Young divers revive coral reefs off Cham Islands, Da Nang
DNO - In the turquoise waters off Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands), Da Nang, Central Vietnam, a small team of local divers has quietly taken on the role of “nannies” for coral reefs, nursing back to life one of Viet Nam’s richest marine ecosystems.
The Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area, covering more than 356 hectares, is recognized as one of Vietnam’s most distinctive coral reef systems.
Yet these reefs remain highly vulnerable to climate change, pollution and human activity.
In an effort to prevent further decline, the reserve has assembled a dedicated monitoring team, mostly young islanders from Tan Hiep Commune, Da Nang, who spend hours underwater tending to damaged reefs.
Nguyen Minh Toan, a patrol officer at the reserve, describes the painstaking process: first identifying affected sites, then selecting suitable species from among 109 recorded coral varieties.
Fragments are cultivated in underwater nurseries for about 6 months until they are resilient enough to be transplanted.
Each stage, from transport to replanting, requires patience and meticulous record-keeping to track long-term restoration.
The team’s work is notable not only for its scientific rigor but also for its diversity. Two women, Nguyen Thi Hong Thuy and Tran Thi Phuong Thao, are among the reserve’s frontline divers.
Thuy recalls starting out with only a snorkel; now she is trained to dive 5 to 20m deep to monitor corals, sea grass and algae.
“Sometimes while working, I encounter schools of parrotfish, which is a sign the reef ecosystem is recovering”, said Thuy.
Their dedication has yielded tangible results. More than 10ha of damaged coral have been rehabilitated and 20ha of new reefs planted.
In recognition, Thuy and Thao were honoured in 2023 among “17 Vietnamese Faces of Action for Sustainable Development.”
In the quiet determination of Cu Lao Cham’s young “reef guardians” as mentioned above, there is a reminder that even the most fragile ecosystems can be reborn, if people are willing to dive deep, care patiently, and fight for the oceans’ future.