Thousands of square meters of the seabed in the core area of the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area are covered with dead coral. Some locations have shown no signs of coral.
Mun Island – the core of the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area, is a strictly protected area known for its beautiful coral ecosystems with many unique species.
However, currently, about 70-80% of the coral in this area is dead. On the seabed, many areas are completely devoid of coral or are piled with dead coral remains.
The seabed is covered in a grim gray. The dead coral has severely impacted the ecosystem here. Many marine species have migrated elsewhere for shelter.
“It’s very heartbreaking. I have been a diving instructor for 10 years, and seeing the coral dead on the seabed is truly sad. It may take 50-60 years to recover to its former state,” said Le Dinh Tri, a diving instructor.
Dead coral is piled on the seabed in the southern area of Mun Island.
“This area’s coral was ‘bleached’ after the storm in September 2021. The seabed is covered with dead coral, and on the shore, waves have washed up piles of debris,” said Cao Duc Dai, an official from the Nha Trang Bay Management Board.
Continuing to dive in the northern area of Mun Island, we witnessed a seabed almost devoid of coral.
“This area previously had a beautiful coral ecosystem. Hundreds of thousands of tourists were fascinated by diving to see the coral here, but now the seabed has nothing left,” said Tri.
The seabed in the northern area of Mun Island is left with only rocks, with a few sea urchins scattered about, while various fish species have almost completely vanished due to the lack of shelter.
On the shore, tons of dead coral have been washed up by the waves.
<img alt="Coral was washed ashore from the end of 2021 when Typhoon No. 9 swept through," Dai informed.“Coral was washed ashore from the end of 2021 when Typhoon No. 9 swept through,” Dai informed.
In addition to horn corals, many coral blocks have also been washed ashore around Mun Island.
“Tourists still choose to dive to see the coral in the Mun Island area. However, many express sadness when witnessing the extensive dead coral, which is no longer as beautiful as before,” said a diving instructor.
