Cover A seahorse in the shallow waters of the Kep Archipelago, clinging to a piece of seagrass on the sea floor. The tiny fish, named after the shape of their head, are typically found in sheltered, shallow waters
A seahorse in the shallow waters of the Kep Archipelago, clinging to a piece of seagrass on the sea floor. The tiny fish, named after the shape of their head, are typically found in sheltered, shallow waters
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With the support of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative and Mission Blue, the Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) is restoring the Kep Archipelago's marine ecosystem and bringing back the elusive dugong to its waters
Since 2019, Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative have been supporting individuals and institutions who are harnessing science to understand and conceive solutions to today’s environmental challenges. This Initiative has marked a significant evolution in the brand’s long-standing support for exploration, shifting the focus from mere discovery to active protection of the planet.
Through working with organisations like its longstanding partners Mission Blue and the National Geographic Society, Rolex is focusing on active protection of the planet. The collaboration with Mission Blue, an ocean conservation non-profit organisation founded by renowned marine biologist Sylvia Earle, is particularly noteworthy. It emphasises the importance of preserving vital marine ecosystems around the globe. Together with the Perpetual Planet Initiative, they work to identify and protect Hope Spots, which are areas critical to ocean health.
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Above Marine Conservation Cambodia were invited by the Cambodian government to make a permanent base on the island of Koh Ach Seh. From there they work around the clock, studying and protecting the surrounding marine life. In 2018 the area around the island was given official government protection as a Marine Fisheries Management Area
Marine Conservation Cambodia were invited by the Cambodian government to make a permanent base on the island of Koh Ach Seh. From there they work around the clock, studying and protecting the surrounding marine life. In 2018 the area around the island was given official government protection as a Marine Fisheries Management Area
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One such Hope Spot that Mission Blue is making waves in is Cambodia’s Kep Archipelago. This project exemplifies this partnership’s impact, showcasing how Mission Blue is not only championing conservation but also empowering local communities to engage in sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and their livelihoods.
With the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative’s support, local conservation organisation Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) is working tirelessly to restore the region’s marine ecosystem and bring back the elusive dugong, the ocean’s largest vegetarian mammal.
The waters of the Kep Archipelago were once teeming with life, but years of industrial fishing and bottom-trawling took a toll on the seagrass meadows and coral reefs. Enter Paul Ferber, a former policeman from England who arrived in Cambodia in 2006 to teach diving. Struck by the need to conserve the beautiful waters, he founded MCC in 2008.
Above Tanguy Freneat is the island manager for Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC). Freneat and the MCC team often host scientists, researchers and conservationists from around the world to help educate more people about the issues that the Kep Archipelago is facing and the unique ways they are combating these problems
Tanguy Freneat is the island manager for Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC). Freneat and the MCC team often host scientists, researchers and conservationists from around the world to help educate more people about the issues that the Kep Archipelago is facing and the unique ways they are combating these problems
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In 2013, MCC was invited by the Cambodian government to form a permanent base on the island of Koh Ach Seh in the Kep Archipelago. It was there that Rachana Thap, a university student at the time, joined MCC on a six-month internship. She was working on a marine biology thesis on artificial reefs and was soon appointed by Ferber to lead a project implementing these reefs in the archipelago.
These artificial reefs, made up of two-tonne concrete blocks, act as both an anti-trawling measure and provide a habitat to replenish the marine ecosystem. As the artificial reefs took effect, all manner of wildlife began to return to the region, including Irrawaddy dolphins and green turtles. Seeing Kep’s marine life flourish, the people of the neighbouring Kampot Province asked MCC to install reef structures along their coast.
“They say the number of dolphins increased immediately after deployment”, says Thap. Ferber was so impressed with the project’s success, he appointed Thap to be his successor, as executive director of MCC.
Seeing the success of MCC’s work, in 2016 the Cambodian government declared the country’s second Marine Fisheries Management Area: 11,600 hectares of ocean around the Kep Archipelago, including 12 islands, dedicated to sustainable fishing practices and improving local livelihoods.
Above Marine Conservation Cambodia’s island manager Tanguy Freneat using a quadrat to survey the floor of the seagrass meadow in the Kep Archipelago
Marine Conservation Cambodia’s island manager Tanguy Freneat using a quadrat to survey the floor of the seagrass meadow in the Kep Archipelago
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With life thriving amid the artificial reefs, Thap began to wonder if it might be possible to bring back the dugong, which had not been seen in Cambodia’s waters for many years. She reached out to Mission Blue, an ocean conservation non-profit organisation supported by the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, to help extend and amplify the project's success.
In 2019, Mission Blue named the Kep Archipelago a Hope Spot, recognising it as a globally significant marine area in need of protection. “Being recognised by Mission Blue was a really big moment,” says Thap, who is now the executive director of MCC. “It’s hugely encouraging for us to know that we’re not working alone, we have international backup.”
Above An aerial view of Koh Ach Seh island, in the Kep Archipelago. In 2013, Marine Conservation Cambodia were invited by the Cambodian government to make a permanent base on the island. From there, they work around the clock, studying and protecting the area’s wealth of marine life
An aerial view of Koh Ach Seh island, in the Kep Archipelago. In 2013, Marine Conservation Cambodia were invited by the Cambodian government to make a permanent base on the island. From there, they work around the clock, studying and protecting the area’s wealth of marine life
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Thap was able to expand the distribution of artificial reefs, which now number over 300. In just a few years, 1,000 hectares of seagrass returned to the archipelago, and in 2022, this yielded an extraordinary result: a dugong and its calf spotted in the waters of the archipelago.
“It just appeared 300 metres from our island,” recalls Thap, “It almost made me cry. We spent hours watching it. I can’t describe the feeling, but it showed us that what we were doing was right.” Since then, dugong sightings in the recovering seagrass meadows have become a regular occurrence.
The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative and Mission Blue both believe in the power of engaging local people in conservation, which is a big part of why Kep Archipelago is such an exemplary and successful Hope Spot. By collaborating with the local community, MCC is ensuring conservation work helps sustain local livelihoods. “We work with the community because this is their home,” says Thap.
Locals have been delighted to see an increase in their catches in areas where the ecosystem has been recovering thanks to MCC’s protection: “The local community love the artificial reefs and have requested us to install more.”
Above Rachana Thap is the executive director of Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) and a Mission Blue Hope Spot Champion. MCC was founded in response to industrial fishers who, through the use of weighted nets and bottom trawling, were wiping away huge swaths of seagrass and coral reef, completely destroying entire ecosystems
Rachana Thap is the executive director of Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) and a Mission Blue Hope Spot Champion. MCC was founded in response to industrial fishers who, through the use of weighted nets and bottom trawling, were wiping away huge swaths of seagrass and coral reef, completely destroying entire ecosystems
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Installing more reefs is exactly what Thap plans to do, having recently been contracted by the Cambodian government to install 5,000 artificial reefs along the Cambodian coast over the next five-and-a-half years. “It’s going to change the whole Cambodian coastal province,” she says, “the potential for restoration and returning wildlife is enormous.”
Although she has been with MCC for seven years, Thap feels that her work is just beginning: “For me, it’s not about five or ten years, it is a lifetime commitment.”
With the support and media visibility offered by Rolex and Mission Blue, she is spreading awareness of her work and its implications not just for the archipelago, or even Cambodia, but the wider world: “This is not just a national project, it is a worldwide one.”
Credits
Images: Rolex
Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
