Contributed By Aaron Moy
Koh Phangan, a small island in the south of Thailand, is a popular tourist destination among backpackers, known for its raucous full moon, half moon, and no moon parties. These parties are popular amongst tourists but often leave the beaches littered with trash the following morning. What many travelers don’t know is that there is so much more to see with more than half the island designated as a national park. Koh Phangan’s name is derived from the word “ngan“, meaning ‘sandbar’ in southern Thai. The island has a mountainous topography at the center of the island and sand bars dotted with mangrove trees surrounding the coast.
Mangroves are considered one of the most productive types of forest and have a long history in Thailand of contributing to both human livelihood and the surrounding wildlife and ecology. These habitats provide nurseries for many aquatic and terrestrial species, sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide, protect coastal communities from inclement weather, and provide natural resources such as firewood and traditional hunting and fishing grounds.
These economic benefits are in jeopardy, however, because more than half (62%) of the mangroves in Thailand have been lost to development. While urban expansion and road construction were major contributors to this, aquaculture, and in particular shrimp farms, were especially destructive to the mangroves in this region. Shrimp farms are often built over torn down mangrove forests due to their similar coastal habitat. Despite these threats, local communities have mobilized in attempts to revitalize their shrinking mangrove population.
The mangroves on Koh Phangan are also aided in their plight by the surrounding community. There are recurring seed-planting initiatives and regulations around fishing and harvesting times, which are generally organized by the community. There are attempts for additional funding and awareness but one issue is that there is no record of the number of mangroves on the island and population counts are an integral aspect of policy creation and decision-making for conservation. Therefore, a survey was conducted with local community members to raise awareness of the importance of mangroves.
Hin Kong beach (pictured left) is located on the western side of the island and was chosen as the survey site because it has the highest concentration of mangroves according to COREsea, a local non- government organization (NGO) based in Koh Phangan. COREsea focuses on coastal and marine conservation. Their mission is “to understand and protect the marine biodiversity of South East Asia”. They offer internships to university and graduate school students who focus on coral reef health through surveys and clean ups. They also partner with local conservationists and fishermen to better understand the traditional ecological knowledge of the area. Their local knowledge and connections to the community were integral in the success of the mangrove survey.
A drone was chosen for cost and timing advantages to conduct the survey. With the help of Victoria Fahey and Lauren Blau of COREsea, local conservationist Mr. Sittirot Kaeonongsa-Med (colloquially known as “Big”), and Lukas Niebel, a locally-based owner of Koh Phangan Adventure Company, videos and photographs that captured the entirety of the forest were taken. In total, 5 photographs were used and 5,196 mangrove trees were recorded on Hin Kong (one example photograph was shown below).
Another goal of this survey is that it will be used in conjunction with efforts such as planting initiatives to make a case for additional government funding. There have been approximately five mangrove planting initiatives in the last ten years and most initiatives happen on Mother’s or Father’s Day, totalling between 40-60 volunteers who plant around 2000 seeds each time. Unfortunately, only 15-20% of those seedlings survive past the first year, not enough time for them to reproduce.
In addition to working with the government, a secondary goal was to test the theory that aerial photographs combined with machine learning algorithms could automatically count the number of trees from a drone photograph. The model would use artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision graphics to make surveying mangrove forests significantly easier and faster, which would allow for better tracking and monitoring of these incredibly vital ecosystems. Healthy forests also allow for ecotourism activities such as boat rides and snorkelling amongst the mangroves to spot rare species such as dugongs, proboscis monkeys, and even large cats like tigers. Without the mangroves, many of these keystone and endangered species wouldn’t make it into adulthood.
As you plan your next trip, in addition to dreaming about Thai beaches, full moon parties, and massages, don’t forget to take the opportunity to check out these unique and threatened ecosystems. Take a boat through bird songs, and you might be lucky enough to spot one of your favourite animals!
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media