A special task force to tackle coral bleaching has been set up by the Marine Science Association of Thailand to monitor the bleaching problem and suggest mitigating measures. According to the heat tolerance ability of coral in this region, bleaching will start when the seawater temperature rises beyond 30C for more than three weeks. Jirapong’s pictures from Koh Talu showed that many big staghorn coral had started to turn white, which signified the early stage of coral bleaching. He said if the seawater temperature does not cool soon, more corals may be damaged from bleaching and some may eventually die. The association said that although coral bleaching might be considered minor this year, water pollution and excessive tourism activities can aggravate the situation and disrupt the recovery of the coral reefs.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 29, 2018 02:48 UTC