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Artificial Reef Team is a group of four senior students majoring Environmental Science at Pannasastra University of Cambodia. We created this project for our BA thesis. The objective of our project is to create, deploy and monitor an artificial reef for improving ecosystems and enhancing marine resources. It is our first project into the marine field. We work together and get support on technical training from Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) for 5 months period.

During the first two months, we were training on diving, learning fish, invertebrates and substrate identifications. After that, we studied and chose the site for one week. The aim of the site selection was to find the place where we can get independent data, which will not affect from the natural reef.

We conducted the baseline for three days in one week (3 replicates). At the same time, we built the concrete blocks. We managed to build 10 blocks per day, in total 44 concrete blocks.

By December 2016, we deployed the blocks and lions successfully. The whole area of our study site is consisted of 2 lion statues, 2 hexagons and 1 square. The reason we chose lion as it represents Khmer culture. Beside those lions, the hexagon and square will give shelter for marine life.

The monitoring survey took around 5 weeks. The three fish species that we picked from the graph found nothing while we conducted baseline survey, but found their number increased after deployed the structures. Those are Java Rabbitfish, Black-spot Snapper and Monogram Monocle Bream.

We chose three species of fish, which were not found when we conducted baseline survey, but their appearance appeared and increased as the structures are deployed. Those are Java Rabbitfish, Black-spot Snapper and Monogram Monocle Bream.

The best day of my life… so far 

Well it all started by saying good bye. It was a Friday morning just like any other. I woke up ready to experience another beautiful day, on the island of Koh-Seh. Every day is a Beautiful day, with wonder, excitement, loving energies and the chance to learn something new.

For the past 4 days, we here at Koh-Seh, got to share our experiences with some very bright young minds, even though they came to learn from us, I felt as if I had learnt just as much from them. These were just some of the incredible kids that came from a school of 120 children. Now this school isn’t just any ordinary school. The kids from this School are so brilliant, they leave you feeling extremely inspired and motivated that you can’t fathom how much of an influence, such young adults can create on people who are already very excited and motivated.

10 students from the Liger school of Cambodia stayed with us and learnt about marine conservation. On their third day they even set up their own projects to be carried out for future studies. Some of the children studied the use of algae’s as a form of income for fishers, an attempt to teach them the benefits of sustainable living. The goal is for them to transform their illegal fishing equipment in to an algae cultivation station. They would grow the algae, harvest it and eventually sell it, The algae is edible and can be used in sushi and other dishes as an alternative for fisherman instead of resorting to illegal and destructive fishing methods.

They researched all the algae’s that are available in the Cambodian ocean and chose two. The sea grape algae and the red sea lettuce, mmmm yummy.  One other project two children looked into was creating an artificial reef. Where once there was beautiful lush green meadows of seagrass and clusters of oyster beds. Now there is mud, sand, and silt. So they created concrete blocks to be placed in the ocean, stacked in a design of their choice to monitor the effects it has on the fish: providing homes and sanctuary. The Invertebrates: providing safety and security and for the bivalves a place to attach on so they can filter the water column once again. The substrates now have a sub biotic substrate growth platform, for coral, sponges, zoanthids and hydroids. Very interesting, anyway this was the morning of their departure a sad day. We said our goodbyes and wished them well on their travels and that we looked forward to seeing them again in the future.

After they left on our boat to go to the mainland, Paul Ferber (founder of MCC Marine Conservation Cambodia) received a message on his phone from the Kampot fisheries. The messaged contained several photos of a pair of green sea turtles a male and a female. It turns out the night before, we heard a pair trawler from our island. A very loud and destructive horrible sound that shakes the ground and hurts the heart when you know what’s really going on under the water. Paul altered the fisheries of the location that sound of death was being transmitted from. Which resulted in the catch and apprehension of an illegal fishing vessel and an incredible rescue two endangered yet majestic creatures of the Cambodian ocean.

