Reef damage from recent tsunamis
Aside from the tradgic loss of human life and property suffered from the recent tsunamis I finally found some info on the damage suffered of the surrounding reefs that may be of some interest.
Article lifted from Bangkok Post
At least four coral reef areas off Phi Phi and Surin were ravaged by tsunamis, which crashed into the exotic marine structures and flooded them with sand and garbage, marine experts said.
Even though top environmental officials said the impact counted for little in the overall assessment, a shocking scene near Surin archipelago and damage in areas near Phi Phi island raised a voice of concern.
``It disappeared,'' said Kasetsart University's marine scientist Thon Thamrongnawasawat as he described what he saw in Aow Chong Khad, a small gulf in Surin archipelago, during his two-day inspection on coral reef areas in the Andaman sea, west of Thailand.
A range of coral reefs at Chong Khad cape, a popular spot for diving close to a beach, had gone when Mr Thon and his team inspected the area this week.
Lumps of coral reef as large as cars were just tossed to one side by the waves, Mr Thon said. ``Around half a square kilometre of coral reef was affected,'' Mr Thon said, in a total area of eight square kilometres of coral reef in Surin archipelago, the largest coral reef area in the Andaman sea. His concern came in a contrast with comments by the Tourism Authority of Thailand after its team of divers came back from the South with a videotape of coral reef conditions.
Its governor Juthamas Siriwan said on Tuesday that only small parts of the coral reef in the Similan islands were damaged.
Department of Marine and Coastal Resources chief Maitree Duangsawasdi said after meeting marine experts from eight universities yesterday that coral reefs in some areas were damaged, but on the whole the impacts on coral reef were small.
The department asked marine scientists from eight universities, including Mr Thon's team, to assess the coral damage.
``To estimate the damage, it should be only a quarter or one fifth of coral reef in Phi Phi Islands that were badly hit,'' said Niphon Phongsuwan of Phuket Marine Biological Centre.
He was asked to inspect coral reef near Patong beach in Phuket and Phi Phi islands in Krabi.
Aow Lo La Na, Koh Phai, and a part of Koh Phi Phi Lay were another three areas, where coral reef was severely damaged by the waves, Mr Niphon said.
The coral reef, if not broken or thrown away by the wave force, was gradually killed by garbage and sand coverage.
``We could not remove thick layers of sand out of the reef and have to wait for a moonsoon to take them out by tidal waves,'' Mr Niphon said.
``The coral reef will die as a result, but when the sand goes, young new coral species will cling to the reef remains and grow up again.''
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