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Proposal for a Feasibility Study of Algal Farming as an Alternative Livelihood for Cambodian Fishermen Marine Conservation Exploration Liger Learning Center January 2016

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Proposal for a Feasibility Study of Algal Farming as an Alternative Livelihood for Cambodian Fishermen

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Proposal for a Feasibility Study of Algal Farming as an

Alternative Livelihood for Cambodian Fishermen

Marine Conservation Exploration Liger Learning Center January 2016

Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

Acknowledgements We would like to say thank you to Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) and

their volunteers for supporting us while we were studying with them on Koh Seh. They

introduced us to Cambodian marine ecosystems, explained many environmental issues,

shared their research resources, taught us new water skills (snorkeling and

assisted­scuba diving), provided us a fantastic place to stay, and prepared delicious

food. If we didn’t have help from them, we wouldn’t have been able to write this

proposal.

We would also like to thank Dominic Sharpe, Liger Learning Center (LLC)

Country Director and Jeff Holte, LLC Learning Coordinator for letting us adventure to

Koh Seh, for a week of field research. Special thanks to two other LLC staff who

supported us on Koh Seh, Phearun Khom and Richard Raymond Harry Herbeck.

Contributors to this Proposal

Sreyleap Chhun, Rithy Hong, Souyeth Kret, Menghouth Lim, Nilroth Ly,

Sovannou Pich, Sovannary Rith, Sreynith Sam, Sophat Seng, Visal Soa Sou,

Kimseng Soun, Soliday Yon, and Learning Facilitator Karen Krieger

Research Teams Members Responsibilities

Sreynith, Sophat and Nilroth PASCO testing materials and learn how to use them (depth sensor, water quality sensor, weather sensor, water flow sensor)

Menghuoth, Sreyleap and Kimseng Technology ­ GoPro, Camera, Video, Recorder

Visal, Sovannou and Souyeth Journaling and games to play on the island

Sovannary, Soliday and Rithy Recycled Art materials and activities

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements………..…………………………………………………………….. Menghouth Lim Contributors to the Proposal……………………………………………………………Research Teams……………………………………………………………………….......Menghouth Lim Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………….Soliday Yon

1 1 1 2

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………. Marine Conservation Exploration Team

2. Problem…………………………………………………………………………….Visal Sao Suor

3. Proposed Solution……………………………………………………………..... Sovannou Pich

4. Who It Benefits……………………………………………………………………Sovannary Rith

5. Year Plan ­ Algal Farming Feasibility Study………………………………...Soliday Yon

6. Field Research ­ Week on Koh Seh with MCC……………………………….6.1. Schedule……………………………………………………………………. Souyeth Kret 6.2. MCC Content……………………………………………………………… Souyeth Kret 6.3. Citizen Science …………………………………………………………….

Soliday Yon & Sovannary Rith 6.4. Natural History……………………………………………………………..

Sreynith Sam 7. Budget……………………………………………………………………………...

Sreyleap Chhun 8. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...

Marine Conservation Exploration Team 9. Work Cited…………………………………………………………………………

Sovannary Rith 10.Appendix………………………………………………………………………......

10.1 Possible Smaller Projects Inspired by MCC………………………………. Sophat Seng 10.2 Video Summary……………………………………………………………... Kimseng Soun, Rithy Hong & Nilroth Ly 10.3 Packing List for Koh Seh……………………………………………………. Sreyleap Chhun & Menghouth Lim 10.4 Reflections……………………………………………………………………

3 3 4 5 7 12 12 13 15 17 18 19 19 21 21 22 22 25

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

1. Introduction A group of 12 students from the Liger Learning Center, in Phnom Penh, learned

about marine conservation in Cambodia, during a seven week long project. The group

researched to learn more about marine life and understand the problems of marine

ecosystems in Cambodia. The biggest goal of this Exploration is to protect marine

ecosystems in Cambodia.

To accomplish this goal the students worked really hard to finish this Proposal for

a Feasibility Study of Algal Farming as an Alternative Livelihood for Cambodian

Fishermen. This document explains a major problem for Cambodian marine

ecosystems, a possible solution, the proposal for a feasibility study that would include

all Liger senior students 2016 ­ 2017, and information about what was learned in this

pilot Exploration.

2. Problem Oceans are really important for humans because they provide “food,

transportation, recreation, tourism, and maintain the water cycle” (Ocean Health Index).

The world population is increasing, so the demand for food is increasing. Currently,

oceans have been destroyed little­by­little, because of “overfishing, coastal pollution,

habitat destruction, warming, and acidification” (Huffpost Green, The Five Biggest

Threats to Our Oceans). Coral and seagrass are important for all fish and invertebrates

because those animals can use the coral and seagrass as a shelter or for their food.

In Cambodia, there are four provinces that have ocean coast (Sihanoukville,

Kampot, Koh Kong and Kep). According to the Ocean Health Index, the overall rank of

ocean health of Cambodia is 179 out of 221. For the bordering countries Vietnam is 170

out of 221, and Thailand is 47 out of 221. According to the Country Environment Profile

by the European Union Delegation to Cambodia, healthy seagrass and healthy coral are

decreasing. This seagrass and coral are decreasing because of the destruction from

humans, like fishermen. Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) divers saw this

destruction and reported, “High trawling activity was evidenced by broken coral,

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

uprooted seagrass and sourced floors” (Kep Triangle Report, 2015). There are numbers

of really unselective and unsustainable fishing practice in Cambodia.

Trawling is a highly destructive fishing technique impacts large areas of the

seabed. This tool takes every living thing because it has a big net that touches the

seabed. When the boat starts going, it collects everything that is touching the seabed. It

disturbs the substrate and can cause silt to cover the coral and seagrass. The silt can

block the sunlight and the coral and seagrass can not do photosynthesis.

