Thailand
The Kingdom of Thailand is in Southeast Asia , bordering Laos and Cambodia to the east, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia to the south, and the Andaman Sea and Myanmar to the west.
Most of the seagrass meadows are multispecies, located in enclosed or semi-enclosed embayments from the intertidal area ot 5m in depth depending on seagrass species. Among the 12 species of seagrasses found in Thailand, Halophila ovalis is the most widely distributed, because of it’s ability to grow in different habitats. Enhalus acorodies, the largest species, is also common in the major seagrass areas. Seagrasses are more abundant in the Andaman Sea than in the Gulf of Thailand.
The four most important seagrass areas in Thailand are Haad Chao Mai National Park, in Trang province on the southern coast of the Anadaman Sea and just north of Malaysia, Ko Talibong (Talibong Island), also in the Trang Province, Kung Krabane Bay, in Chathaburi province on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, near Cambodia and Ko Samui (Samui Island), in Surat Thani province, and part of the southern coast of the Gulf of Thailand.
Seagrass-Watch in Thailand
To provide an early warning of change, long-term monitoring has been established in Thailand as part of the Seagrass-Watch, Global Seagrass Observing Network (www.seagrasswatch.org). Establishing a network of monitoring sites in Thailand provides valuable information on temporal trends in the health status of seagrass meadows in the region and provides a tool for decision-makers in adopting protective measures. It encourages local communities to become involved in seagrass management and protection. Working with both scientists and local stakeholders, this approach is designed to draw attention to the many local anthropogenic impacts on seagrass meadows which degrade coastal ecosystems and decrease their yield of natural resources.
Location
Trang
Monitoring: coming soon
Location: Haad Chao Mai National Park
Site code: To be advised
Issues: Benthic push-net fishing
Comments: Trang is the one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand, and is located on the coast of the Andaman Sea, and contains 46 islands together with the mainland area.
The southern coast of the province is protected in the Mu Ko Phetra National Park.
Southern Thailand’s sunny, clear, inshore waters are ideal conditions for the lush seagrass which were ‘pastures’ for fish, crabs, prawns, molluscs, and most importantly, dugongs. The dugong was once abundant in these large expanses of seagrass along Thailand’s southern shores, until pushnets and intrusion by trawlers began to damage the ocean floor. Meanwhile, gill nets, pollution, noise, and habitat destruction have been blamed for the 75 dead dugongs which washed onto the districts’ shores between 1979 and 1998. When a dugong began to frequent the coastal waters along the regenerated sea grass bed of Ban Chao Mai village in 1995, it caused a stir in the media as live dugongs had not been seen in a long time, and most young people had never seen one.
Location
Koh Phra Thong Island
Monitoring: ongoing
Principal watchers: Barry Bendell, Pa Nee
Location: Khura Buri District
Site code: PT1, PT2, PT3, Pt4, PT5, PT6
Issues: fishing, run off
Comments: Ko Phra Thong is an island in Khura Buri District, southern Thailand on the Andaman Sea, and is the middle link in a chain of three islands.
On Phra Thong Island, local communities have established protected areas in seagrass meadows where the harvesting of all animals is prohibited.