Assessing the Resilience Potential of Inshore and Offshore Coral Communities in the Western Gulf of Thailand

Makamas Sutthacheep,Charernmee Chamchoy,Sittiporn Pengsakun,Thamasak Yeemin,Wanlaya Klinthong

doi:10.3390/jmse7110408

Makamas Sutthacheep, Charernmee Chamchoy + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse7110408

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Abstract

Coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand have experienced severe coral bleaching events and anthropogenic disturbances during the last two decades. This study assessed the resilience potential of coral communities at Ko Losin offshore reef sites and Mu Ko Chumphon nearshore coral reefs, in the south of Thailand, by conducting field surveys on the live coral cover, hard substratum composition and diversity and density of juvenile corals. Most study sites had higher percentages of live coral cover compared to dead coral cover. Some inshore and offshore reef sites showed low resilience to coral bleaching events. The total densities of juvenile corals at the study sites were in the range of 0.89–3.73 colonies/m2. The density of the juvenile corals at most reef sites was not dependent on the live coral cover of adult colonies in a reef, particularly for the Acropora communities. We suggest that Ko Losin should be established as a marine protected area, and Mu Ko Chumphon National Park should implement its management plans properly to enhance coral recovery and promote marine ecotourism. Other measures, such as shading, should be also applied at some coral reefs during bleaching periods.

Highlights

Coral reefs are recognized as a high-biodiversity ecosystem containing thousands of species that provide socioeconomic benefits
The assessment of the resilience potential of coral reefs was first developed after the coral bleaching event in the year 1998 and it focused on the physical and ecological characteristics of coral reefs that provide some reefs with greater resistance to and/or recovery from coral bleaching [22,23]
This study aims to assess the resilience potential, based on coverages of live coral, dead coral, rubble and other benthic organisms, of coral communities at Ko Losin offshore reef sites in Pattani Province and Mu Ko Chumphon nearshore coral reefs in Chumphon Province, in the south of Thailand

Summary

Introduction

Coral reefs are recognized as a high-biodiversity ecosystem containing thousands of species that provide socioeconomic benefits. Knowledge about the synergistic effects of coral bleaching and human activities on the ecological processes of coral reefs, coral recruitment, is very important for establishing a science-based management strategy for enhancing the resilience potential of coral reefs [17]. Coral reef management requires supporting ecosystem processes that lower sensitivity, promote recovery, and enhance the adaptive capacity of coral reefs to bleaching by reducing other human impacts [18]. The assessment of the resilience potential of coral reefs was first developed after the coral bleaching event in the year 1998 and it focused on the physical and ecological characteristics of coral reefs that provide some reefs with greater resistance to and/or recovery from coral bleaching [22,23]. Several resilience indicators have been widely developed and proposed for assessing the ecological resilience of coral reefs [24,25,26,27]

Objectives

Methods