Thailand's sunken tanks create thriving marine ecosystem

In August 2010, the Thai military sank 25 decommissioned Chinese-made combat tanks into the Gulf of Thailand near Narathiwat province. The tanks were submerged alongside 273 old train carriages and 198 garbage trucks to create artificial reefs and boost declining fish populations.

A study by researchers from Ramkhamhaeng University has assessed the development of the marine ecosystem at the site. Published in the Ramkhamhaeng International Journal of Science and Technology, the research recorded 53 fish species from 21 different families living on the sunken structures.

The study noted that snapper were the most diverse group, followed by damselfish and wrasse. Researchers also found that the enclosed structures of the tanks provided habitats for significantly larger schools of fish compared to the open structures of the train carriages. The site now supports various commercially valuable species, including humphead parrotfish.