Sea surface temperatures in Thailand have reached record highs this month, causing disease and death of aquatic life.
Aquatic life, from coral reefs to fish on Thailand’s east coast, is suffering as sea surface temperatures hit record highs this month amid a regional heatwave, worrying scientists and local people, Reuters reports.
Scientists said the once bright and colourful corals, located about five metres underwater, have turned white due to a phenomenon known as coral bleaching. This indicates that their health is deteriorating due to rising water temperatures.
The data showed that sea surface temperatures in the eastern Gulf of Thailand reached 32.73°C earlier this month, while underwater temperatures were slightly warmer, with dive computers showing around 33°C.
‘I could not find a healthy coral,’ marine biologist Lalita Putchim of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources said after completing a dive on the Gulf Coast.
‘Almost all species are bleached, few left unaffected.’
The Trat archipelago consists of more than 66 islands and a 28.4 square kilometre (2,841 hectares) coral reef. Lalita found that up to 30 per cent of corals are bleached, and 5 per cent have already died. If water temperatures don’t drop, more corals will die, Lalita says.
‘This is global boiling, not just global warming,’ she stated.
Rising temperatures are also affecting other marine life and the livelihoods of local fishermen, including Sommai Singhsur.
His daily seafood catch has been dwindling in recent years. While he used to earn up to 10,000 baht ($275) a day, the fisherman sometimes returns empty-handed.
‘There used to be jackfish, short mackerel and many others … But now the situation is not good. The weather is not what it used to be,’ Sommay lamented.
Scientists say coral reefs are a source of food and habitat for marine life and natural barriers that prevent coastal erosion.
Sarawut Siriwong, dean of the Faculty of Marine Technology at Burapha University, said if coral bleaching leads to a decline in marine life, fishermen will have to spend more money to harvest their catch, which could lead to higher product prices.
‘While coral bleaching will affect food security, at the same time, the stability of community income is also threatened,’ Sarawut said.
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