Assessing population densities of Pocillopora acuta on shallow reef flats in the Western Gulf of Thailand
Keywords:
reef flat, distribution, Pocillopora acuta, Gulf of ThailandAbstract
Shallow reef flats are under extreme conditions with exposed light and high seawater temperature. The scleractinian coral Pocillopora acuta is one of the most abundant corals and widely distributes in the Indo-Pacific. The coral P. acuta is adapted to environmental changes and can survive under physiologically stressed that make them suitable to use in coral restoration projects. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the population densities of P. acuta on shallow reef flats in the Western Gulf of Thailand. The live coral P. acuta cover was determined by using permanent-belt transects, and the size of P. acuta was recorded. This study was conducted in 2018. The results revealed that the highest abundance of P. acuta was found at Ko Sam Sao (West) (12.38±1.53%) and Hat Mae Hadd (12.32±1.53%), which was significantly different from other study sites. In addition, Ko Phangan also showed high abundance of P. acuta. Most colonies of P. acuta were in a size class 15-30 cm, which are suitable to be breeders or fragmentation for the coral restoration project. This study provides important data of P. acuta distribution and abundance that can be applied to coral restoration and conservation in Thailand
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