Credit for photos: Reef Ball Foundation (http://www.reefball.org)
Review: Reef Ball Foundation and Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)
The December 26 Tsunami struck, negatively affected a significant portion of the coral reef populations in the coastal belt in Thailand. Accordingly, the tourism activity in Racha Island (Phuket) has been seriously affected especially for the visitors who go snorkeling or diving. The environmental damage as well as the economic loss caused by Tsunami necessitated the immediate introduction of the “reef ball technology” into Racha Island especially this technology has been already in practice in Thailand before the Tsunami. The team of the Racha Island reef ball included the experts of Reef Ball Foundation, over 30 volunteers from around the world together with selected support staff and divers from local resorts.
The reef balls are usually built on the beach before being taken to the selected sites. The design of such reef balls allows them to withstand even heavy storms. The success of reef balls such as this one depends on key factors starting with the design and construction of the balls which are mainly made of concrete which contains silica, with their height of about one meter. The transplantation of fragmented coral pieces on to the reef ball, give it a head start for coral growth.
The choice of the site is another factor for a successful project whereas selected sites are often among the most visited diving sites. Finally, the periodic monitoring by experts is another component in determining the success of a given reef ball project. We will cover some of these issues in specific projects in future posts. More information on reef balls is available on the foundation website: http://www.reefball.org.
