A tour of 10 of Asia's most spectacular underwater dive sites, home to sharks, whales, sunfish and more, and a glimpse at some of the threats they face.
(CNNGo) -- It's been said that we know more about the moon than we know about our own oceans.
That's probably total rubbish. In any case the moon is about as interesting as a cold, hard ball of rock floating around empty space.
The oceans on the other hand can captivate even the most cynical of aesthetes. But they are fragile things.
Human activities such as overfishing and pollution threaten an estimated 88 percent of Southeast Asia's coral reefs. Recently Thailand's authorities closed 18 popular dive sites to allow them to recover from coral bleaching.
Pulau Sipadan has also fallen victim to coral bleaching, a process most commonly caused by a change in sea temperature that "bleaches" the coral color.
With climate change acidifying oceans, which affects their sense of smell and obstructs their ability to find suitable anemones for shelter, clown fish are considered at risk.
Being an enclosed environment however, life within Kakaban Lake is at risk from excessive human acitivty, such as outboard motor use.
Though the Andaman Sea has escaped much of the over-development, bleaching and nutrient loading that has affected other sites around the world, trawling, longline and blast fishing have impacted fish populations here.
But overfishing, pollution and urbanization of coastlines threaten the reefs. The local government is working with agencies to protect the marine ecology while also supporting local livelihoods.
To protect marine life that includes big game fish such as black marlin and sailfish, the Indian government has banned commercial fishing around the 572 islands that make up the Andaman Islands.
In past years dynamite fishing and a crown of thorns infestation severly traumatized the reef system, and artificial electric reefs were introduced to help rebuild the coral.
Fishing is banned in the area around Tulamben and some resorts have undertaken voluntary eco-initiatives, but the number of visitors to the site -- up to 100 divers per day during peak periods -- is a potantial threat.
The Kerama Islands are host to 76 dive sites, and are relatively well protected thanks to a local community that has embraced both its natural oceanic ecosystems and tourism.
It is hoped that a "buffer zone" around the most sensitive parts of the reef, as well as more effective enforcement of anti-littering marine laws, will enhance the longevity of many of these threatened species.
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