Thai coral reef clear-up begins

KO PHI PHI - Boatloads of divers have volunteered to clear tsunami debris littering Thailand's coral reefs in the Andaman Sea.

The killer waves threw everything from household objects, sediment and beach furniture into the pristine waters, including those around the paradise island of Phi Phi, made famous by backpacker movie The Beach.

However, marine experts said overall damage was not as bad as initially feared and the natural clean-up process had already begun.

"There was a lot of sand on the reef, but the current has moved a lot of the sediment away, so we can see that much of the coral is still alive," said Niphon Phangsuwan, of the Marine Biological Centre in Phuket.

Surveys suggest some of the reefs along Thailand's west coast, which attracts thousands of tourists each year, escaped unscathed.

Large chunks of coral snapped off by the rushing surge of debris were still alive and would continue to grow, Niphon said.

Off Phi Phi, where divers had to negotiate sunken computer screens and submerged fishing boats, the reefs continue to support their glittering array of marine life.

Biologists said that while the tsunami rose to a height of up to 11m above normal sea levels when it crashed ashore, under the surface of the water there appeared to have been relatively little movement.

The tsunami may just reverse the unchecked development which was rapidly destroying the island's environment.

With most of the buildings lying in ruins, Phi Phi's future as a tourist resort hangs in the balance, and there are even calls to turn it into a nature reserve.

- REUTERS