On September 14, the seminar "The system of marine reserves in Vietnam - Opportunities and challenges" was organized by the Institute of Oceanography in Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province.

At the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Viet Cuong, from the Agency of Exploitation and Protection of Aquatic Resources, said that in 2013, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will establish the Nam Yet marine reserve in the Spratly Island District (Khanh Hoa).

Caption: Nam Yet Island.

According to the Khanh Hoa authorities, the Nam Yet Island’s coral shelf is a great shoal, extending to the west of the island, where sea grasses grow with large coverage (58 percent) and there is a wide sandy beach where sea turtles regularly lay their eggs.

Nam Yet Island has many big trees, many empty beaches for birds to perch and stay during the winter. This area has 185 species of plants, 307 species of phytoplankton, 86 species of algae, two species of sea grass, 225 species of benthos, 414 species of coral fish, two species of sea turtles and 160 species of coral.

According to Prof. Dr. Vo Si Tuan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Oceanography, the Earth's temperature increases, causing the phenomenon of "coral bleaching" which massively kill coral in the waters like Ca Na (Ninh Thuan), Con Dao (Ba Ria - Vung Tau), Cu Lao Cham ( Quang Nam) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang).

Therefore, Vietnam should have a strategy to protect the coral reefs at marine reserves.

Compiled by M. Linh

(VNS)