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By Duncan Worthington

Phuket is home to a number of different ecological zones. From the azure waters of the Andaman and the brilliant underwater life within, to the hill-top evergreen tropical forests, Phuket's nature is varied and bountiful. One such area, though rarely credited so, is located where the sea meets the land. This area is known as the inter-tidal zone and is home to mangroves.

While not extensive around Phuket, there are some areas in good condition with a mature stand of trees. A case in point is Thachatchai Nature Walk at the northern tip of the Island (on the one-way loop road before crossing Sarasin bridge). A raised walkway winds its way through the forest with information boards explaining the ecology. It's only a 10-15 minute walk but for the uninitiated, it is interesting, educational and gives a brief insight into the mangrove world.

Mangroves are found in salty, brackish water. They are home to a surprising array of wildlife both land- and water-based. They are an important habitat for song birds which are key pollinators of the forest. Mangroves are also important feeding grounds for two species endemic to the Andaman region: the brown-winged kingfisher and the mangrove pitta.

In the forest you can find crab-eating macaques - commonly spotted on sea kayaking trips in the Krabi area; monitor lizards - the smaller relation of the three metre Indonesian Komodo Dragon; otters and a variety of snakes.

Under the surface, life is even more diverse with mud lobsters, crabs (hermit, mud, fiddler, graspid), mud skippers, oysters and other shells. Fiddler crabs are distinctive with their single over-sized claw, easily spotted at low tide when males are defending their territory. Large cone-shaped mud mounds are also visible at low tide. Beneath these, mud lobsters live in a complex system of tunnels, feeding off plankton filtered from water flowing through the cones.

One of the most unusual creatures here is the mud skipper, or pla teen. Using their pectoral fins as limbs, they skip across the surface of both the mud and pools. They breath oxygen from air and water and are perfectly adapted to this inter-tidal environment.

Mangrove trees are also interesting having adapted to this harsh environment admirably. Leaves of the tree have salt glands through which excess salt is secreted, and the bark flakes away further removing excess salt. Another interesting adaptation is the root structure. The stilt roots are so to cope with the continuously shifting environment in which the trees live. The trees also have pneumatophorers, finger-like extensions growing from the roots below the mud up into the air; some of them permanently above the water's surface others only so when the tide recedes. These roots ensure the trees can breath oxygen and photosynthesise.

The mangrove habitat has been a resource exploited by man for many years. Small-scale sustainable fishing by local people is an activity that does not contribute to resource degradation. However, the use of mangrove wood to make charcoal and prawn farming in near proximity to the mangroves can, and has, caused mass destruction.

Thailand developed mangrove management plans in the mid 1940's. In recent years, a ban on charcoal production from mangrove wood has been introduced. Touring the mangroves in Phang Nga Bay, the uniformity of tree shape and size is striking with the majority of the stock being young. This is the result of clear-felling, depleting not only the ecological value but also the value to humans. Carefully managed select felling would be much more beneficial for both the environment and people living off the environment. A shared environment rather than a "no go zone" would be the preferred option.

Probably today's biggest threat to mangroves is prawn farming. Prawn farming has boomed in recent years, often at the expense of mangroves. Prawn farms are built along the coast, commonly in areas that were once mangrove forests until clear-felled to make way for a "more profitable" enterprise. The heavy use of chemicals results in nutrient-rich wastewater which is then discharged to mangrove channels. The high nutrient content starves the water of oxygen and drastically reduces aquatic and terrestrial life. Everything suffers; the ecological balance is put out of sync and degradation results.

The potential "rewards" from prawn farming means long-term thinking is disregarded for short-term gain, and conflicts between local people who use the mangroves and those that build and operate prawn farms arise. This made international headlines on January 20th, 2001, when Jurin, 51, was shot three times - twice in his shoulder and once in the head.

Jurin was no ordinary man, to many he was an eco-warrior. A few months prior to his death he had been presented an award by Queen Sirikit in recognition of his eight-year battle to protect mangrove forests on Phuket. Jurin and his family lived in Paklok, a small community of about 100 people on Phuket's east coast. They lived off, and in harmony with, the mangrove forest. When prawn farmers in the area began to threaten that, Jurin and the villagers sought ways to stop them, petitioning authorities against mangrove destruction.

Jurin's death, and the death threats received by many other villagers, are signs of the severity of resource use conflicts. Prawn farming is a US$30 million a year business in Phuket, and the fight between businessmen and environmentalists and local communities continues. Sadly, the view of the businessmen is short-sighted. As Jurin's widow put it: "To him, the health of the sea and the health of the land were interlinked. They protect each other."

Mangroves are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, and are thus an important ecological habitat. However, they also have a more practical value. Mangroves are the first defence against coastal erosion. The constant ebb and flow of the tide results in erosion of the coast. The mangroves play an important role in minimising this erosion. In fact, if left to their natural state, mangrove forests can actually increase land area, reclaiming land by trapping valuable sediments between their roots. You never know, if nature is allowed to take its course, Phuket Island may no longer be an island. It may in the future become part of Phang Nga province.