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Impact of scuba diving tourism on Malaysian and Coral Triangle reefs

The research team headed by Dr. Mark Hampton from the University of Kent has been conducting field research in three main Malaysian scuba diving destinations: Sipadan Island, Redang Island, and the Perhentian Islands in effort to discover the social and economic consequences of scuba diving tourism to the region. Dr. Hampton's two day 26 and 27 April 2010 workshops explored the physical impacts of dive tourism on Malaysia's celebrated reefs and asked if there was a need for a national dive tourism policy.

HMAS Adelaide, to be sunk off Avoca Beach on March 27, is to become the first artificial dive site in New South Wales, Australia. This warship will be the sixth to make artificial dive site in Australia. The artificial wreck will be surrounded by six moorings, two of which will be available for free to private recreational divers without being managed by commercial dive tour operators.

The famous Coral Triangle, where there are over 18,500 islands and which is the world's richest place in terms of environment biodiversity, is in big trouble facing host of problems from coastal deforestation to pollution, destructive fishing and over-exploitation of marine life. The Philippines have been acknowledged "some of the most awe-inspiring marine environments on Earth, some of which have been compared to the Amazon rainforest or the Congo Basin in terms of their abundance of species", - said Professor Hoegh-Guldberg. Also, many parts of the Coral Triangle might become uninhabitable due to growth in greenhouse gas emission.

Meanwhile

According to Cheapflights UK, a British travel website for price search and comparison, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia experience the fastest growth in popularity in Asia. The Komodo National Park, the Banda Sea, Raja Ampat and the Bunaken National Marine Park are considered destinations that best for scuba diving in the region.

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