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1. Letters from the President

“Research and education are keys to conservation, providing knowledge to locals and promoting seagrass research are necessary to understand the best ways to conserve seagrasses." —Seagrass Scientist Anchana Prathep

From my earliest memories of my childhood in Thailand, I have been in love with the sea.  I fell in love without even knowing its importance or the ecosystem services it provides. I have since learned more about its importance in my undergraduate years when I decided to pursue Biology.  Years ago, little was known about seagrass in Thailand; marine biologists were more often interested in corals, mangroves or the colorful coral fishes and the beautiful beaches. Even in my postgraduate years, I didn’t have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of seagrass habitats as my work focused more on seaweed/rocky shore communities of the temperate shores of the Isle of Man, UK.

For the past 10 years working at Prince of Songkla University, Southern Thailand, I have had much more of an opportunity to really explore the coastline of Thailand which has greatly inspired me to work with the interesting and complex seagrass ecosystems. They are a good model system to work on as a marine ecologist, no less so than those on the rocky shore.

Collecting shells during low tide in a seagrass habitat. Photo credit: Seaweed and Seagrass Research Unit

Later in my career, I learned how important seagrasses truly are to local livelihoods and fisheries. I observed firsthand the close ties between people, the sea and the local way of life. A typical day began as long-tail boats head out early in the morning to set up traps near the seagrass bed, fishing gear pulls around the bed, and bringing home their catch later that morning. Families gather, sitting together to remove various fish from the net, talking and joking about their lives. Women are out on the bed with a few energetic children to collect shells, sea cucumbers or any marine life that could be used as food, set against the backdrop of a big red bright sunset during the late evening spring tide.

The green beds that are seagrasses support mangrove ecosystems, are known to recycle nutrients and trap sediment, and indirectly protect coral reef ecosystems. Seagrasses provide a rather unique ecosystem, in fact, Thailand and South East Asia are recognized as seagrass biodiversity hotspots! I began to learn more about seagrass by becoming a member of “SeagrassNet”, a monitoring program in which we set up monitoring sites of seagrasses using standard protocols and we share our experiences and results with seagrass biologists worldwide. Through our monitoring efforts, we began to learn more about seagrass biology and ecophisology, working to educate local students and schools located near seagrass beds. We also work closely with national park staff to promote the importance of seagrass and raise awareness of seagrass in Thailand. On a national level, Thailand recently hosted the “World Seagrass Conference and 9^th International Seagrass Biology Workshop” in November 2010, showcasing the importance of seagrass to both the general public and scientific community in Thailand.

Photo Credit: Seaweed and Seagrass Research Unit

Current threats to seagrass in Thailand and the broader region stem from deforestation, smothering seagrass beds with run off and sedimentation in addition to coastal development and land reclamation for agriculture or aquaculture that could change water circulation and beach topography, burying the seagrass bed. Furthermore, our poor understanding of seagrass biology and ecology could be viewed as a threat in the context of seagrass restoration projects. For example, over the past few years, there have been many seagrass restoration projects in Thailand using transplantation techniques that move organisms from donor to recipient sties.  However, without a good understanding of the basic biology (e.g. species and sites selection), we may ultimately destroy the seagrass in the process. Such projects are becoming more and more common, yet the survival rates remain relatively low, underscoring the need for more research.  

Fortunately, we have a large population of dugongs in the Southern Andaman, Tran province, home to the largest seagrass bed in Thailand. The public could frame their understanding of the importance of seagrass as a food source and home of these charismatic marine mammals. It is unfortunate that in a country like Thailand, with such a rich diversity and large coverage of sea grass, only a few people understand the importance of seagrass and their role in coastal ecosystem and livelihood. Research and education are keys to conservation, providing knowledge to locals and promoting seagrass research are necessary to understand the best ways to conserve seagrasses. We are now only at the very beginning of understanding these habitats; a work in progress. But once there is a beginning, there can be a second…and eventually we will know more and understand more about seagrass in Thailand and the region at large to improve conservation and protect the present and future of local livelihoods.