Last week authorities announced the closure of nine dive sites on the tropical islands of Tioman and Redang until the end of October in an attempt to relieve stress on the fragile marine ecosystems.

The two islands are located off the east coast of Malaysia in the South China Sea.

Marine authorities said they were studying a proposal to shut down three more sites on Redang island after resort operators said they detected coral bleaching and wanted the diving spots closed.

"We have received the proposal, we will study it and verify the matter," a marine park official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The dive sites will only be closed if more than 60 percent of the coral has been damaged, she added.

The closure would give the coral a chance to regenerate and would remove stress caused by tourism-related activities such as diving.

Coral bleaching, which can eventually kill corals, occurs when stresses such as rising sea temperatures disrupt the delicate, symbiotic relationship between the corals and their host organisms.

The marine department has said 60 to 90 percent of the coral in some areas of the closed sites has been damaged.

The reefs in Redang and Tioman island attract some 500,000 tourists annually.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Flood-triggered landslide in China leaves 21 missing Haiti's homeless on the move again as hurricanes loom Wildfire Prevention Pays Big Dividends In Florida Asia security forum to boost regional disaster relief Panasonic unveils 3D consumer camcorder Amazon's Kindle sold out Huge satellite to become 'space junk' Sweden's Larsson first to sell one million Kindle books Malaysia may close more dive sites hit by coral bleaching Declining algae threatens ocean food chain: study UN declares access to clean water a human right S. America mulls tougher marine security Whether Glaciers Float May Affect Sea-Level Rise Cutting Into Arctic Sea Ice In Arctic, scientists see dire effect of ocean acidification Satellite giving scientists 'ice' insights Goa's frog poachers feed taste for 'jumping chicken' Seville to become as hot as Tucson by end of century: study Russian farmers suffer 'catastrophe' in baking summer Australia targets China's new 'wine class' More than 30,000 trapped by floods in China's northeast China floods threaten ancient capital as more rain forecast New China floods feared as Yangtze swells Typhoon Chanthu lashes flood-hit China Mubarak passes on African Union summit Rapid Losses Of Africa's Native Livestock Threaten Continent's Food Supply E.Africa in drive to develop neglected drylands Chad: No arrest for indicted Sudan leader Divers Plumb The Mysteries Of Sacred Maya Pools Scientists use noses to help disabled write, surf, move New Hypothesis For Human Evolution And Human Nature Studies: Human evolution still going on