Mekong Basin to be explored by National Geographic divers

The Mekong River Wonders Project is collaborating with National Geographic explorers to dive into the deepest Mekong Basin in Cambodia, a dive of up to 75 metres below the surface.
The exploration of the deepest part of the Mekong Basin in Cambodia sees the participation of Kakani Katija from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Kenny Broad, a cave diver from the University of Miami. They will be part of the team exploring the Mekong Delta in Northern Cambodia.

This was announced by officials of Young Eco Ambassador on April 27. According to them, the Mekong Basin is considered important as a habitat and spawning grounds for fish in the dry season, and may be the last habitat of the endangered giant fish. Most of these special shelters are not explored because they are very difficult to access. The team is using automatic submarines equipped with lights and drop cameras.

The team will share some of their findings at the Evening of Exploration on April 29.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/1064906/me ... ic-divers/

Photos of the Mekong explorer team from the AKP:



For those interested, the team will share some of their discoveries at an Evening of Exploration event on April 29 [ie.tomorrow] from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Raffles Hotel in Phnom Penh.

It would be great to hear some of their discoveries on CEO for members who can't get to the venue

Another possibility:


From : https://www.facebook.com/YoungEcoAmbassador

Stung Treng: Recently, Deep Sea Researcher Kaganika Ticha and a team of researchers from the Montreal Bay Fisheries and Fisheries Research Institute and Kenny Brew, a University of Miami professor, environmental scientist, cave depth researcher and National Geograpic Explorer staff studied the depths of the Mekong River in Stung Treng province to investigate the deep canyons at the bottom of the river.

Zep Hogan, a fish biologist and director of the USAID-funded Mekong Wonder Project, said that at the bottom of the Mekong River, Stung Treng, there seems to be another world that could be a hidden empire with a dark space full of giant fish: some rare and unique, such as giant trout and royal trout.

Hogen emphasized the importance that these deep canyons represent to the ecosystems of the Mekong River, which are rich in diversity and of global importance. According to Hogan, these are under threat. He explained: "These deep canyons can be home to new [undiscovered] species and can be a breeding ground for migratory fish before migrating to the upper reaches of the Lao PDR.

Chea Seila, project manager for the Mekong River Miracle, said the study could learn more about the situation at the bottom of the river through research tools and technology.
"The study of deep canyons in the Mekong River in Stung Treng province is important because it can be a part of helping to protect the well-being of the river, the connection of the river and the people, the fishery resources and the animals that can supply this river." Ms. Seila added so.
From: https://www.thmeythmey.com/?page=detail&id=114855

Great find !

Cambodia News (Steung Treng Province): According to the team from the Mekong Wonder Project, on May 9, 2022, a freshwater giant stingray weighing over 180kgs, measuring around 185x200cms with a 393cm tail was accidentally captured and documented in the Mekong River in Koh Preah village/commune, Siem Bok district, Steung Treng province.
The authorities were contacted to document the stingray before releasing it back into the river as it is an endangered species.

More details:
Cambodian fishermen release a monster stingray back into the Mekong River
Tim Newton

Published on Thursday, May 19, 2022 13:58
An enormous freshwater stingray was rescued and released in a Cambodian section of the Mekong River on May 5 after being ensnared earlier by local fishermen. The monster fish was 4 metres long and weighed around 180 kilograms. Brown on the top and a shade of white on the bottom, the fish usually along the tropical riverbeds in search of food.

The endangered freshwater stingray, the size of a large table, was snared on a fisherman’s line early in the morning. But it would take the rest of the day to unsnare the beastie and get the right people in place to organise a safe release.

Over-fishing for the stingray meat, the frequent accidental deaths and the Mekong’s degradation from upstream dams, pollution and other human activities are putting these mighty fish on the endangered list.

Despite being non-aggressive, their sheer size posts a danger for the handlers, and the 30-50 centimetre-long barbs on its tail which will give a human recipient a lot of pain. But the most dangerous aspect of the stingray barbs is their ability to puncture skin and organs of humans. Inadvertently stepping on a stingray in the shallows or swimming into one in the open water could make the animal react and use its barbs as a defence mechanism.

Only two fatal stingray ‘attacks’ have been reported in Australian waters since 1945, one being the high profile death of media conservationist Steve “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin when a stingray barb pierced his heart, killing him instantly, in 2006. To say the least, stingray attacks are extremely rare.

Before the team of marine biologists, and a group of local volunteers, helped the huge fish back into the Mekong’s waters, they took some non-invasive samples to help with their better understanding of the local species and the DNA of the mighty Mekong River.

Then, extra care was taken as the fish was carefully manhandled back into the water, avoiding the barb that could have ruined the day of any of the rescuers.

Local conservationists noted that coming across a sample of this species, at such a colossal size, was a rare event. Despite the rare find there are numerous local stories of even bigger ‘rays’ being caught and hacked up for sale at local food markets. “HOW big was the stingray?!”
https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/environ ... kong-river
SOURCE: New York Times

Had to laugh at the KT's "Giant Trout" headline. Brilliant.

May 20, 2022
Giant trout weighing over 180kg caught by fishermen set free
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea / Khmer Times

A giant freshwater female trout weighing more than 180 kilogrammes caught by fishermen in the Mekong River has been released into waters after it was handed over to Stung Treng provincial fishery officials for conservation.

Stung Treng Provincial Fishery Officer Chan Bunsoeun told Khmer Times on Friday that this giant freshwater trout or Urogymnus Polylepis [its scientific name] was caught by a group of Cambodian fishermen last week in the Mekong River in Cambodian-Lao-Border, in Siem Bok commune’s Koh Preah commune.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501079362/ ... -set-free/

Great video here for those who are interested in the capture and release of the Giant Stingray in the Mekong (with English subtitles) :