RAYONG, Thailand – Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin ordered the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to conduct an urgent investigation after millions of pink sea cucumbers washed ashore along Suan Son Beach in Tambon Phe, Mueang District, Rayong Province, on June 6, turning several hundred meters of coastline a vivid pink-red and drawing considerable attention from beachgoers. The Minister directed the Department’s Director-General, Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi, to dispatch officials to the site immediately to investigate the situation. A joint survey team from Marine and Coastal Resources Regional Office 1 confirmed the organisms are sea cucumbers—specifically the pink sea cucumber with the scientific name Cercodemas anceps. The species is a soft-bodied, cylindrical invertebrate that inhabits the seabed, identifiable by small surface spines and a color range from vivid pink to red-orange.
Marine experts explained that sea cucumbers play a vital role in marine ecosystems, processing and decomposing organic matter on the seafloor — a function that has earned them the designation “housekeepers of the sea” for their contribution to maintaining ecological balance in underwater environments. Officials believe the phenomenon was caused by strong storm activity and heavy swells that dislodged the creatures from the seabed and drove them ashore, and described the occurrence as a rare natural phenomenon. The public has been advised to avoid direct contact with sea cucumbers, as some species release defensive secretions that may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. (NNT)
