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Investigating Reef Contact Rates Of Snorkel Visitors At Koh Sak, Pattaya On Guided And Non-Guided Coral Reef Tours, Wayne Phillips
Investigating Reef Contact Rates Of Snorkel Visitors At Koh Sak, Pattaya On Guided And Non-Guided Coral Reef Tours, Wayne Phillips
Applied Environmental Research
Recreational snorkelling is a popular activity at Koh Sak, Pattaya Bay and although most snorkel visitors to the island arrive by speedboat on guided tours, many visitors arrive on tours that do not provide a guide. Because there is widespread agreement that reef-based tourism negatively impacts coral reefs it is important to understand the potential role guides play in reducing visitor impacts. In this study 421 snorkelers (35 % of whom came on non-guided tours) were observed on the reef for a period of 10 minutes. The following information was recorded so that a per person reef-contact rate could be …