A decline in
water quality has been shown to result in degradation of coral reefs
at many sites along the Thai coast (ONEP, 2008) through light
reduction and increased nutrient levels.
Around well-defined point
sources, such as sewage outfalls, increased sediments and nutrients
are known to cause local reduction in coral recruitment, increase
mortality, and a shift in the balance of hard corals to nonreef
building organisms (Smith et al., 1981; Hunter and Evans,