Electrofishing is another illegal fishing technology and it is a more efficient way to

kill the marine organisms. It shocks everything even baby fish and that can reduce

populations of all species of fish in the Cambodian oceans.

If illegal fishermen have alternative livelihoods there will be less damage to the

Cambodian oceans. According to the Kep Triangle Report, by MCC, surveys said that

the biodiversity had increased since January, 2015 and some of the marine life had

returned, such as, dolphins and dugongs, in the triangle islands. In the triangle (Koh

Seh, Koh Mak Prang, Koh Angkrong), in Kep province, the healthy seagrass are

increasing and the healthy corals are also improving in that area. Alternative livelihoods

are needed for Cambodian fishermen.

3. Proposed Solution Algal farming could be one solution for an alternative livelihood for illegal

fishermen in Cambodia. Algal farming is the cultivation of algae that can grow in

brackish, salt or polluted water. The products that are made from algae are the natural

solutions to energy, food, economy and climate challenges that are facing the whole

world today. In fact, many algae, both micro and macroalgae (seaweeds), are already

used in food products. Algae reproduces rapidly and needs only sunlight, water, and

carbon dioxide to grow.

Algae are known to be one of the longest term sustainable sources of biomass

and oil, food and other products. According to the Proceedings of the International

Symposium on Agriculture and Environment 2012, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Russia,

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

Philippines, Korea, Japan, Italy, Chile and Taiwan are the top ten exporters of marine

products, which includes fish and algae farming. Presently, the algae industry is using

science and technology to increase the algae products into markets growth. So this is

an exciting opportunity for Cambodia.

Vietnam, a bordering country, is one of the top ten algae products exporters in

Asia. Since 1984 to present the world production of marine algae has grown 119%.

Large­scale algae farming are in the Asian countries, because there is a high demand

for marine product. According to the Economics of Adaptation To Climate Change, in

2008 the aquaculture production in Vietnam was valued at 33 million VND which was a

6.6% increase of the national GDP. As reported by Fisheries and Aquaculture

Department of Vietnam, during the last two decades, there was a rapid growth in the

aquaculture sector.

Algal farming could be an alternative solution for illegal fishermen because in

Asia algal products are in demand. Vietnam has a similar marine ecosystem to

Cambodia and they have good algal farming strategies. They are also a really big algal

products exporter so Cambodia can communicate with them to learn more about algal

farming. If Vietnam, a bordering country, is successful, Cambodia can do that too.

4. Who It Benefits Researching algal farming, as an alternative livelihood, could benefit Cambodia,

Cambodian fisherman, Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) and Liger Learning

Center (LLC). The benefits to Cambodia are economic growth and healthier oceans with

biodiversity. This is one of the big chances to change Cambodia with saving our

environment and all of the biodiversity in marine ecosystems of Cambodia. Algal

farming doesn’t compete with valuable agricultural land. Also, Cambodia can export

algaes and some of the products that are made from algaes such as food, biofuel,

medicine, beauty products, fertilizer and could increase the economy.

Also algal farming, as well as, a healthier ocean, could be an attraction for

tourism in Cambodia. Every year there are more than one million tourists who visit

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, but if Cambodia had algae farms this could become a tourist

attraction, also improving the economy. Tourists would not only come for algal farming,

but they also want to see and know how Cambodia’s ocean and biodiversity have

improved after a few years from algal farming. When this process is successful,

Cambodia and fishermen will gain a lot of money from it. Cambodia will no longer to be

the buyer of algae products, but Cambodia could be the number one country for

exporting algae in Asia.

Fishermen only get 25 percent of what they used to catch after trawling was

introduced in 2000 (Cambodia Daily). This means the population of the marine

organisms has decreased. Many small­scale fishermen are having to give up fishing

and take up jobs in construction or security. They are having to move away from the

area because there is nothing left to catch (Cambodia Daily). So, if Cambodian

fishermen can take a step back and look at algal farming they will see how important

they are as a role in helping to save the aquatic animals in Cambodia. If Cambodia can

export many algaes to the other countries so the demand of growing algae will increase

and that is the strategy for fishermen to get more money to support their families.

Algal farming could benefit MCC in many ways. While fishermen are working on

their farming they also can help MCC to protect some of the areas in Kep province from

some of the illegal fishermen. With no illegal trawling in the area, MCC will get more

chances to protect the marine ecosystem and more organism will return to Cambodia.

As the ecosystem improves, more and more people will want to join MCC projects and

this will benefit MCC.

The benefits to the Liger Learning Center (LLC) students are to improve their

marine ecosystem knowledge, entrepreneurship skills, understanding of Cambodian

marine ecosystems and research skill. LLC students will learn more about the life under

the ocean and some of them could become experts of these animals or plants in the

ocean. All of the students will apply their Entrepreneurship curriculum during this project

because they are going to learn more about market study, financial/budget/references,

packaging and some other ideas that are related to algae.

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

Other than these entrepreneurship skills, LLC students will get to learn more

about the technique of snorkeling and diving and how to live on an island. They also get

to practice their networking, communication, creative skills, problem solving and others

Liger change agent characteristics. Liger students will share their research about algal

farming to MCC and maybe the neighborhood in Kep province. Based on this year long

project teachers will see lot of improvement and lots of change made by Liger students.

5. Year Plan ­ Algal Farming Feasibility Study This is a proposed Year Plan for the Algal Farming Feasibility Study. There

are four groups and each group has focus topics to research and study. Groups

1. Learn different types of algae/seaweed 2 / 3. Entrepreneurship

a. Market b. Product c. Financial

4 . Algae Farming d. Learn how to farm seaweed

Students will be gaining new knowledge and skills from this project:

Business Skills Researching Skills Marine Ecosystem Knowledge Swimming and Snorkeling Skills

Year Plan (First Group)

The first group will focus on types of algae/seaweed, a seaweed herbarium, and deeper research on species that can be used commercially. They will be researching and learning a lot of new technical vocabulary.

