A marine resources expert has warned of possible massive coral bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures, and its impact on tourism and food supply.
Assist Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat, of the faculty of fisheries at Kasetsart University, posted his warning on Facebook on Tuesday.
He said the sea's temperature at the faculty's monitoring station in Si Racha district of Chon Buri had not fallen below 31.2°C for the last three or four days.
The sea's temperature had exceeded 31.5 degrees at 4am on Monday, and at the time of his posting it was 32 degrees, he wrote. He attributed this to the El Nino weather phenomenon and to global warming.
Mr Thon said sea temperatures were peaking, and based on statistics the peak could exceed 33 degrees this month and next month.
"If the hot temperatures continue for a few more weeks, I think we will start to see coral bleaching in some areas, including the East," he wrote.
He also quoted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States as warning that massive coral bleaching could occur in the region in four to eight weeks. That could affect marine tourism, he said.
There could also be an impact on seafood supply because marine life would move to deeper water to avoid the heat, and fish raised in cages could die, he said.