Sea level rise, marine acidification, nutrient runoff, degraded benthic sediment and water quality, and an increase in emerging pollutants like microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products along the coastal beaches of Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, are resulting in imminent diminishment or extinction of coral reefs. Due to a lack of scientific regional collaboration and evidence-based research, the fate and distribution of coral reefs and marine ecosystem services have not been effectively managed in these Southeast Asian countries. Hence, the main objective of this research is to manage risk and enhance the resilience of the coral reef. A trans-disciplinary team, through an appropriate mix of engineering, socioeconomic significance and policy framework, were employed to research identifying the gaps, opportunities and threats in coral reef management.

Our research across the region actively assessed these impacts. Studies monitoring water quality, mapping bleaching hotspots via satellite data and evaluating ecosystem health reveal alarming degradation in areas such as Vietnam, with substantial losses of coral, mangroves and seagrass. Models like SWAT help identify land-based impacts, including soil erosion from river basins that may smother coastal reefs. In Cambodia’s Koh Rong, water quality studies reported acceptable chemical parameters, suggesting that physical damage or overfishing may be the primary drivers of local reef decline.