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

Understanding Different Types of Algae/Seaweed The students will get information about the specific algae/seaweed species from

the FAO Species Identification for Fishery Purposes. This document provides information on:

Diagnostic characters Size Habitat Biology Fisheries Substrates Distribution

There are also pictures showing how different species of algae/seaweed look and their characteristics. The sections of the document about seaweed are w7191e03 through w7191e08. At the beginning of the seaweed section, the document will explain about Introduction to Seaweeds, Technical Terms.The technical terms are so important because to understand seaweed, students need to at least understand or remember some of those terms. The rest of the document explains individual seaweed species. Here is an example: Sargassum crassifolium J. Agardh, 1848 FAO names: En ­ Common Pacific sargassum

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

Diagnostic characters: Thalli large, yellowish brown, attached to rocky by a conical, discoid holdfast, enlarged at the base, terete at the distal portion. Primary branches slightly compressed; smooth secondary branches irregularly alternate on the primary branch. Leaves of primary and secondary branches vertically attached, elliptical, about twice as long as broad; those of tertiary branches broadly elliptical, slightly longer than broad, tips rounded to obtuse. Midrib of leaves distinct only up to a short distance from the tip. Margin coarsely dentate; some leaves at the upper portion of the thallus with characteristic double­edged outer tips. Thickness of the leaves uniform with only the distal upper tip duplicated into a double­edged margin.Stalked vesicles sparse, spherical to oblong, 7 mm long, sometimes provided with short spines or foliaceous extensions. Receptacles forming condensed cymes, receptaculum branches simple or shortly branched at the distal end, compressed to flattened at their distal half with coarse teeth at the margin, slightly twisted. Size: Thalli up to 45 cm in height. Habitat,biology,and fisheries: Found on coralline rocks in wave­exposed low intertidal to shallow subtidal areas. Shows an intra­annual pattern of variation in standing crop in the Philippines, standing crop is lowest in the period from February to May and highest in November to January. An important source of alginate which finds its use in several food products, mainly as emulsifying, stabilizingandgellingagents.Theproducts include frozen food, pastries,desserts, jellies, salad dressings, ice creams,meat and flavor sauces, beer, fruit juices,and milk shakes; contains iodine, protein,vitamin C, and minerals (Ca, K, Mg, Na, Cu, Zn, S, P, Mn); used as medicine for goiter and other glandular troubles; antibacterial,antitumor; source of tannins and phenols; also used for animal feed and fertilizer. Distribution: Widely distributed in the tropics, including the Philippines, India, Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and China.

Seaweed Herbarium When students go to the island, a group of 3 students may be interested in

working on a seaweed herbarium. Here is a video to learn or make seaweed herbarium:

How to make a herbarium press ­ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ox­uT4mVzU

Deeper Research When the students finish their different species of algae/seaweed research, they

are going to get deeper on their research. They have to find out which species can grow in Cambodia and get deeper into those species. This will narrow down which species could be used for algal farming.

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

1. Which species are located in Cambodia? 2. Which species are commonly found in Cambodia? 3. How long does it take to grow? 4. Which species the group chooses to farm? 5. There might be other things the team want to put on this list.

Year Plan (Second/Third Group)

These groups will learn about algal product markets, possible products, and financial part of algal products.

Market Where do algal products sell?

Global Local Company Household

Packaging What are the best resources for packaging the product?

Business Model Come up with a business model for fisherman of how to market

their products Market and Sales strategies

Research different strategies for sales Who will buy the products? Possible profits and losses

Products

Uses What are the uses of the product?

What are the useful products from algae/seaweed? For example: medicine, food, biofuel, etc.

Which products would be the most useful for Cambodians? Do these products exist in Cambodia?

Financial

What resources are needed to create this products? How much do they cost?

What materials need to be bought once?

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

Year Plan (Fourth Group)

This is the last group of this feasibility study. The students’ focus is researching on how to farm algae.

Introduction to seaweed farming

Researching on how to farm

Internet MCC

How to get fishermen to do this project If there are types of algae that can be farmed in Cambodia then students will propose this project to the fisherman to explain the project.

Financial explain the proposal

Convince Who’s the target audience? What motivates them? Why they need to do this project?

Research Trip to Vietnam

Students might go to visit an algae farm in Vietnam. This is a good opportunity because students can learn how to farm algae from one of the top ten producers in the world.

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

6. Field Research ­ Week on Koh Seh with MCC 6.1. Schedule

Monday: 8:30 am bus to Kep 10:30 am aquarium in Kep 11:30am lunch 12:00 pm leave for Koh Seh 2:00 pm introduction to life at MCC 6:30 pm dinner Coconut Revolution documentary Tuesday: 8:00 am breakfast 9:00 am beach clean up, seahorse presentation 12:30 pm lunch 1:30 pm history walk to bunkers, self­exploration 6:30 pm dinner Seahorse Man documentary Wednesday: 8:00 am breakfast 9:00 am seaweed and algae presentation , snorkeling presentation and practice,

reef survey techniques 12:00 pm lunch 1:15 pm organism of Koh Seh, swim 6:00 pm dinner Dance Thursday: 8:00 am breakfast 9:00 am after breakfast: self­directed discovery (waves, plankton, sea grass,

weather, ph/acidification), SCUBA 12:00 pm lunch 1:15 pm algal aquaculture demo, journal­poetry

sunset­ art, island walk 6:00 pm dinner After dinner: campfire­ reflection and singing, star story Friday: 8:00 am breakfast 9:00 am After breakfast: camera­ focus activity, swim Leave for Liger

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

Safety Rules: ­ always wear life jacket on boats ­ don’t go in the water without an adult ­ don’t go too far in the water

6.2. MCC Content

Snorkeling Presentation

Snorkeling is a surface swimming with mask, breath holding and go underwater.

