Blame game: Some say the reef damage was caused by human activityThailand is set to close dozens of dive sites to tourists in a bid to protect the deteriorating coral reefs in the Andaman Sea.
The popular holiday destination has decided to ban diving at 22 different sites in seven marine parks after coral reefs suffered severe 'bleaching'.
It is thought the ban will affect Thailand's lucrative tourism industry which saw 16m people visit its shores last year.
Diving is a big money-spinner in Thailand, with most hotels and resorts offering excursions.
But Australia's Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies has warned that the country's coral was experiencing the worst bleaching seen in a decade.
The phenomenon of bleaching occurs when stressed coral expels the colourful algae that live inside, losing its colour and becoming more vulnerable to damage.
The director of the department of National Parks, Sunan Arunnopparat, believes that global warming has caused the bleaching, as surface waters in the Andaman Sea have peaked at 4C higher than long-term averages.
However, marine scientists claim that unregulated tourism - including people walking on coral, mooring of boats over reefs and contaminating the water - is to blame.
The government has said it will close sites indefinitely where there is more than 80 per cent bleaching.
'We will study the cause and effect and find a way to restore them,' assured Mr Arunnopparat. 'This is part of an effort to restore the reefs.'
He added: 'We did not close all of the national parks, just some of the dive sites. Tourists can still go see the forests and the mountains in these parks.'
The ban affects certain areas in the popular national parks of Similan and Phi Phi, as well as sites in Tarutao, Chao Mai, Chumphon, Phetra and most of Surin.
source: dailymail
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