sirinat marine national park part 1 - study in phuket

Nai Yang Beach Field TripSirinat Marine National Park

PART 1

Steven Andrew Martin, PhDFaculty of International Studies

Department of Thai and ASEAN StudiesPrince of Songkla University, Phuket

808-135 THAI GEOGRAPHY

[email protected]

Education Abroad Asia

EduAbroadAsia.com

Students from Bunkyo University, Japan, visit Nai Yang Beach

May 3, 2014

2014ThaiGeography

808-135

Lecture Outline (80 slides)

• Itinerary• Location• Park Location & Status• Tha Chatchai Mangrove Forest

Nature Trail• Fish & Marine Life• Fishers• Surf Sites & Conservation• Coral Mound & Wave

Refraction• Beach and Coastal Erosion• Marine Debris & Beach Litter• Point-sourced Water Pollution• Hotels & Amenity• Relevant Websites & Research

Photos: Steven Martin

8:30 am – 15:00 pm

• 8:30 Meet at Building 7• 8:40 Depart for Nai Yang Beach• 9:30 Arrive Nai Yang Beach (Sirinat National Park)• 9.30 – 12:30 Beach and coastal study

– Review case study on site (from class lecture)– Beach clean up activity– Beachcombing

• 13:00 – 13:30 Travel to Tesco Lotus Thalang for Lunch• 13:30 – 14:30 Lunch at Tesco Lotus Food Court• 14:30 – 15:00 Travel to PSU• 15:00 Arrive at PSU

Itinerary

SIRINAT MARINE NATIONAL PARK, PHUKET

Sai Kaeo Beach

Mai Kao Beach

Phuket International Airport

Sirinat Park Headquarters

Nai Yang Beach

Nai Thon Beach

1981 Designated as Nai Yang National Park

1992 Renamed Sirinat National Park

View of Northern Phuket

Photo: Steven Martin

SIRINAT MARINE NATIONAL PARKDESIGNATION

• Thai National Park (i.e., Marine National Park)• Unofficial Marine Protected Area• IUCN Category II (National Park)

“Large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-scale ecological processes, along with the complement of species and ecosystems characteristic of the area, which also provide a foundation for environmentally and culturally compatible spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities.”

AREA

90 sq km total boundary

68 sq km (76%) marine

22 sq km (24%) terrestrial

1.27 sq km of mangrove forest

13 km of beach

2 sq km of beach forest

Rocky shore areas

3 tourist beaches: Sai Kaew, Mai Khao and Nai Yang

MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL FLORA AND FUANA

Coral reefs (plate corals, soft corals, sea fans, tree corals (branch or staghorn corals)

Seagrass beds

High diversity of fish and marine organisms

Mangrove forests

Diverse flora and fauna, including bird life

AMENITY

Visitor center, Bungalows and Campground at Nai Yang Park

Nature study trail, visitor center and mangrove forest at Ban Tha Chatchai

Hotels and restaurants

SYSTEM BOUNDARIES

Bird’s Eye View of Nai Yang

Coral Mound

SeagrassBeds

Airport

Ko Pling

National Park Surf

Reef

Indigo Pearl Hotel

Park HQ

Blue Canyon Country Club

Nai Yang BeachPhoto: Steven Martin

Nai Yang Beach


Low tide at the southern end of Nai Yang Beach


“Nai” (Inside) + “Yang” (Rubber Tree)


Casuarinaceae (she-oaks) Common Beach Ironwood


Tha ChatchaiMangrove Forest

Nature Trail

Tha Chatchai Mangrove Forest Nature Trail 1.27 sq km (127 hectares)

Mangrove forest preservation is important as mangrove trees with their extended root

systems are imperative in preventing erosion of the mudflats, they also act as a global sink for

carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.

Tha Chatchai Mangrove Forest Nature Trail

A nature trail with signs indicating and explaining the various species


MANGROVES- Evergreen forest type- Restricted to the area where freshwater and seawater mix (i.e., cannot survive in pure freshwater or pure seawater)- Occurs in sheltered locations such as the mouth of streams and rivers flowing into the sea (especially in estuaries)

TREE SPECIESRed mangrove (rhizophora mucronata), white mangrove (avicennia officinalis), olive mangrove (avicennia marina), black mangrove (bruguiera gymnorrhiza), rhizophora apiculata, ceriops spp., xylocarpus granatum, xylocarpusmoluccensis, lumnitzera racemosa, heritiera littoralis, finlaysonia maritima and derris trifoliata.

The most pristine mangrove forest habitat on Phuket Mangrove-dwelling animals with unique evolutionary characteristics

Important for studying adaptation and evolution


Mangroves Provide HabitatFISHMudskippers, Mullet, Groupers and Garfish

SHELL FISHShrimps, Shellfish and Crabs

REPTILESMonitor lizards, snakes including Mangrove snake, Turtles

BIRD SPECIEScollared kingfisher, roseate tern, sanderling, terek sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit, white-breasted waterhen, slaty-breasted rail, white-bellied sea-eagle, brahminy kite and large-billed crow

PERENNIAL PLANTSMountain ebony (kong kang bai lek), red cycas (prong daeng), black myrsina (samaedam), the Lady's Nails quisqualis (leb muenang)


FISH & MARINE LIFE

Fish of the Nai Yang Reef (Courtesy of Khun Mak Sarawat)

Nai Yang Reef Snorkel Guide (Original work by Khun Mak Sarawat)

Cube boxfish

Leopard shark

Lion fish

Lobster

Clown anemone

fish

Morey eel

Lion fish

Other Marine Life

Leatherback turtles

Hawksbill sea turtle

Ghost crabs

Stingray

Moray eel

Leopard Shark

Black-tip Reef Shark

Lobster

Andaman Coral Reefs

Reef species include plate coral, soft coral and sea fan

Photos are SurinIslands, Phangnga

Seagrass Beds

The shallow reefs and coastal areas south of Ko Pling, Sirinat National Marine Park, are host to a variety of endangered seagrass species Seagrass

Beds


There are roughly 50 species of seagrass worldwide

Thailand hosts approximately 8 species

Southeast Asia is a key area of speciation

Seagrass serves as an environmental monitor

Fishers(northern and southern groups)

Thai Fishers


Fisher Group (Northern)



Northerngroup

Southerngroup

(Northern Group)


FISHERS (Northern Group)


Photos: Steven Martin(Northern Group)

Fishers(Southern Group)


Ko Pling


(Southern Group)

Education Abroad Asia

EduAbroadAsia.com

End of Part 1

sirinat marine national park part 1 - study in phuket

Documents