We learned about buoyancy. Buoyancy is the ability for something to stay afloat or sink.

If the object sinks, that means that the object’s volume is bigger than the water’s. If the

object floats, the water’s volume is bigger than the object’s.

Algae Aquaculture Tank

MCC had found five types of algae that grows, near Koh Seh, in Cambodia. They

need sunlight to do photosynthesis. Volunteers have set up five tanks of algae that they

found to study.

Seahorse Presentation

We learned that seahorses are endangered. They are a type of fish that is not

straight but a little tilted to a 90 degree angle but their body is upright when swimming.

Thier tail can curl around object. Fourteen species are found in Southeast Asia. They

are the opposite of us where the males are pregnant instead of the females. They are

used for traditional medicine in Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea.

Beach Clean Up

This event was organized by an organization called Ocean Conservancy. They

do it all around the world but not in some country like, Cambodia. We helped clean up

some part of the island. We collected about 130 kg of trash. We found straws, bottles,

nets, floats and other things.

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

History Walk

We walk to some bunkers and water tank. There are some writings and drawings

on them. The bunkers were built during the Khmer­Vietnamese war. Some bunkers

even have the trail dug so low so the soldiers wouldn’t get shot.

Introduction To Life At MCC

Life at MCC is waking up to sunrise above the sea and waves crashing to the

shore. We slept in bunk beds. There are two big buckets water, one is with the fresh

water and the other is salt water. We used the salt water for flushing the toilet and

wetting before a shower. We used the fresh water to rinse the shampoo off. There are

different bins for different types of trash. All trash must be separated.

Self­Directed Studies

On the last day we chose a topic about science then did our an experiment. The

topics were: water ph/turbidity/dissolved oxygen, seaweed/seagrass, physics of waves,

weather testing and zooplankton/phytoplankton.

Journaling

We had several different activities for journaling. We wrote poems, reflections

and read some documents. We wrote a type of poem called the Haiku poem. There are

only three lines in the poem. There are five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in

the second line and five syllables in the third line.

Star Stories

On the last night, Matt, one of the volunteers told us stories about different stars

while lying on the shore, under the stars. It was very interesting how people came up

with stories and passed them to the next generation.

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

6.3. Citizen Science

is the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the

general public, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists.

At MCC the Marine Conservation Team was exposed to three different citizen science

projects:

Ocean Conservancy

Ocean conservancy is focused on keeping the ocean as clean and healthy as

possible. While on Koh Seh the Marine Conservation group collected 130 kg of beach

trash and sorted the individual materials. They found lots of things such as lighters,

water bottles, plastic bags, food wrappers, syringes, old fishing nets, bottle lids, fabric

and other. The data collected was sent to the Ocean Conservancy.

In 2014, on the same day, 560,000 volunteers in 91 countries picked up more

than 16 million pounds of trash in the International Coastal Cleanup. There are beach

clean­ups and underwater clean­ups. 3,294 divers joined and they collected 183,828

pounds by travelling underwater for 86 miles. In 2014 Cambodia did not join the

International Coastal Cleanup. So for 2016 we want Cambodia to be on the list and help

clean up the beaches. All 50 students including staff should go to the beaches and help

clean up Cambodia. If Liger students go, other Cambodians will follow.

iSeahorse

iSeahorse is a tool for seahorse science and conservation. iSeahorse harnesses

the power of “citizen scientist”which can be anyone, anywhere in the world who sees a

seahorse in the wild­to improve our understanding of these animals and protect them

from overfishing and other threats.

iSeahorse wants to find out if the seahorse population is declining, increasing, or

staying stable through time and to monitor seahorse population trends. MCC collects

data and contributes to the international database.

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

MCC Reef Survey

MCC trained volunteers by spending their time in the field, conducting marine

surveys using the scientific techniques that they have learnt in order to collect, collate

and analyse data on the marine environment. Investigative projects include seahorses

surveys, Benthic Surveys, biodiversity and abundance surveys to name a few. This

information once analysed and written up into report form is then submitted to the

Cambodian Fisheries Administration and the local Provincial Government, in turn this

assists the Royal government of Cambodia in managing and maintaining a sustainable

marine environment for future generations.

6.4. Natural History

Three­fourths of the Earth’s surface is covered with ocean that contains many

diverse species. It plays a significant role of providing more than half of the oxygen that

we breathe and absorbs most of the carbon dioxide that humans and animals produce.

It’s also one of main food sources for everyone. Marine ecosystems are very important

for the overall health of both marine and on land environments. “One of the most

important functions of marine ecosystems is the production of plant biomass from

sunlight and nutrients (primary productivity), which represents the basic food source for

all life in the ocean, and ultimately also for humans. Around half of the worldwide

primary productivity is achieved by microscopically small plants, the phytoplankton,

which grow and divide in the ocean” (World Ocean Review). Coral reefs, mangrove

forests, kelp forests, and estuaries are some of the important marine ecosystems.

Coral reefs are one of the most important and diverse ecosystems in the ocean

because they provide shelter and food for many organisms. Corals are the colonies of

tiny animals known as polyps that in the phylum Cnidaria which is similar to the sea

anemone and jellyfish. During the day, coral polyps rely on the food that algae produces

by doing photosynthesis. At night when most of their predators are asleep, they extend

their tentacles to catch the plankton and other small particles of food that float by.

Corals only appear where there is enough sunlight for their algae to photosynthesize

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

and by the depth around 100 feet (30m), they start to disappear. The corals will only

survive with water temperatures between 64 (18) and 82 (28). The algae that

grow on them doesn’t just provide food for them but also for other organisms that live

around corals. Fish, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges, and sea turtles are just some

of the thousands of organisms that depend on reefs for their survival. “The Indian ocean

contains 60% of the world’s coastal reefs, 25% are in the Pacific and 15% are in the

western Atlantic ocean. Southeast Asian coral reefs have the highest levels of

biodiversity for the world’s marine ecosystems. For 50% of Southeast Asian coral reefs,

they are at a high or very high level of threat. An estimation of 70% to 90% of fish

caught depends on coral reefs in Southeast Asia” (Wikipedia Southeast Asian Coral

Reefs).

