Abstract:
Comparison in distribution of various species of coral with depth between the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea by using line transect method in perpendicular to the shore line, using video tape recorder and camera to fulfill the study in some area were carried out. The environmental factors that have measured in this study are temperature, salinity, depth, light intensity and transparency. A total of 63 species belonging to 33 genera were found in the transects. 45 species belonging to 25 genera were found in the Andaman Sea, and 22 species belonging to 17 genera in the Gulf of Thailand. Coral reefs in the Andaman Sea can distribute to the greater depth than those in the Gulf of Thailand. In Andaman Sea corals were found along reef slope between the depth of 5 to 30 metre. In the Gulf of Thailand coral were found along reef slope between the depth of 3 to 16 metre. The branching form corals can distribute to the greater depth than any other forms in both Andaman sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Light shown to be one of the factors that effects coral distribution in this study together with island topography.