The Adventure Dive Club
Living with the Ocean
The Coral Reef
Coral reefs around the world are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Coral reefs are estimated to cover 284,300 square kilometers. Globally, one-fifth of all animal protein consumed by humans comes from marine environments - an annual catch valued at $50 billion to $100 billion.
If new measures are not introduced it is estimated that up to 70% of the world's corals will dissapear within 50 years. As a result this will cause a great impact in fish and invertebrate populations, which use the coral reefs as a source of protection and food.
Your decisions can make a difference
As an eco tour dive company we believe that the only way forward for tourism is through sustainable practices.
We believe that airlines, travel agents, hotel groups, tour operators, snorkeling companies, fishing charters and many other tourism related businesses are in a direct position to initiate a change of tactics to help promote a better understanding of the reefs and provide knowledge and education to visitors that will help to protect them.
The following projects have been initiated as a tool to educate the public regarding the issues affecting the world's coral reefs.
At the same time, the choices that you make as a traveller can make a huge difference. What company will you choose to dive with? What kind of travel agent will you book with?
Sustainable tourism is the way of the future. Please tell your friends.
Artificial Reef - Phi Phi Island
100 concrete blocks were provided by the DMCR in July 2006 to create a new artificial reef.
The Adventure Club and volunteers of the Phi Phi Dive Camp have assembled the blocks into 3 large pyramids, in the hope of creating a new interesting dive site.
Already after nearly 1 year, the blocks are already covered in mollusks and bivalves, and have attracted over 50 species of fish as well as many other types of inverts.
Located next to the coral nursery, the artificial reef site appears to be doing its job as it already has attracted many divers wishing to learn a little more about it.
Coral Nursery
In April 2006 the Phuket Marine Biology Center, supported by The Adventure Club installed an underwater floating coral nursery.
The concept of the nursery came from researchers from the National Institute of Oceanography in Israel who participated in a cooperative research project with the PMBC and researchers from 4 other countries, UK, Italy, Singapore and Philippines, under the programme “Developing ubiquitous practices for restoration of Indo-Pacific reefs”, REEFRES, supported by European Commission.
The first nursery in 2006 was home to 1500 fragments which have since been transplanted to the concrete blocks and also natural substrates.
The 2nd nursery was set up in February 2007and in October we will need the help of at least 20 experienced divers to help transplant the corals to the natural reef area known as Table Coral City.