Cambodia is one of the coastal countries in Southeast Asia which means it’s

home to many marine ecosystems. Cambodia’s coastal shoreline is 440 km long, which

is divided into Kep, Kampot, Sihanoukville, and Koh Kong province. In total, Cambodia

has 69 islands which are Koh Seh, Koh Rong, Koh Rong Samloem, Koh Russei, Koh

Tunsay etc. Marine resources include habitats such as coral reefs, mangrove forests,

seagrasses which have supported a rich variety of marine life. Koh Seh (Koh Ach Seh)

is one of the islands that is located on the east side of Kep archipelago. The reefs

around there are living in shallow water which is easy for the algae to do

photosynthesis. It is nearly surrounded by the coral reefs that have home to many

organisms such as butterfly fish, snapper, wrasse, Diadema sea urchins etc. The most

dominant substrate cover around Koh Seh is sand which is about 23%. The second is

the rock which is about 16%. Rock has provided a settling down for coral larvae, which

is one of the important parts of reefs. The third most dominant substrate is seagrass

which is about 12%. All of these substrates support the marine life surrounding Koh

Seh.

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

7. Budget Estimated Budget for Explorations

(15 people)

Supplies needed 6 sets of Snorkel Equipment = ($180) ­ ($270)

Exploration 1 ­ 3 Trip to Koh Seh

Boat Transport (round trip) = $100 Monday Food and Bungalows = ($10/person) $150 Tuesday through Thursday Food and Bungalows ($15/person) = $675 Friday breakfast = $3/person = $45

____________ Total $970 each Exploration

Exploration 4

Trip to Koh Seh Boat Transport (round trip) = $100 Monday Food and Bungalows = ($10/person) $150 Tuesday through Thursday Food and Bungalows ($15/person) = $675 Friday breakfast = $3/person = $45

___________ Total $970

OR

Vietnam to visit Algal Farm Visa ($40/person, 2 foreign staff) = $80 (Cambodians are free) Bus (round trip) $36 = $540 (Phnom Penh ­ Ho Chi Minh) Food ($6/person/day) = $450 Guest house ($30/per night) or Camping = ? Bus ride (round trip) $20 = $300 (Ho Chi Minh ­ Coastal Algae Farm)

____________ Estimated Cost $1370

Vietnam Trip ­ Students might want to visit the algal farming in Vietnam. This is a good opportunity because students can study Vietnam algae farming and share that information. Also, Vietnam is one of the top ten exporters of algae and seaweed.

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

8. Conclusion To make this project happen, Liger students need four Explorations to complete

the proposed feasibility study. These Explorations will require the students to apply

their Liger change agents characteristics (creative, networker, passionate, problem

solver, proactive, dot connector, innovative, communicator, opportunist and

competitive).

If algal farming is a feasible alternative livelihood for Cambodian fishermen, the

Liger students will have changed Cambodia. They will have changed Cambodia by

educating Liger students about marine ecosystem who will share their knowledge with

other Cambodians, providing a new livelihood for Cambodians fishermen, and

protecting marine ecosystem in Cambodia.

9. Work Cited "Algae Basics ­ Benefits of Algae." Algae Basics ­ Benefits of Algae. Web. 18 Jan. 2016. "Algal Culturing Techniques." Google Books. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. "Algae Industry Magazine |." Algae Industry Magazine RSS. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. "All About Algae." All About Algae. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. "Coral Reef Animal Printouts ­ EnchantedLearning.com."Coral Reef Animal Printouts ­ EnchantedLearning.com. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. "Corals." NOAA National Ocean Service Education:. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. "Closer Look: Designing Cambodia's First Large Marine Protected Area."Designing Cambodia's First Large Marine Protected Area. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. Daniel Gilpin. Oceans. Bath, UK: Parragon, 2014. Book. "Difference between Feasibility Study and Business Plan." Dr Diane Hamilton’s Blog. 02 May 2012. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.

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"FAO National Aquaculture Sector Overview (NASO)." FAO National Aquaculture Sector Overview (NASO). Web. 21 Jan. 2016. "FOREWORD." MANUAL ON SEAWEED FARMING. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. "How to Make a Herbarium Press." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. "Illegal Fishing Destroying Kep's Ocean Ecosystem ­ The Cambodia Daily." The Cambodia Daily. 24 Oct. 2015. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. "Index of /resource_centre." Index of /resource_centre. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. "IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature." IUCN. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. Johnsen, Steffen and Greg Munford. “Country Environmental Profile Royal Kingdom of Cambodia.” Delegation to Cambodia. European Union Delegation to Cambodia, April 2012. Web. 21 January 2016 Major, Robert. “Mapping the Coral Reefs of Cambodia.”Cambodia Reef Conservation Project. Coral Cay Conservation. Web. 19 January 2016. "Marine Algal Farming and Its Commercial Importance ­ an Overview. ­ CAB Direct." Marine Algal Farming and Its Commercial Importance ­ an Overview. ­ CAB Direct. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. "Protect Planet Ocean is About Marine Conservation."Why Are Oceans Important?Web. 26 Jan. 2016. Reed, Monica. “Strategic environmental assessment of the proposed marine protectedarea, Kep Archipelago, Cambodia” Koh Mak Prang Environmental Assessment. Marine Conservation Cambodia. Web. 3 December 2015. "Region Scores." Ocean Health Index. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. "3. RUNNING A SEAWEED FARM." HANDBOOK ON EUCHEUMA SEAWEED. Web. 25 Jan. 2016. Stone, Greg. "The Five Biggest Threats to Our Oceans." The Huffington Post.

