Coral Restoration Efforts Underway at Koh Man Nai Hatchery
Researchers at the Koh Man Nai hatchery in Rayong are working to restore Thai coral reefs by breeding corals from gametes to increase genetic diversity.
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) is currently conducting a coral restoration project at the Koh Man Nai hatchery in Rayong province. According to Khaosod Online, independent researcher Thanaphon 'iPhone' Phueasungnoen explains that the team is focusing on breeding corals from gametes rather than larvae. This method is intended to enhance genetic diversity, potentially making the coral more resilient to changing environmental conditions.
The process is highly delicate and labor-intensive. Researchers monitor coral colonies every 15 to 30 days, looking for a color change to pink, which indicates that the coral is ready to release gametes. This event occurs only once a year for each colony, typically during the third to fifth night of the waning moon between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM. Divers must monitor the reefs in the dark to collect the gametes, as many are consumed by fish in the wild.
For travelers and residents, this initiative highlights the ongoing efforts to preserve Thailand's marine biodiversity, which is vital for the health of coastal ecosystems and tourism. While the project aims to bolster reef populations, researchers note that the survival rate of coral in the wild remains extremely low—estimated at one in a million. It remains to be seen how these laboratory-bred corals will adapt to the open sea over the long term.