Most people probably don’t even know these marvelous animals still exist in these waters. After Paul showed me the photos I felt like crying, these things looked bloody enormous in comparison to the men who saved them in the pictures. I stopped and thought about how many other beautiful animals are literally stolen from their home as a result of illegal fishing methods. Just imagine how long these lovable reptiles have been surviving, striving and just getting by. But, last night they got caught in a net and tomorrow maybe served in a soup very, very sad it broke my heart. After all the sadness became too overwhelming Paul received a phone call from Kampot fisheries who said that a government official was coming down from Phnom Penh to witness the safe return of the traumatized reptiles, Paul got off the phone very excited and said ok quick quick I need to get to Kampot now. I was so excited he was going to witness their release I said get plenty of photos no just take a video oh do both. We organized a long tail boat for a lift to our big boat because our other boat had already left for the Friday day trip of supply collection. The fishers who owned the boat were just finishing lunch and then they would come straight away after. I thought for laugh I’ll ask if I can accompany him on this voyage to the mainland and witness the release of an animal I had actually never seen before except on the television. He thought about it and then Holly Paul’s youngest daughter also asked if she could come along and his son B and his second youngest daughter Fern. Coincidentally it was Holly’s birthday (best birthday present ever right). Eventually he agreed and we all got dressed in very nice clothes since it was going to be on TV and there was going to be a lot of very important attending this release.

Asian beliefs say aiding a Sea turtle in returning back to its home promotes longevity. The boat ride went so very quickly we were all overwhelmed with euphoria before we knew it we were on the mainland. We met our boat captain SamNang and asked if he would like to come with us to experience a once in a life time opportunity, he was concerned about the boat and asked his friend to watch it for him. Then we all piled in to Paul’s car and headed to Kampot when we arrived in Kampot we met up with Amick from MCC who was in Kampot for the weekend and when he got news of the day that was planned he quickly purchased some new threads and had a clean shave to look more presentable.

Looking fresh to death we all headed to the Kampot fisheries headquarters, to see the recuperating green sea turtles! We arrived and were greeted by two officers who showed us the pair which were in a small amount of water to keep them moist but, not too much so they could still lift their heads up to breathe. Also there was a shower bowl to pour over their shells to prevent them drying out. I was gob smacked and speechless so were the kids, I know in the Photo they looked big but wow! We found out it was a female and a male the female weighed 100kg and the male weighed 120 kilos.

Paul believed that the turtles were quite old to be so large the female was around 40 years old and the male 50 years old, the fisheries officers said the expert had said the exact same thing. The female was strong and still had a lot of fight in her but, the male was weary after dealing with the night from hell he looked like he wasn’t going to make it. I felt sympathetic to these big beautiful reptiles of the ocean, so I sent the turtles some loving energies to try and let them know everything was going to be ok, the female looked slightly reassured but, male didn’t look convinced. After we saw the turtles were in good hands we agreed to meet back here in 2 hours so we went and met up with all the people who were involved in the rescue of turtles before we knew it we were back and at the fisheries headquarters because it was time to transport these humungous eccentric beings.

We decided to use Paul’s car because it had a large area in the back that we could lay a tarp down and make a pool for the turtles, to remain moist before returning to sea. We laid down the tarp and then proceeded in very carefully picking up these mammoth sized beasts upon moving the male we discovered that he actually did have a lot residual strength left and we all felt like a weight had been lifted literally. After successfully moving them into the back of the car we brought a bucket of water to pour over their shells and everyone got in the car except Nang and I we rode in the back to car for the turtles. We were to travel 6km out of Kampot to a small fishing village which had easily accessible water and no large boats passing around. On the way there we used our phones to live stream the transportation of two endangered animals that had become captured in an illegal fishing net. It was a very quick drive we arrived before I knew we continued to the very end of the road till the water was less than 10 meters away we stopped the car. Some locals came over and had a look then all of a sudden there was people everywhere wanting to sea these spectacular creatures.

Several cars pulled up some camera crews came out and a very important government official approached the car he was very happy to see the magnificent animals very much alive in the back of the car. We let the tail gate down and waited for someone to do something but, everyone was so concerned about getting a photo or a video that Paul, Amick and Nang with the assistance of a marine police officer picked up the female and started transporting her to the water immediately she got one wiff of that ocean and started flapping her fins so they hurried her down to the water placed her in it and she swam away so quickly so happy to be home again. Next was the big old male they lifted him up as they approached the water the fisheries officers asked them to place him down next to the water on a tarp and they proceeded to tag him take some photos as they placed him down he locked their hands on to his body with his powerful muscles in his fins so it was clear he was still very strong would and survive knowing this we all grinned from ear to ear and watched as this stunningly beautiful majestic bloody enormous reptile of the ocean returned home with a few flaps of his fins he was gone thus concludes the best day of my life… so far. Now whenever I feel sad or angry I think of this day and am immediately brought back to state of euphoria peace and harmony!      