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TheHuffingtonPost.com. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. "Vietnam's Fishery Products Export in the First 6 Months of 2013." Vietnam's Fishery Products Export in the First 6 Months of 2013. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. "What Species Live in and around Coral Reefs?" What Species Live in and around Coral Reefs? Web. 26 Jan. 2016. Wikipedia. “Southeast Asian Coral Reefs”. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 26 Jan. 2016. 10. Appendix 10.1. Possible Smaller Projects Inspired by MCC

video

1.Desalinator Problem: Koh Seh is surrounded by saltwater but it is not suitable for drinking. MCC has two tanks to store rainwater from the rainy season through dry season. Project: To create a desalinator that removes the salt and leaves water safe for drinking or bathing. 2.Wind Power Problem: MCC doesn’t have electricity from Kep province so they uses a generator to make electricity. Generators burn fuel that costs a lot of money and can release chemicals into the atmosphere. Project: To design wind power to make electricity for Koh Seh. 3.Sustainable Labels for Kep Marine Products Problem: The illegal fish and legal fish are mixed in the market. When the people are shopping they don’t know which one is illegal fish or legal fish. Project: To create sustainable labels for Kep marine products to recognize which type of fish to buy. 4.Trophic Aquaculture Problem: MCC wants to encourage illegal fishermen to adopt an alternative, legal, and sustainable livelihood,such as, growing seaweed. Seaweed farms also support and attract other wildlife that the farmers can use for food or to sell. Project: To research what kind of seaweed can be grown in this region and what other organisms it will support and attract. 5.Seaweed Herbarium Problem: MCC wants to build a seaweed herbarium to educate visitors about local seaweed. However, they lack a comprehensive list of seaweeds that grow in the Kep Archipelago.

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Project: To research and collect all the types of seaweeds in the area and create a seaweed herbarium to educate visitors. 6.Saltwater Lights for Crab Fishermen Problem: Crab fisherman need lights on their traps so they can find them at night and so boats can avoid hitting them. They currently use batteries to light the crab traps. These batteries cost lots of money to buy and are thrown into the ocean. Project: To build a light that converts saltwater to electricity and replace the need for batteries. 7.Power Station to Burn Rubbish Problem: MCC is located on the small island Koh Seh, in the Kep Archipelago. Trash disposal is a problem, both for trash that washes up on the beaches and trash created by the community living there. Project: To create an inexpensive incinerator that can burn all the trash at a high temperature and create energy, not releasing chemicals into the atmosphere. 10.2. Video Summary

The video is about our trip to Koh Seh island. The first part of the video is about MCC’s facilities on the island. After that there is underwater footage showing marine life that we saw when we assisted­scuba dived and snorkeled. The rest of the video is about the activities that we did on the island such as picking up rubbish, snorkeling, learning about algae and self­directed studies.

10.3. Packing List for Koh Seh Marine Conservation Packing List

Trip Date: 4 night Destination : Kep ­Koh Seh Island Personal Items *These items are ligers but you use for yourself

5 Underwears

1 Pajamas

1 Long sleeve shirts

1 Pants

2 shorts

3 T ­ Shirts

1 Towel

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

1 Sandal/Flip Flop

2 Sock

1 Hat

1 Dirty clothes bag *

1 Hair comb

1 Toothbrush

1 Toothpaste

1 Journal!!!!!!!

1 Swimsuit or wear shorts/t­shirt

1 Swim goggles

2 Pens or Pencils

1 Water bottle

7 Hair tie

1 Book (Reading or Fun one of interest)

0$ Money for snack

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Sarong

Kroma

Supply Closet *These items are from supply closet.

12 Back Pack*

2 Shampoo*

2 Soap*

2 Small plastic bag

15 Life jacket*

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

All Gloves

All Headlamps

2 Lamps

tents (may need for staff if bungalows full)

sleeping pad (may need for staff if bungalows full)

2 microscope

15 sheets

6 sets of snorkeling equipment Clinic *These items are from clinic. First Aid box

1 Royal­D (big box)

3 Bugs Spray

2 Sunscream Group Gear *These items are from Nou.

1 Video Camera /Charger*

1 Power cord*

1 Gopro*

1 Camera* / charger

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Proposal for Algal Farming Feasibility Study ­ LLC, January 2016

10.4. Reflections

Kimseng During the five days at Koh Seh, I saw lots and lots of healthy coral reefs and

marine wildlife. However, I still think that Cambodia’s ocean needs more protection. When I first heard about the illegal trawling, I thought that the marine ecosystems were destroyed but when I saw it the first time, I was amazed. I was impressed with MCC and their work to protect the area. Things that I learned:

1. Snorkeling, the physics of snorkeling and the sign language used under the water

2. Details about seahorses 3. Briefly about all the organism in the ocean 4. The environmental problems in the area 5. Briefly about scuba diving 6. The impact of illegal fishing

I had a lot of experiences: 1. Saw the marine ecosystems 2. Swam with the fishes 3. Lived on an island that is really remote from the mainland 4. Saw bunkers and learned the history of the island 5. Felt how snorkeling and scuba diving feels

I had one core memory or powerful experience and that is to see and learn about a whole new ecosystem in my country. That means that I really loved seeing and learning about the marine organism, marine plants.etc. Marine life that I saw:

1. Corals 2. Sea urchins 3. Sea cucumber 4. Butterfly fishes 5. Algae 6. Hermite crab 7. Eel 8. A lot more interesting organism

Sreyleap

When I see ocean life I feel excited because I haven’t see it before, it’s is my first time for snorkel and scuba diving. Escally when I see some beautiful coral and some beautiful zoanthids. Also when I see a trawling boat I feel so angry because I think they will destroy these organisms under the water. All of these thing made all of my impression. When I go their is I’ve learned that trawling boat will come only the night that doesn’t have a moon because when there's a moon the catcher will see them, so then the catch will catch their gill nets. Also I’ve learned different organisms in the water.

