contributed to coral reef degeneration. Some 58% of the world’s reefs are threatened by human activities.

What You Can do to Help

• Don’t buy souvenirs made from coral or any threatened or endangered marine species
• As a diver or snorkeler choose dive operators that actively promoted reef awareness and use mooring buoys whenever possible to avoid reef damage
• Make responsible travel choices and minimize your effect as a tourist and help preserve natural environments, local economies and native cultures
• Select seafood wisely and avoid items that are caught or farmed using destructive or unsustainable practices
• Dispose of trash, toxins and other dangerous chemicals properly and reduce pesticide use
• Don’t buy tropical hardwood furniture or products made from clear-cut tropical forests that cause silt to build up and therefore damage coral reefs
• If you dive or snorkel practice buoyancy skills in a pool or sandy area before diving near a coral reef
• Further your education and dive skills through PADI speciality courses such as Project Aware, Underwater Naturalist, AWARE Fish ID and Peak Performance Buoyancy

For more information please visit www.projectaware.org and www.greenfins-thailand.org.

Sharks

Typically Grey Reef, Juvenile Black tip and Bull Sharks have been the most frequently sighted sharks In the Gulf of Thailand. Sightings of these magnificent fish have been on the decline in recent years, as is the case in our oceans worldwide, a result of practices such as shark finning, over fishing and illegal fishing practices have all combined with a general lack of adequate and enforced protective legislation to drastically reduce their numbers and our opportunity to interact with these amazing creatures.

Sharks are cartilaginous fish and there are approximately 400 species of sharks known to inhabit the waters of the earth. Sharks have existed for some 400 million years and survived thanks to their extraordinary armoury of senses and have had to evolve very little overtime.

Sharks are the major predators of the oceans and seas, but thanks to the misconception that all sharks are dangerous man-eaters and negative publicity created by hugely inaccurate films such as Jaws, their demise now seems inevitable. Fishing, and in particular the barbaric practise of shark finning - whereby the shark’s fins are hacked off whilst still alive and the body thrown back to the sea for the shark to drown - have seriously and wastefully depleted the shark population.

Sharks In Danger

Every year humans slaughter more than 100 million sharks, each year taking younger and younger specimens to adorn the soup bowls of restaurants. The lifespan of sharks varies from species to species but they are relatively long lived fish, which mature slowly and produce few young. The combination of high tech fishing/overfishing and the ever growing demand for shark fin means that their future is endangered. Some species are already extinct and in many areas other species will disappear in our lifetime.

Ultimately life on earth depends on life in the oceans and for us to believe that we can remove the top predator from the oceans, that has ruled for more than 400 million years and not contribute to our own demise is extraordinary.

What You Can do to Help

• Say No to Shark’s Fin Soup and boycott restaurants and establishments that serve it. As WildAid actively promote “when the buying stops, the killing can too”
• For those of you who have been lucky enough to encounter these gracious creatures whilst diving, pass on this information to educate others, and help to dispel the myth of sharks being dangerous man-eating machines
• Select seafood wisely and avoid items that are caught or farmed using destructive or unsustainable practices

To find out more please visit the websites below and find out how you can become actively involved.

www.wildaid.org
www.sharktrust.org
www.stopsharkfinning.net
www.projectaware.org

Whale Sharks

The gentle giant of the oceans - the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish in the world. The largest whale shark found to date measured a massive 20 metres in length and weighed some 34 tonnes, although sightings more commonly involve specimens of around 6 metres in length. Despite its immense size, the whale shark is harmless to humans. It has few defences against predators, other than its size and tough skin on its dorsal surface. Primarily a suction filter feeder, the whale shark eats a wide variety of planktonic and nektonic prey such as small crustaceans and small schooling fish.

Whale Sharks in the Gulf

In the Gulf of Thailand, you can spot whale sharks around submerged pinnacles at sites that include Chumpon Pinnacles, Sail Rock, Southwest Pinnacles and Shark Island. Most sightings occur from March-April and August – September, although there are no guarantees. If you are privileged enough to have an encounter with a whale shark, please follow the Project Aware Whale Shark Code of Conduct:

• Do not attempt to touch, ride or chase a whale shark
• Do not restrict normal movement or behaviour of the shark
• Maintain a minimum distance of 3 metres from the whale shark
• Do not undertake flash photography
• Do not use underwater motorised diver propulsion

If these simple ecological guidelines are followed, the shark’s behavioural patterns do not seem affected by human presence.

Whale Sharks in Danger

Although fisheries data for the whale shark is scarce, it points to declining numbers, with a significant drop in population in the space of only a few years. In Thailand the culling of whale sharks for meat and fins was banned in 2000, but generally whale sharks are extremely vulnerable to over-exploitation. For one thing, they have a very slow growth rate, reaching maturity at around 30 years old and living as long as 60 - 100 years. Their rate of reproduction is very slow with long intervals common between pregnancies. Damage caused to the marine environment by pollution, overfishing, the introduction of invasive species and global warming all present threats to their survival. Their meat and fins are considered gourmet fare in some Asian markets, where a single fin can fetch up to US $10,000.

What You Can Do to Help

Again - get involved. Always say no to sharks fin soup and boycott restaurants that sell it. A number of non-profit organizations have been campaigning tirelessly to protect the world’s largest animal for overexploitation and eventual extinction. These include WildAid, the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, ECOCEAN, Project Aware and The Shark Trust. Check out the links below to find out more.

www.ecocean.org
www.projectaware.org
www.whaleshark.org
www.wildaid.org