PHUKET, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – December 8, 2025 – Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach, in collaboration with WildAid, an international conservation organization, has launched a partnership to expand Thailand's marine protected areas and protect the rich biodiversity of the Merlin House Reef directly in front of the resort. The initiative will strengthen area-based management and conservation by engaging local communities and resource users and conducting long-term, science-based monitoring to ensure effective conservation while maintaining ecosystem functions and services.
Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach. Top family friendly resort in Phuket.
The coast of Phuket Island is home to remarkable offshore coral reefs, making it a popular destination for snorkeling, diving and other nature tourism. Many of its beaches also serve as important nesting sites for sea turtles. However, Phuket's marine biodiversity is under significant pressure from human activities, including coastal development, wastewater discharge, anchoring, plastic pollution, discarded fishing gear, concentrated tourism, overfishing and the effects of climate change.
Despite these pressures, a survey conducted in 2024 by local NGO Love Wildlife Foundation found that Merlin House Reef remains a healthy coral ecosystem, supporting 24 different groups of corals as well as 14 groups of reef fish.
This initiative with WildAid will strengthen the hotel's ongoing conservation efforts by committing to supporting the expansion of Thailand's marine protected areas and contributing to the global “30×30” initiative, which aims to protect at least 30 percent of the world's land and ocean areas by 2030. As part of the effort, the project will strengthen area-based management of Merlin House Reef, including long-term ecological monitoring, promote stakeholder engagement in sustainable reef management, and conduct feasibility studies for a reef restoration initiative. These measures will essentially lay the groundwork for the nomination of Merlin Beach as a potential Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA), an increasingly important tool to expand marine protected areas and advance the 30×30 goal.
LMMAs enable the participation of local communities and stakeholders, drawing on their practical experience and in-depth knowledge. This integrative approach promotes collaborative management and ensures that everyone who relies on marine resources plays a critical role in the long-term success of LMMAs.
The initiative also highlights the critical role of the private sector, particularly the hospitality sector, in promoting marine conservation. There are increasingly successful cases around the world that demonstrate how protected areas actively managed and directed by the private sector can complement existing government-run MPAs by improving coastal, coastal and offshore habitat connectivity between other MPAs. This underlines the importance of enabling companies to actively participate in protecting the oceans.
“By enabling hotels to take an active role in co-management of the resources that underpin nature tourism, we can help restore ecosystems, revitalize degraded reefs and sustain the services they provide. Revitalization efforts, such as the return of key reef species and the restoration of ecological functions, make tourism more regenerative and ensure that the benefits return to both people and nature. Collaboration between stakeholders, local communities and scientific “Informed monitoring is crucial for long-term conservation and truly sustainable use,” he said Petch Manopawitr, conservation scientist and advisor to WildAid.
Despite ongoing conservation efforts by Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach along with government and conservation partners in recent years, the reef remains vulnerable to rising sea water temperatures, damage from boat anchors for fishing and snorkeling activities, and physical contact, such as. E.g. walking on corals at low tide. To address these challenges, the hotel has worked closely with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) to protect the corals in recent years. These efforts include installing underwater temperature and light monitors at 3, 6 and 10 meters from the water surface to study the effects of climate change on marine life. In collaboration with the Love Wildlife Foundation, the hotel also engages guests through awareness-raising and educational activities at the Reef Education Center, developed in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
“Here at Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach, this is huge. We are a premier family resort in Phuket and we recognize that our stunning natural environment is our greatest asset. That's why partnering with an organization like WildAid is absolutely critical – it's about going beyond simple measures and making a real impact on a global scale. That's how we walk the talk when it comes to Marriott International's Serve360 commitment. We apply long-term scientific monitoring our beautiful Merlin House Reef and are actively working to change this. Our goal is to raise global tourism awareness of sustainability and social impact. When you stay with us, you directly support the protection and revitalization of the ocean Mr. Trevor May, Multi-Property General Manager, Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach, Courtyard by Marriott Phuket, Patong Beach Resort and Le Méridien Khao Lak Resort & Spa.
WildAid and Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach will also drive awareness-raising activities on the issue “Our house reef: home of life, home for us” to inspire a sense of shared responsibility for protecting the oceans. Visitors, guests, the local community and youth as well as other stakeholders are encouraged to participate in this collective effort and support the roadmap to establishing an LMMA.
Over the coming months, Love Wildlife Foundation and WildAid will conduct a comprehensive biodiversity survey to build an updated coral reef database that will assess reef health, coral diversity and recruitment, fish and invertebrate communities, and coral reef resilience. The results will serve as an important basis for long-term monitoring and support the area's nomination as an LMMA.
This collaboration is consistent with the goal of WildAid's Marine Program, which aims to strengthen the protection and management of critical marine areas worldwide. WildAid's marine work operates in 95 priority sites in 17 countries and is pioneering the development and application of effective enforcement and compliance systems for priority marine areas. As the number of protected areas around the world grows to reach the global goal of 30×30, WildAid's efforts with this network of protected areas continue to expand.
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Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach
Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach is a family-friendly resort located on the stunning, secluded stretch of Tri-Trang Beach. Surrounded by forested mountains and lush tropical gardens, this spa resort in Phuket offers a vibrant reef and stylish accommodation. With 414 guest rooms, the resort caters to all needs – from family adventures to MICE events and weddings. Guests can pamper themselves in a refreshing oasis with three stunning swimming pools, each creating a unique atmosphere – whether sipping cocktails at the lively pool with swim-up bar or sunbathing in the tranquil oasis with private hot tubs, modern fitness facilities, a dedicated kids' club and the spa. A diverse selection of dining options ensures there is something to suit all tastes, while outstanding activity programs provide exciting experiences for guests of all ages, making it the ideal choice for all travelers.