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Menghouth When I went there I felt so fresh and happy because I could see many thing like

the blue ocean, coral reef, forest and many people that are trying to protect the ocean. The thing that impress me the most were to see the beautiful coral reef and fish and other organisms that live in the ocean. Before, I thought in Cambodia we didn’t have any coral reefs and many different types of fish. I learned about the different types of seahorses, algae and fish. I learned that the fishermen in Cambodia need other ways to make money. When I saw the fisherman take everything in the ocean I felt strong that I will protect my ecosystem. I think in the future when I’m 25 or older I will go back to MCC to volunteer. Nilroth

The things that I learned: ­ how to snorkel ­ how to scuba dive and communicate with hand sign under water ­ lean more about MCC: trying to conserve the marine life by focusing mainly on

seahorse because this animal is connected to lots of other organisms. Finding a new livelihood for those illegal fisherman (working with LLC)

­ trawling: is an illegal fishing gear. It catches all of animals in it’s way, seahorse, juvenile fish, some corals, even if the fisherman don’t want. By the time the fishermen bring the trawl up the things that they don’t want already dead. More than that it destroys all of the seagrass and coral reef, which is a really important habitat for marine animal consisting ⅓ of marine fish.

­ the development of fisherman target: They start off by catching the big fish with illegal fishing gear because they can get lots of fish. When there are no more big fish they catch the juvenile and now there are not a lot of juvenile. Now they are using electricity to shock the fish. With the 1000v electricity the fish within one meter area around it will die so the ones trying to hide under the sand also die.

­ seahorse: There are eight species of seahorses that MCC has found so far. Unlike other animals, male seahorses get pregnant. Females and males can be distinguished easily, females have a 90 degree bend at the end of the stomach and male don’t.

Marine life that I saw: ­ coral reef ­ sea urchins ­ sea cucumber ­ blue­spotted grouper ­ seagrass ­ eel ­ butterfly fishes ­ and lots of other small fish that I don’t know the name

Powerful experience: I think my powerful experience and my core memory is the whole trip especially

my first time snorkeling and scuba diving. I felt so awesome, nervous and excited just like I’m in a new word, underwater world.It really changed my mind. Now I realised that

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Cambodia also has the cool marine life that I saw in BBC documentaries. So I need to share this information with other people so they can help to protect the marine life like MCC. Sreynith

I was so happy to go to Koh Seh to learn about marine life in Cambodia. When I first arrived at MCC, I really couldn’t wait to swim to see all the beautiful corals and fishes. It was my first time to live on an island so I thought it would be hard to take a shower and I was scared of the wild animals, but soon I was used to it. I felt so warm and fresh to live near the ocean. I learned about: seahorses, how to snorkel, algae farm project at MCC, coral reefs, and many more things. As I learned from them, marine life is really important to us because it provides many jobs and it’s a food source for everyone. The coral reefs are one of the biggest ecosystems in the ocean and it is home to 33% of all known fish species.

Right now, there are many Cambodian and Vietnamese fishermen that do illegal fishing like trawling and it is really making a negative effect to marine habitat. When I watched the video about the marine life, it is really different now and that made me feel so sad and want to preserve it more. But we all can’t tell the fishermen to stop fishing, so how are they going to feed their family? MCC had an idea about creating algae farm to help fishermen so that they have another job instead of fishing. We discussed with Paul about how we’re going to create the algae farm and how we’re going to find the market for it. I think it is a really good idea to help fishermen instead of telling them to stop fishing, we can find a better jobs for them. I felt so excited with that idea, but still don’t know if that idea will work for them or not.

When I went snorkeling and scuba diving, I saw a whole new world under the ocean. It made me feel that everyone should understand how important it is and start to conserve it. It is a shared resource so it doesn’t benefit just one person, it benefits everyone. If we all don’t care about it what happen to our future generations and the whole planet because everything is linked together. Rithy

I felt like I was in another world. The ocean had a lot of beautiful marine life. There were plants and other organisms. My favorite fish was the starry grouper because it had a beautiful color and I loved it’s color. Every day fish are dying and all marine life in the ocean is getting less and less. I saw a lot of people fishing so I thought that few Cambodia’s marine animals are left. My thinking was wrong, this place named MCC helps to protect marine life. I was very happy because when I snorkeled and scuba dived I saw a lot of fish and a lot of different kind of marine animals. There were not many seahorses there because people hunt them and one seahorse equals ten thousand real and that is a lot of money for a Cambodia. Soliday

There are a lot of trawling going on in Kep and they are now destroying the life in the ocean. When I first see the ocean I didn’t realize that they are that important, but when I got into the ocean I understand why MCC care so much about marine

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ecosystem. When I get to snorkel I see a lot of beautiful fish and coral, but beauty is not the main part of ocean. Ocean is all about life. When I see the ocean from above or when I sitting on the boat I never see life under it. But when I got under the ocean I see a lot of amazing things that I never seen before in my entire life.

When I heard Paul (director of MCC) talk about trawling and illegal fishing, I feel kind of mad because I can imagine when they are destroying the life under the ocean. Paul said fisherman don’t want to destroy the ocean that bad, but they have no choice, it’s their only job that they can make money from and serve their family. Then I started to think is there anyway to decrease the illegal fishing and trawling.

I’m really excited to study about seahorse. I never know that seahorse exist in Cambodia. Seahorse are endangered now and MCC is researching about seahorse and study them.

I am so happy to meet all the members in MCC. They are so friendly and they have a really communicator. When I first arrive at the island, I’m so scared to talk to them because I don’t know them, but then they came to me and talk to me like we’ve both known each other before.

MCC members have a really good collaborator, they help each other and they are really kind. I kind of don’t want to leave the island because I want to stay there and be apart of the them. I really miss them and I hope I can meet them again.

