Eco guru and IDCS Nathan Cook returned from vacation and was straight into the thick of things back on Koh Tao. With the launch of Buoyancy World imminent the stage needed to be set for the artificial reefs deployment on the following day.

Eco Koh Tao’s Nathan Cook joined the crew from Save Koh Tao at our local dive site, Twins, to establish a perimeter and new mooring anchors for the large night ferry that will be used to deploy the structures.

It also marked the official start of deployment with the FIRST STRUCTURE being lowered onto the sandy spaces north of Twins. The structure was small but significant being constructed by one of Buoyancy World’s youngest participant, Kailash Cook, 7, way back in September last year.

During the afternoon we took time out to visit Koh Tao’s Biorock and help out with some ground breaking research by Dr. Wayne Phillips of Mohidol University using underwater light meters to measure the chlorophyll content of the symbiotic algae that live inside the coral tissue.

The symbiotic algae is essential for hard corals to be healthy. The research is trying to monitor and track the effects of the Biorock technology on the corals as compared to those without the assistance.

We joined Dr Phillips to help collect and transplant fragments to be monitored and tracked for changes.