Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 67
A white-eyed and a fi mbriated moray share a single hole in the crowded Mergui
reef at Three Islets. Such cooperation over real estate is only seen when food is suffi ciently
plentiful that morays do not need to defend their home territories.
rare species become too abundant in turn, the predators switch their atten-
tion to them. Such constantly shifting patterns of predation ensure that
many species of smaller organisms can coexist simultaneously. But when the
top predators are removed their fastest-growing prey become overabundant,
and the reef suf ers.
5
The source of the reef's richness
The reefs became more crowded with life as we moved north because we were
gradually moving closer to the delta of the Irrawaddy River. This great river,
arising in the glaciated highlands where Myanmar, India, and China come
together, gathers nutrients as it fl ows south and pours them out through its
wide fl at delta.
The combination of tropical sunlight and nutrient-laden water feeds
the corals of the of shore reefs. During my night dives in the Andaman Sea
