Efforts are underway to refloat a Myanmar-flagged cargo ship that ran aground on a coral reef in Mu Koh Surin National Park, Phang Nga earlier this month, resulting in notable ecological harm.
Kriangkrai Pohcharoen, the national park’s head, reported yesterday, June 17, that teams have been actively working since June 1, when the MV Ayar Linn became stranded on the coral reef in Ao Chak Bay. Initial surveys indicated considerable damage to the coral structures beneath the vessel.
The recovery operation, initiated on June 14, involves three main groups, including staff from the park, Marine National Park Operation Centre 2 in Phuket, Mu Koh Similan National Park, academics from Phuket Rajabhat University, and members of the Moken community.
The first group is dedicated to raising the ship by using 200-litre barrels filled with water, attached to the submerged stern. Air is pumped into these barrels to create buoyancy. Additional barrels and lift bags are being utilised to expedite the vessel’s release.
While salvage operations are ongoing, an environmental team is evaluating coral damage through photo quadrat surveys along a 42-metre section marked by coral scraping. Staghorn coral (Acropora spp) has been identified as the most affected, followed by Porites rus, blue coral (Heliopora sp), and boulder coral (Porites lutea).
To aid reef rehabilitation, divers have collected over 300 fragments of broken coral, reattaching them using cable ties and nails on dead coral substrate. Some of these small fragments are already exhibiting signs of natural regrowth and tissue repair.
In parallel, a third group is focusing on cleaning marine waste around the wreck area, gathering debris like cardboard, fabric, rubber tyres, and various litter types.
Officials are working swiftly to mitigate long-term damage to the marine ecosystem and aim to restore the reef promptly, reported Bangkok Post.
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