Recently Neil from Seafari along with other Pattaya Divers joined Todd and Anuar from Ocean Quest
on their assessment and review of the feasibility of coral reef rehabilitation around islands in the Gulf of Thailand near Pattaya. The places reviewed included the Pattaya far islands of Koh Rin and Hua Chang (Elephant Ear) along with Pattaya Near islands, Koh Larn (South Point) and Koh Krok.
During three days of diving, we helped rescue coral colonies toppled by anchors and storms by righting and stabilizing them before undergoing an exciting new coral propagation course with strong hearts and hopeful minds to spread conservation action along with awareness towards rebuilding the coral reefs in Pattaya Thailand.
Corals, The Trees of the Ocean
Coral Reefs are comprised of many complex organisms. In order to be able to breed coral correctly for the purpose of coral reef restoration requires a certain level of understanding which is only achieved through scientific experimentation. Corals are complex ‘Plants’. The world has already well documented over thousands of years how to plant trees however so far the knowledge of how to successfully plant coral reefs escapes most of us.
Knowledge of generations
Safari’s aim is to help and work with Oceans Quest in bringing accurate knowledge of how to correctly go about growing corals back into their natural surroundings. Over the generations to come to this information results in restored healthy coral reefs repopulating areas of the Pattaya islands which otherwise would be laid to waste, sooner than you realize.
A key point of knowledge is to first understand its importance! Teaching not just scuba divers but children who later may come to plant the seed of knowledge, for a better word, which grows into the passion and caring for coral reefs later on. We welcome all local schools or organizations to contact us to get involved.
In reality, there should be a whole lot more people involved in growing coral reefs. Divers and none scuba divers alike have access to millions of online videos showing both the beauty and unfortunately destruction of coral reefs every day. Never in history before has there been this large of a dive community and as many mainstream scuba divers posed in the perfect position to really absorb the importance that coral reefs play in the ocean habitats and do something about their destruction.
Don’t Let Your Dives Go To Waste!
Anyone can help coral reefs with a basic open water diver certification and make a massive contribution to coral reef restoration. Much like gardening, everyone can plant seeds and wait for a plant to grow. Get involved with growing coral and learn techniques, maintenance, and knowledge in workshops and courses which will ultimately result in your identifying procedures that lessen stress in the corals and give directions on its monitoring and care. Equip yourself now and spread this knowledge and eventually, the results will lead to better and more consistent coral propagators.
Ocean Quest Coral workshops and propagation courses are actually quite simple yet an effective education system. Instead of teaching a person to become a marine biologist that could consume a great amount of time, energy and resources; they teach people the gardening process which is quicker and more effective in addressing the current rate of destruction of the coral reefs.
Safari’s Coral Propagation experience
The Coral Reef propagation course took 3 days. Covers fun and interesting information about how corals are living organisms that are very sensitive to changes in their environment. It highlighted that handling corals during restoration may cause undue stress to it that could lead to a high rate of mortality, a key factor in success.
It was great to get proper training and guidelines to help increase the success rate of our coral reef restoration works. The Ocean Quest Coral Propagation Course certainly developed a deeper understanding of the coral propagation techniques in us. We now have a higher level of knowledge on coral handling and broodstock extraction and will be using this knowledge to prepare more sites where we will be applying our training to hopefully grow new corals around the Pattaya Islands.
If you would like to take this course, it takes only 3 days to complete. It includes a day of academic presentation and demonstration and 4 training dives. Take Action Contact us and join our next course.
You can Learn Too!
Through Seafari Dive Center you can sign up to a coral propagation program and this is what you will learn:
There are six important chapters in the Coral Propagation Handbook:
1# Introduction to Coral Propagation – subject includes the benefits of coral propagation to the society and environment.
2# Corals – subject includes types and forms of corals, their importance in the marine environment, coral reproduction and more.
3# Equipment for Coral Propagation – a comprehensive subject covering all aspects of the equipment and instruments for coral propagation.
4# Coral Broodstock Extraction and Handling – this subject covers proper procedures of extraction and handling corals. This is a crucial step to ensure minimal impact and stress on the organism during the propagation process.
5# Substrate – a subject that covers all types of substrates used in coral restoration, their advantages, and disadvantages. It includes an overview of all man-made materials and natural substrates.
6# Coral Propagation Methods and Techniques – this subject covers the coral propagation techniques invented by Ocean Quest.
Why Chose The Ocean Quest Program With Seafari?
Ocean Quest leader Anuar Abdullah or ‘Ocean Man’ as he is been referred to, has quite the story and has dedicated his life to coral reefs. Passing this found knowledge of his life to others he has developed his own approaches to Coral Propagation and created a different kind of program.
Working directly with Seafari, Ocean quest’s Todd Applegate is heading their coral reef research & monitoring with us around Pattaya and will be teaching coral propagation courses.
This course is innovative in its approach in that its focus on growing corals to suitable natural substrates. Mostly in coral restoration projects, you see the use of man-made substances as a base. For example concrete, PVC or steel. These bases DO NOT carry high aesthetic values like natural substrates, not to mention eventually Succumb to the effects of time in the ocean. They result in looking like coral infested garbage dumps instead of beautiful natural coral reefs. Ocean Quest’s design is to reject the use of man-made substances for coral propagation. Instead focus on the natural live rock from the same area to rebuild beautiful, sustainable natural looking reef again.
Bookmark this page for future updates on the progress of our new coral reefs and like our Facebook to see other ways you can help coral reefs in Thailand.
Seafari Dive Center are a PADI dive school based in Pattaya, Thailand. We offer a full range of courses from beginner to instructor, along with diving and snorkelling day trips.
