Water quality was measured at five sites within each bay at
three depths (approximately 5, 10 and 15 m, reflecting surface,
mid water and bottom levels respectively). During each of the
three surveys (January, May and December), water quality samples
at each location were collected over two days, covering two bays
per day. A complete set of measurements and sample collections
for all five sites in a bay took approximately 1.5 h. Water samples
were collected simply by filling Nansen bottles at the appropriate
depth and then storing on ice until analysis at the Phuket Marine
Biological Centre.