{oziogallery 582}                              

I would simpy say because I love sea turtle, I love swimming, me and my family love beach and my dream is to float with sea turtle at ease and peacefully. If I were asked to write an essay about why I have to protect my ocean, I would search on Google and stuffs to make my essay look perfect. But as for now, because I love the ocean so much, I chose to work on marine field for my thesis. I am currently volunteering at Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC). Thanks to MCC I got the chance to meet beautiful living things under the sea by taking scuba diving course and I think that is how I found my true inner answer about why I want to protect my ocean. Because the ocean is so much more beautiful than its name, the creatures underneath the sea is beyond imagination, it’s marvelous, gorgeous, and delightful that it would make you go speechless once you see them (go diving). When you go diving at daytime, you would see so many colorful lives and creatures but night diving, it’s totally different. It’s stressful of course because it’s dark and you can barely see things but the sparkling images underwater will make you go blank that you don’t want to stop diving. There was a time when I went night diving with my instructor, I was so nervous, and scared that I didn’t want to dive but something weird happened when I started diving, I strangely asked myself “How can it be this amazing? Can I just live here, underwater, with these beautiful little tiny living things?” I was so amazed by the view of my body, it was blinking like a twinkle star (like I have a magic body) which caused by bioluminescent plankton (I guess LOL). It felt like I was on another planet where there is only me and nature, so connected because I can see how beautiful and the importance of the ocean to the world. Unfortunately, Cambodian ocean has been destroyed rapidly by IUU fishing which turned the colorful creatures underneath the sea to blank, empty and dead. I think if I don’t protect it now, soon I will never be able to see the ordinary ocean again. Someone once said to me “If the forest is being cut, you know it’s cut. But if the ocean is being destroyed you don’t know” his words woke me up, changed my whole view of living and that is one of the main reasons keeping me going strong and doing what I am doing right now for my ocean.

“I love the positive vibe the ocean gives me, motivation, inspiration and I gain my inner strength of protecting the ocean whenever I go diving.”

Hello, my name is Chhorvida Khem. I’m a senior student from Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia and I came here with my team to do the Artificial Reef project for our thesis with technical support from Marine Conservation Cambodia. We believe that our project will help to provide more marine habitat and increase fish population in the region. You might see nothing on the surface, but there are so many beautiful creatures living underneath the sea and those precious marine lives surely need to be protected. I hope that what I’m doing will encourage Cambodian students to do more research and protect Cambodian ocean for future generation.

When talking about environment, the first impression of Cambodian people that I met they asked if I work for waste management? And then they make fun of students whom studying environment are all picking up trash on the street to make the city clean. At first, I feel angry, but then I started to understand these are their perceptions.

When I go to supermarket or market even small shops they use so many plastic bags. *For example: when you buy a gum, they’ll pack it in plastic bag for you.* What’s the point of this? You can keep the gum in your pocket. And they just keep giving away more and more. Some supermarkets force us to use their plastic bag which make me want to flip table sometimes.

I’m a girl from the city, I live with pollution everyday, I breathe in dirty air, I drive in crazy traffic and people rushing every single day because of money. When I see people eating wild meat, destroy the forest, destroy marine life, I feel shame to be human. Most Cambodian young people tend to develop themselves into materialistic and consuming too much. **They buy it and they throw it, and they buy it and throw it again. They don’t know how to keep that stuff for long-term use which is same thing to nature. They destroy one place and then they go find a new place. ** The luxury, the modernity make people go crazy and forget who they are and where they are living on now. They have no idea how much they pollute the environment each year. People will say “oh I love ocean!” “I want to see clean and beautiful beach to relax” but they still throw trash everywhere. Most people say “I love forest”; “Forest is so beautiful”, but they eat wild meat.

Changing someone perception is the hardest thing to do in the world, but we can go slowly and start from now. What I mean of starting from now is to start from me. I learn different things, I learn how to live with nature just because I care and I want to see how beautiful nature in Cambodia. Foreigners come here to protect Cambodian’s nature, why not us? Why not Cambodian people? I’m trying to change people perceptions by start doing something that matter even it’s just a small thing, but I believe that in the end it’s not just benefit for me, but for the whole country and for future generation.

I have strongly believe that when Cambodian young people start to understand and fall in love with nature, they will see a huge different in their life and live in harmony. We should take care of the place where we’re living in, it’s like taking care of our house. The only people that make change is young people. They have to start now like what I’m doing right now.