About Us
Save Cambodian Marine Life is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Cambodia that has started to help protect the local reefs surrounding Koh Rong Samloem. We intend to create awareness not only among the local people of Cambodia but also across national borders through our volunteer program. We are an international team of people, with experience in diving, well trained in marine conservation, management and ecology.
Why it is important
Cambodia has an amazing coastline and even more amazing islands. There are over 20 islands just off the coast of Sihanoukville and the outer islands. Having such a large area to protect and not having the means to do so is a very difficult task for the Cambodian Government and local villages.
People are now realising how much illegal fishing is happening and it is affecting the local communities directly. There are around 17% of families in the surrounding islands that do not have enough seafood to feed their families adequately. When people are scuba diving they can still hear dynamite going off in the distance. We are trying to help the government by providing survey data from as many reefs to show the impact illegal fishing is having and we are helping create protected areas and no go zones.
Coral Nursery
Coral farming was our first major project that we started in January 2014. With our first volunteers on the project we built and created 15 frames. One year later, these frames are now their own little reef. We create this coral nursery with acrapora species of coral that is under threat in Cambodia and in many other parts of the world too. This coral is very rarely seen deeper than 5meters anymore yet it should be seen all the way down to about 14m. Our goal is to grow many of these coral frames and slowly bring them back to the natural reefs.
Who we are looking for
Volunteers would come and help make a difference in this village by providing English education to the kids showing them the rights and wrongs of pollution and to assist with beach & village clean ups.
We also have a lovely reef just off the shore where you can go snorkeling to relax or if you want you can also take part of our scuba diving marine conservation team and help to build, clean and maintain our coral nursery and take part in reef clean ups and seahorse surveys.