4.3. Implication for coral reef management
Coral reefs in the Western Gulf of Thailand have been used as valuable resources for ecotourism promotion for a few decades. There will always be a limited capacity to reduce the impact from climate-driven warming resulting in mass coral bleaching. Such large-scale disturbances on coral reefs cannot be managed directly ; the emphasis for management is to enhance the processes of coral recovery through the management of watersheds, nutrient loads and herbivores. An ecosystem-based approach to manage coral reefs in the Western Gulf of Thailand is required to locate marine protected area networks in strategically desirable locations, and to
combine the benefits of protected areas with a national marine and coastal resource policy to manage major ecosystem processes across the Gulf of Thailand.