KHAO LAK, Thailand — Conservationist Ying Pemika Choovanichchanon holds a small basket in her hands, careful not to disturb the leathery brown pouches nestled inside. When she shines a light underneath, signs of life appear: the pouches are bamboo shark  egg cases, and the tiny creatures within them are a key part of a plan to help revive Thailand’s coral reefs. At the forefront of this plan is Oceans for All, a Thai-based nonprofit that’s partnering with luxury hotels to breed and release bamboo sharks. After opening its first shark nursery with Club Med Phuket in March 2022, followed by Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort in November 2022, the program has now expanded to the Thai mainland by opening a shark nursery at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa on the shores of the Andaman Sea. Twenty years ago, Thai waters were filled with the tan-colored bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium punctatum), famed for their distinctive dark bands. But overfishing and habitat destruction have seen their numbers drop drastically. The sharks, which are listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, play a vital role in the ecosystem, by feeding on small fish and invertebrates that eat corals. As apex predators, bamboo sharks keep in check populations of smaller creatures that might otherwise overgraze the reefs. The Oceans for All team say that when shallow reefs die, it’s often due to the lack of predators rather than pollution. A coral reef in Thailand. Image by Umeed Mistry / Ocean…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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