The State of Marine
Ecosystem Observationsin Malaysia
Presented at:
11th Asia Pacific Biodiversity Observation Network(APBON) Workshop
Double Tree by Hilton, Kuala Lumpur
26th June 2019

Presented by:
Affendi Yang Amri
President
Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences (MSMS)
msms.society@gmail.com

Introduction

Pulau Boheydulang, Tun Sakaran MPA, Sabah, Malaysia

MALAYSIA (PM, SBH, SRWK): DIFFERENTMANAGEMENT AND ISSUES
Sabah Parks
Federal Marine Parks

Sabah

Peninsular Malaysia

Sarawak Forestry CorporationSarawak

MALAYSIA: DIFFERENT MEOWsRealm: Central Indo-Pacific

Province
Ecoregion: Sunda Shelf: 117 – Sunda Shelf/Java Sea
118 – Malacca Strait

ProvinceEcoregion: Western Coral Triangle: 126 – Palawan/North Borneo

Observations of global biogeographic patternsof coastal and shelf areas
Spalding et. al. (2007)

The richest
marine region

USD
5,000/ha/year
USD
190,000/ha/yearUSD
30,000/ha/year

USD
350,000/ha/year

Costanza et al (2014)

PRESENTATION FLOWMangrove Forests

Coral Reefs
Related organisms:- Seaweeds- Marine mammals- Seahorses

Seagrass Meadows

STATE OF OBSERVATIONS
Ecosystem

Mangrove forests

Coral reefs

SeagrassmeadowsLocation

Species Diversity

Area size

Relatedorganisms(SW, MM, SH)Mangrove Forests

Current State of Mangrove Forest Reserves
Status of Mangrove Forest
Reserves in Malaysia (2016)

Sabah403,873 ha

Sarawak

72,545 haPeninsularMalaysia

105,726 ha

Grand Total 582,144 ha
Compendium of Environmental Statistics 2017

Malaysia: The Diversity ofMangrove Plant Species

Iconic Mangrove Conservation Sites
Malaysia’s Mangrove RAMSAR sites:
PM, Johor: Tg. Piai; Pulau Kukup; Sg. Pulai.
Sarawak: Kuching Wetlands National Park.
Sabah: Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands; Kota Kinabalu Wetlands.
Langkawi Mangroves of Kedah: A UNESCO Global Geopark. Total
conservation for mangroves, pressured by steady increase in tourists
and tourism activities.
Matang Mangroves of Perak: Sustainable Mangrove ForestManagement. Dubbed the world’s best managed mangroves.
Expanded in size 39,821 ha in 1970 to 40,466 ha in 2015.
Merbok Mangroves of Kedah: Nominated for UNESCO Man and the
Biosphere Reserve & UNESCO Global Geopark.

Coral Reefs

WHERE? EXTENT?
“Reefs at Risk in South East Asia” Burke et al. (2002)
Malaysia has 4,006 km2 of reef area
(87% at medium or higher threat)
Only 7% of reefs are in MPA’s“Status of coral reefs of the world” GCRMN (2004)
Malaysia has 3,600 km2 of reef area
Only 34% of reefs are in MPA’s

Shallow clear water reefs are easy to observe
Submerged, deep or turbid water reefs?

DIVERSITY

431 spTotal number of Scleractiniancoral species in Peninsular
Malaysia is 480 species
63 sp

245 spDIVERSITY

Sabah has a total of 471
species of hard corals(including 4 families of nonscleractinian corals)

IMPORTANCEHuang et al (2015)

East coast of PM one of the highest
rare hard coral species (70)

Huang et al (2016)

IMPORTANCEThe Coral Triangle of the World

Veron et al (2009) Delineating the Coral Triangle. Galaxea 11:91-100

Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste

IMPORTANCE

Veron et al. (2015)“Sunda shelf ecoregion now qualifies for inclusion in the Coral Triangle”
Veron et al. (2015)

MONITORING AND CONSERVATION
Sabah1) Tunku Abdul Rahman Park – 1974
2) Turtle Islands Park – 1977
3) Pulau Tiga Park – 19784) Tun Sakaran Marine Park – 2004
5) Sipadan Island Park – 2004
6) Tun Mustapha Park – 2016 (nearly 9000 km2)
* Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA) - 2001Sarawak1) Pulau Talang Satang National Park
– 1999 turtle conservation
2) Miri-Sibuti Marine Park – 2007 coral reef3) Luconia Shoals Marine National Park– 2018 (> 10,000 km2)
Peninsular Malaysia
1) Kedah Marine Parks – 1989 (Pulau Payar)
2) Terengganu Marine Parks – 1994 (Pulau Redang)3) Pahang Marine Parks – 1994 (Pulau Tioman)
4) Johor Marine Parks – 1994 (Pulau Tinggi)5) Federal Territory Marine Parks – 1994 (Pulau Labuan)

MONITORING AND CONSERVATIONMONITORING AND CONSERVATIONMONITORING AND CONSERVATIONMONITORING AND CONSERVATION

Reef Check Malaysia

ISSUES• Extent of reef area is not known• Need more observation areas in Sarawak• Priority areas to be determined and observed in finer scale• Monitoring format/styles• Data quality and management

Seagrass MeadowsMalaysia
3 families
8 genera
16 species

Estuarine
Seagrass

Backreef
Seagrass
ForereefSeagrassBad News
Anecdotal accounts ofloss since the 2000’s.

Worse News
“What’s seagrass???”IssueStatusArea

1,630 ha (Fortes et al, 2018)
But many meadows remain unmapped

Conservation status

No direct protection

Main threats

Land reclamation, dredging, light quality decline

Observation Networks Ecosystem mapping is challenging:Intertidal seagrass turbid estuarine environments
Subtidal seagrass > 5 m water depth, ~5 m visibility
Seagrass Watch citizen science monitoring:
No long-term, consistent programmes
Limited to a few intertidal meadowsSeaweeds

SEAWEED RESOURCES OF MALAYSIA
Algae Research Group, University of Malaya
Phang Siew-Moi, Lim Phaik-Eem, Yeong Hui-YinBotanica Marina (2019) 62(3):265-273

Research Areas:

Phang SM, Yeong HY, Lim PE

Inventory & Diversity Studies
Molecular Taxonomy, Phylogenetics, Genetic Diversity – focus on commercially important species
Mass cultivation & Micropropagation of Commercial Seaweeds
Utilisation of Seaweeds – nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, pharmaceuticals, fertilizer, biofuel
Seaweeds & Climate Change – halocarbon emissions from tropical seaweeds.

Phang 6/19

INVENTORY & DIVERSITY STUDIES
1. Discovering New Species

12 newspecies
describedsince1995

Mesospora elongata Poong, Lim & Phang 2013

Pterocladiella phangiae Jelveh,
Lim & Maggs (2013)

Halymenia malaysiana P.-L. Tan, P.E. Lim, S.-M. Lin S.-M. Phang 2015

Kappaphycus malesianus Tan, Lim & Phang (2013)

Pterocladiella megasporangia Jelveh, Lim & Phang (2013)

Sargassum stolonifolium
Phang & Yoshida 1995

Halymenia johorensis P.-L. Tan, P.E. Lim, S.-M. Lin S.-M. Phang 2017

Batrachospermum phangii
T Johnson, PE Lim, ML Vis 2014

Phang 6/19

Mesospora indopacifica
Poong, Lim, Phang 2017

Mesospora lombokensis
Poong, Lim, Phang 2017

Batrachospermum tapirense
Kumano & Phang 1987

Padina sulcata Ni-NiWin, S.G.A. Draisma &H. Kawai33

Molecular Taxonomy, Phylogenetics, Genetic Diversity – focus on commercially important species

Diversity of Gelidiales
Species of Gelidiales are important sources ofagar; little known.
8 species of Gelidiales previously reported fromMalaysia ( Silva et al., 1996; Phang et al,2008).
New records include Pterocladiella beachii andPterocladiella bartlettii
New species:
Pterocladiella phangiae Jelveh, Lim & Maggs(2013)
Pterocladiella megasporangia Jelveh, Lim &Phang (2013)

Kappaphycus

Genomes & Phylogenetics ofGracilaria

Song SL, Yong HS, Lim PE, Phang SM

Complete mitochondrial
genome of G. changii(mitogenome size:25729 bp)

Phang 6/1934

Marine Mammals

Marine mammal species diversity in Malaysia

Cetacea
26 species of cetaceans
1 species of sirenian= 27 known species
from live sighting andstranding records

Ref: Ponnampalam, L. S. 2012.
Opportunistic observations on
the distribution of cetaceansin the Malaysian South China,Sulu and Sulawesi Seas andan updated checklist ofmarine mammals in Malaysia.
The Raffles Bulletin ofZoology 60(1): 221 - 231

DelphinidaeIrrawaddy dolphin
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin
Common bottlenose dolphin
Spinner dolphin
Pantropical spotted dolphin
Striped dolphin
Fraser’s dolphin
Long-beaked common dolphin
Short-finned pilot whale
False killer whale
Melon-headed whale
Pygmy killer whale
Killer whale
Rough-toothed dolphin
Risso’s dolphin

Sperm whale

Physeteridae

Sirenia
Balaenopteridae
Omura’s whale
Bryde’s whale
Blue whale
Fin whale
Humpback whale

Kogiidae
Pygmy spermwhale

Ziphiidae
Cuvier’s beaked whale
Ginkgo-toothed whale

PhocoenidaeIndo-Pacific finless
porpoiseDugongidae
Dugong

Marine mammals are protected under
Malaysian laws
• Fisheries Act 1985 (Part VI, Aquatic Animals)• Fisheries (Control of Endangered Species) Regulations 1999
All marine mammal species in Malaysia are listed as ‘marine
endangered species’• Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998 (Sarawak)• Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 (Sabah)• Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES)Malaysia recognized with 5 IUCN
Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMA)

SatunLangkawi
Archipelago
IMMAMatang
Mangroves andCoastal Waters
IMMAMersing
ArchipelagoIMMACandidate
IMMA: Brunei
Bay
Similajau-Kuala
NyalauCoastline
IMMAKuching BayIMMACandidate
IMMA: Lower
Kinabatangan
Estuarine andCoastal Area

Seahorses

Malaysian Seahorses
12 species of seahorses (1dwarf & 4 pygmy)
Widespread in Malaysianwaters.
Found in all marine habitats
nationwide

Photo from Teng JS

Seahorse hotspots

Current Threats Affecting
Seahorses in Malaysia
Habitat Degradation &Destruction
Overfishing
Traditional Medicine andCurio Trade
Illegal Aquaculture Release
No legal protection.
(Lim et al. 2011)

Moving forward
Significant interest in seahorseaquaculture nationwide.
Citizen science initiatives
Seahorses in Malaysian local
cultures, traditional medicine &trade
Special area of conservation forseahorses

Summary

STATE OF ECOSYSTEM OBSERVATIONS

Ecosystem

Location

Species Diversity

Area size

Relatedorganisms(SW, MM, SH)

Mangrove forests

HighHighHigh

MM, SH

Coral reefs

MediumMediumMediumSW, SH

Seagrass
meadows

Low

High

Low

SW, MM, SH

WHAT NEXT?

••
•••••

Location - diversity surveys e.g. Sarawak
Area size observations
Location/Diversity of MPAs
Connectivity – current flow
Monsoon effectsClimate change effects
Deep sea areas (shelf edge)

How inappropriate to callthis Planet Earth when it is quite
clearly Ocean.

- Arthur C Clarke -Thank you
Acknowledgements
Mangrove forests: Dr A. Aldrie Amir
Coral reefs: Reef Check Malaysia
Seagrass meadows: Dr Jillian Ooi Lean Sim
Seaweed: Prof Phang Siew Moi, Dr Yeong Hui Yin and Prof Lim Phaik Eem
Marine mammals: Dr Louisa Ponnampalam & Mr Fairul Izmal Jamal Hisne
Seahorses: Dr Adam Lim

Roles ofMangroves

Ecosystem Functionsand Services

Provisioning:
Goods and Products
Regulating:Natural ProcessesSupporting:Natural processes that maintainother ecosystem services

Cultural:Non-material benefits

Forest resources
Fisheries
Genetic resources
Bio-chemicals & Medicine
Blue carbon
Coastal protection
Water regulation
Bio-filtration
Nutrient cycling
Soil stabilization
Primary production
Oxygen production
Provision of habitat
AestheticEducation
Recreation
Heritage and SpiritualIMPORTANCE

Diversity of hard corals(Scleractinia) inSouth China Sea

Huang et al (2015)

Fortes, Ooi, Tan, Prathep, Bujang, Yaakub (2018). Botanica Marina.

LC but decreasing
Vulnerable

Calling attention to Seagrass FunctionsJuvenile fish dominate fish populations in lagoonal
seagrass(Aziz Arshad et al, 2006)
6x more juvenile fish in forereef seagrass than coral reefs(Nina Ho, MSc thesis, 2018)

Seagrass as important capture fisheries and gleaning
grounds(Japar Sidik Bujang et al, 2006)
Forereef seagrass dominated by food fish, as opposed toaquaria fish in coral reefs(Nina Ho, MSc thesis, 2018)
Dugongs are strategic grazers in seagrass meadows –Intertidal
have potential
as greatcarbon
they haveseagrassfavorite feedingareas evenin lowdensity
stores…butmeadows maybe not?
(Rozaimiet al, 2017)(Heng Wei Khang et al, GEF
DSCP Project
MY4Final Report, 2019)

PRODUCTION & UTILISATION OF TROPICAL SEAWEEDS
Tissue & Protoplast Culture

Bioremediation with Seaweeds

Off-shore Cultivation

Climate Change & Tropical Seaweeds

BiofuelPhang 6/19

SEASTax- Southeast Asian Seaweed Taxonomy
Consortium

OUTPUTSTHE UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA COLLECTIONS OF ALGAE
UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA
ALGAE CULTURE
COLLECTION(UMACC)

UNIVERSITY OF MALAYASEAWEEDS AND
SEAGRASSES HERBARIUM

Phang SM & Chu WL. 2004
The University of Malaya Algae Culture
Collection (UMACC) and potential
applications of a unique Chlorella fromthe collection. Jap. J. Phycol. 52: 221-224

The largest collection ofseaweeds and seagrasses inMalaysia
Phang SM . 2000
Seagrasses ofMalaysia, Universityof Malaya Botanical
Monographs No. 2,60p.

Phang SM, Yeong HY,
Lim PE (2019) The
seaweed resources ofMalaysia. Botanica
Marina 62(3): 265273.

>250 ALGAE STRAINS

25,000 SPECIMENS• tropical strains with valuablebiochemicals• represent Malaysian & regional flora• living collection for biotechnological• polar strains for environmental stress exploitation & fundamental studies
research• basis for crop improvement in• database of potential products &mariculture
processes
Phang 6/19

University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 2007

• Members from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan,Korea, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
• Senior taxonomists to mentor young taxonomists to ensure
continuity of expertise

CATALOGUE OF STRAINSThe only Microalgae Culture
Collection in Malaysia• Established after the First Taxonomy of Seaweeds Workshop,

Marine mammal research and conservation priorities inMalaysia
Research Priorities

Conservation priorities• Population assessments, distribution,ecological and habitat studies• Social structure, behavioural studies
in relation to human activities• Fisheries-related mortality (incl. directtakes)• Fisheries-linked ecological studies• Genetic assessments of taxonomy,
population structure and geneticdiversity• Impacts of oil, gas and minerals
exploration• Tourism impacts• Social science studies• Prevalence of diseases / Pathologicalstudies• Conservation economics (e.g.
valuation, Willingness To Pay, etc.)• Enforcement of existing regulations(trade, MPAs, fisheries management)• Expanding on MPAs – gazette IMMAs
as MMPAs• National marine mammal management
plans drafted and operationalised• Application of research results (realworld scenario)• Building local capacity (research,veterinary, communications,management, enforcement,
stakeholder involvements)• Increase awareness levels atgovernmental level, local
communities, general public• Necessitating MMO requirements inO&G explorative activities• Regional transboundary collaboration

Malaysian Seahorses
Hippocampus kuda
Hippicampus trimaculatus
Hippocampus spinosissimus
Hippocampus comes
Hippocampus barbouri
Hippocampus keloggi
Hippocampus histrix
Hippocampus mohnikei
Hippocampus bargibanti
Hippocampus denise
Hippocampus pontiohi
Hippocampus satomiae

Photo from Teng JS

Malaysia’s Marine Biodiversity:
Inventory and Current Status (2011)
Kamarruddin Ibrahim, Che Abdul Rahim Mohamed, Mohammad
Rozaimi Jamaludin, Kee Alfian Abd Adzis, Fitra Aizura Zulkifli,
Lee Jen Nie (Eds)

Department of Marine Park Malaysia
and EKOMAR, UKM

Sabah has a total of 471
species of hard corals(including 4 families of nonscleractinian corals)

Total number of Scleractiniancoral species in Peninsular
Malaysia is 480 species
There are 245 species in its SouthCoast, 63 species in its West Coastand 431 species in its East CoastSharks, rays and chimaeras,collectively known as Chondrichthyes
or cartilaginous fishes

Chondrichthyan biodiversity in thewaters of Malaysia and Brunei
Darussalam is among the richest in thisregion with at least 140 species
Malaysia has 7 out of 8 orders of sharks
recorded throughout the world. They areHexanchiformes, Squaliformes,Squatiniformes, Heterodontiformes,Orectolobiformes, Lamniformes andCarcharhiniformes. The one that is yet tobe recorded is Pristiophoriformes (sawsharks).
Surveys conducted between 1999 and2004 found two new species of swellshark namely Cephaloscyllium
sarawakensis and C. circulopullumPonnampalam (2012) Raffles Bulletin of Zoology

The Decapoda (literally meaning “tenfooted”) are an order of crustaceansof the class Malacostraca, which
includemany
familiar
andeconomically important species suchas crayfish, crabs, lobsters, prawns
and shrimp

After collecting scientific writings andcompilations of marine shelled mollusca
data in Malaysia, a total of 581 species
have been recorded (384 species fromclass Gastropoda and 197 species fromclass Bivalvia).
The number of species from theseavailable documents seems far too small
than the total number of described marine
shelled molluscs. Based on essentiallynon-overlapping regional checklists by
Bouchet (2006), 52,525 species of marine
molluscs were documentedFour families (Cucumariidae,Holothuriidae, Stichopodidae, andSynaptidae), 11 genera, and 33
species of sea cucumber.
Only 2.36% (33 out of 1,400
species worldwide) of sea
cucumbers

Six families (Acanthasteridae,Asteropseidae, Echinasteridae,
Mithorodiidae, Ophidiasteridae,and Oreasteridae), 13 genera,
and 19 species of sea star
only 1.06% (19 out of 1,800
species worldwide) of sea stars