Everyone at Liger should get a chance to go to Koh Seh. Students should be able to get a lot of knowledge from the people at the island. They should get a chance to snorkel so they can see how beautiful and how important is the ocean. I want students to have an ideas of changing Cambodia by changing fishering livelihood, so fisherman will not do illegal fishing. Then our ocean will be healthy. Sophat

I felt like I was in another world with a lot of different creatures. I saw a lot of life. It seem like they are living in a peaceful place. This was the first time I saw living sea organisms. I was really impressed when I saw the underwater world. It made me love the underwater environment and want to protect it. It looked like it’s biodiversity was more than some forests in Cambodia. I learned a lot from MCC. I learn about some amazing thing. Seahorse information is one of the amazing things I learned from MCC. Male seahorses get pregnant! That’s amazing! MCC has done a really nice job of protecting the Cambodian underwater environment. They don’t just protect the underwater environment they also help to protect the environment on the island. They try to not cut down a lot of trees for building bungalows or other thing. For example, they didn't have enough fresh water but they still did not build a lot of tanks to keep the water during the rainy season. Souyeth

When we first arrived at MCC I felt refreshed because of the cold breeze, trees and the ocean. It’s a really good place for relaxation, but we’re here to learn and gain experience. We’ve been snorkeling, listen to presentations about marine life, watching documentaries, cleaning up the beach and we also took some of the stuff we can recycle from the beach clean up and made beautiful arts out of it. One lucky day Gabor

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took us out to dive. I saw lots of fish, zoanthids, both soft and hard coral, crabs, sea cucumber and also lots of sea urchins. Once, I bumped into a school of fish that was swimming really fast. I’m not really a morning person but I really feel like waking up to see the beautiful sunrise on the deck with my friends because it’s not a normal sunrise, it’s very different from what I see at home. I learned how to identify the male seahorse from the female, names of fish we might see while snorkeling and how to live on an island. I really want to conserve our ocean more when I see the situation our ocean is in right now. I saw a documentary that shows our ocean before it was destroyed, that made me feel heartbroken to compare it to the ocean we have now. Sovannary

I had many experiences on the Island. My favorite experiences were snorkeling and scuba diving. I hadn’t done it before and I never thought it would be easy. When I got the chance to snorkel I took it easy but it was difficult for me when I did the scuba dive. I held the dive master’s hand so tight and I tried to breath like normal. Breath and breath, it was harder and harder. I couldn’t dive into the deeper water, but I am very proud of myself that I could do it while the other Cambodian children, that are the same age as me, didn’t have that opportunity. From this trip I learned a lot of things. I also wish that I can go back and learn more things or join MCC research activities. My big wish is to scuba dive again. I also want to tell all of you to take an opportunity as me to try new thing in your life before you feel remorse. Sovannou

This was my first time to go to an island to study about the Marine Life at Koh Seh(Kep). When I first arrived, I was thinking to myself that I was not safe at all and I am frightened because there are many new people that I never known before. But soon after I got used to it and I wasn’t even thinking about it. I have traveled many times on a boat but this trip, to the island, was the best trip ever. This trip made me know who I am and what should I do to represent myself as I am one of the Cambodian citizens. Also this is my best experience that I never have before, this trip taught me many new thing from the Marine Ecosystem around the island there at Koh Seh (Kep). Before I never cared or even thought about Marine Life, but when I came on the trip, Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) taught me a lot of new topics and new kind of organism that I never thought of before. When I first saw the ocean I felt fresh and peaceful but then I felt sad for the ocean that our people have used the ocean to be the road ways for the ships or boats to transport people from one place to another and export the product to many places all around the world. But some people take this advantage to make into the disadvantage for the ocean. Right now many people are doing a lot of fishing and using a lot of technology to do fishing, they also use trawling to do fishing. This is a very bad things that we all have give back to the ocean. My favorite things that I have learned in this trip is that I had studied about the Reef Introduction. According to what I had learned from Amick is that there are 1000 Coral Reef species. Do you know why coral reef are important?? The reason that coral reefs are important is because

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they provides the food for other organisms, 33% of the amount of coral reef is fish habitat. Coral reefs protect 20% of the world’s coast. After I went there I changed my mind about the marine life. I think that people in Cambodia should be conserving the ocean and trying to keep it sustainable by not doing illegal fishing.

So as soon as the people stop doing the illegal fishing and trying to conserve the ocean, like what MCC is doing right now, Cambodia will be a wonderful country with more biodiversity in the ocean. This positive impact will also give a positive effect on our economy the more we stop doing the bad thing more tourism will be increase more and more. My best memory and best experience are, first is to go scuba diving and snorkeling in the ocean to see the organism under the ocean. The second one is to meet new people that participate together to help change Cambodia. These things make me felt hopeful for my country and Cambodian people for the future. Visal

For all the four days, of the Marine Conservation trip, I was shocked! There were many things that shocked me. I went to Kep and stayed at Koh Sek island. I went to Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) and I tried to suck all the experiences I could. Around the island there was an abundance of marine biodiversity, but before MCC started the biodiversity condition were really unhealthy. Why? Because the illegal fishermen take all the marine life and damage all the coral reefs. The most powerful experience was snorkeling and little of diving. While I was snorkeling I saw the tropical forest under the ocean, with the colorful fishes and the tell seagrass, which blew my mind. Do you know what is the largest and oldest structure in the world? Yes! It is the coral reefs. The benefit of preserving the coral reefs are: the shelter for fish/invertebrate species, food source, tourism, protection from waves and the most important thing is it takes in carbon dioxide. The animals that I saw while I was snorkeling were: sea cucumber, sea urchins, goby fishes, eels, and other species of marine organisms. I hope that in the future people all around the world will make this biodiversity to become better condition. And please please!! Don’t throw the trash into the oceans.

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