From local reefs to national policy: scaling coral resilience in the southern Gulf of Thailand

September 9, 2026

From local reefs to national policy: scaling coral resilience in the southern Gulf of Thailand

The Challenge and Approach

Coral reefs in the southern Gulf of Thailand support local fisheries and coastal livelihoods, yet they have historically lacked integrated ecological and social data to guide effective management.

To address this challenge, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mathinee Yucharoen and a multidisciplinary team from the Coastal Oceanography and Climate Change Research Center (COCC) at PSU launched a five-year initiative (2021–2026), supported by THB 4.78 million from the PSU-TUYF Charitable Trust Fund. The team conducted baseline surveys across seven reef sites and engaged with five coastal villages in Songkhla, Pattani, and Narathiwat Provinces to link ecological health

Key Discoveries and Milestones

Reef Resilience Mapping: The team developed a Reef Resilience Index that integrates coral health, fish biomass, and human pressures. The mapping revealed medium-to-high resilience in Pattani and Narathiwat, while reefs in Songkhla particularly around Kham Island were identified as priority areas requiring intervention.
Kham Island Living Lab: Researchers conducted controlled experiments to investigate coral stress caused by low oxygen, disease, and microplastics, while also assessing tourism carrying capacity.
First Coral Spawning Records: The project documented the first recorded coral spawning events in Songkhla Province at Maew Island in April 2025 and Kham Island in April 2026.

Community Impact and Policy Reach

Local Stewardship: Local fisher groups transitioned into active co-stewards, independently monitoring and protecting reefs while contributing to the development of sustainable ecotourism.
Proven Value: A Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis demonstrated a return of THB 4.51 for every THB 1 invested, highlighting the project’s significant socio-economic and ecological value.
National Policy: Through partnerships with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) and international programs such as CORDAP, the project’s connectivity and resilience framework is now being scaled up to inform coral reef restoration and marine spatial planning across the Gulf of Thailand.

📰 PSU-TUYF five years summary report (in English) is available at: PSU-TUYF executive summary

Share this blog: