PROJECT INTRODUCTION
The Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Sutera Harbour Resort (SHR) are co-organising a project on gathering baseline data on the biodiversity and coral reef condition in Kota Kinabalu primarily through citizen science (volunteers).
The project with the theme “Sustaining Kota Kinabalu’s Marine Heritage” is co-sponsored by Jebsen & Jessen (SEA) as part of their Meet a Green Need programme 2018. The programme combines corporate volunteering with funding for projects that meet a specific social or environmental essential in the region. The initiative has helped to meet local needs in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
The project commenced in 2018, coinciding with the 3rd International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2018, which is designated once in a decade. This project is set to mark another smart collective milestone in the effort to better protect the marine life. The IYOR is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness on the value and importance of coral reefs and threats to their sustainability; and encouraging people to take action by protecting them. This initiative has created mutual partnerships between individuals, the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOS) with the fundamental goals to save our reefs.
The reef cover in Malaysia is approximately 3,600km² in which 75% of it is located off the coast of Sabah. Kota Kinabalu lies on the fringes of the Coral Triangle, a region that is home to the highest marine biodiversity in the world with 2,500 species of marine fishes, 600 species of hard corals, 34% of the world’s coral reefs and 30% of the world’s mangrove forests.
Parts of the Kota Kinabalu coastline are fringed with important marine ecosystems such as mangroves, rocky shores, sandy beaches, seagrass beds and coral reefs. These ecosystems through fisheries and marine products support huge populations and protect the coastline from natural coastal processes such as erosion.
However, pressures that are caused by human activities such as unsustainable fishing practices, unplanned coastal development, exasperated by climate change, the lack of adequate waste management systems and habitat destruction; have taken a heavy toll on these marine ecosystems.
In the realisation of this, the Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Sutera Harbour Resort are pooling resources to save our coral reefs. Through smart collective collaborations with the State government and government agencies – these efforts are aimed at protecting our endangered ecosystem.
At present, very little information is available on the reefs and other marine ecosystems of Kota Kinabalu, particularly outside the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP).
Through citizen science, this project aims to collect valuable fresh data on ecosystem status and sustainability, while at the same time create awareness on the importance of the marine ecosystems. Public participation in research and monitoring endeavours will also instil a sense of stewardship towards the environment.
Three main components in this project:
Coral reefs
• Participants will collect representative baseline data on the biodiversity and the condition of the coral reefs in Kota Kinabalu waters, while identifying present impacts or stress to the reefs.
• To participate in the reef surveys, all volunteers must have a SCUBA diving qualification and competent diving skills.
• Volunteers and stakeholders will undergo training and briefing prior to data collection in order to be able to identify key species and/or assess coral reef condition.
Shoreline ecosystems
• Participants will gather information on the marine flora and fauna of the shoreline/foreshore ecosystems such as the sandy beaches and rocky shores along the Kota Kinabalu coastline and islands.
• Through the beach combing exercise; trash and marine debris will be collected and sorted into categories, which will highlight the common types of debris that end up in our sea.
Water
• The water body that connects all ecosystems and the plankton that live in the water column are important features of the sea.
• Water samples will be collected and analysed for plankton diversity and key parameters such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, etc. Participants will have the opportunity to examine and identify plankton from collected water samples under microscope.
OBJECTIVES
The overarching goal of this AUP is to be inclusive, by engaging a pool of volunteers to participate in the baseline data collection on the marine biodiversity and coastal ecosystems of Kota Kinabalu.
1. To establish a representative data baseline of the biodiversity and condition of the coral reefs in and around Kota Kinabalu waters with a focus on UMS and SHR area, and the immediate surroundings of TARP and other islands in Kota Kinabalu.
2. To gather information on the marine flora and fauna of the shoreline/foreshore coastline ecosystems (sandy beaches and rocky shores) along Kota Kinabalu and the surrounding islands.
3. To determine the plankton diversity in Kota Kinabalu waters (including algal bloom events).
4. To identify present impacts on the reefs and determine possible affirmative actions to mitigate the threats in the focus area.
International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2018
International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 1997 was launched by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) during the Eighth International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in 1996 in Panama with the goal to raise global awareness of the value of coral reefs and the challenges the face. At that time, it was estimated that 10% of the world’s reefs have been degraded and 70% of the reefs may disappear within 40 years if present trends continue. The 2nd once-in-a-decade IYOR 2008 continued to increase awareness of coral reefs and promote sustainable management of reefs through year-long campaign of events and initiatives around the world. Year 2018 will mark the 3rd IYOR and it encourages:
• The strengthening of global awareness of coral reefs and ecosystems;
• The promotion of partnerships between government, private sector, academia & civil society on coral reefs;
• The management strategies for marine conservation; and
• The information and best practices sharing, for sustainable coral reef management.
TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN PARK
The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP) was established in 1974 and comprised of Sapi Island a large part of Gaya Island, covering an area of 36.4 km2. The inclusion of Manukan, Mamutik, and Sulug islands in 1979 expanded the park area to 49.3 km2. Several reef surveys in the past reported 74 genera and 207 species of hard corals, and 83 families and 573 species of reef fish.
Reports on reef status data collected using Reef Check method is available on 2009 onwards for Gaya Island, and 2012 onwards for the other islands in TARP. Between 2012 and 2016, annual surveys were made ranging from 8 to 13 reef sites. Average hard coral cover appeared to have decreased slightly from 37.6% in 2014 to 32.4% in 2015 (Figure 1). In 2016, only 8 out of the 13 sites were surveyed and average hard coral cover was reported to be 49.6%.
