Dates: April 19-22 (Sat-Tues)
Location: Pulau Tioman
The Marine SIG is having a special programme in conjunction with Dive In To Earth Day, culminating on 22 April, which is Earth Day itself. We will be having three simultaneous programmes over four days – a dive trip, an open water course and Kelab Pencinta Alam (KPA) activities for Tekek schoolchildren.
Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 to promote the ideas of ecology, encourage respect for life on Earth, and highlight growing concern over pollution. It is now celebrated in some 140 nations annually.
Dive Trip (4D/3N)
This trip package includes:
1. Stay at Panuba Resort, Tioman Island
2. Speedboat from Mersing to Tioman, and from Tioman to Mersing
3. Six dives
4. Dive equipment (you are encouraged to bring your own mask, snorkel & fins)
5. Breakfast on 20, 21 & 22 April
6. One BBQ dinner
7. One coral reef cleanup
Travel to and from Mersing is by car-pooling/bus, where the costs will be borne by each individual participant.
Member price: RM800
Non-member price: RM870 (includes 1-year MNS membership)
Please make booking payment of RM200 by Monday, March 3, 2008.
Please make full payment by Monday, March 17, 2008.
Interested individuals are to contact Khor Hui Min (mobile: 017-881-7714, e-mail: khor.hm@gmail.com) for booking as soon as possible, as places are limited.
Open water dive course (PADI)(4D/3N)
This trip package includes:
1. Theory classes at Sri Hartamas, from mid-March to early April prior to trip
2. Stay at Panuba Resort, Tioman Island
3. Speedboat from Mersing to Tioman, and from Tioman to Mersing
4. Dive equipment (you are encouraged to bring your own mask, snorkel & fins)
5. Breakfast on 20, 21 & 22 Apr
6. One BBQ dinner
7. One beach cleanup
Travel to and from Mersing is by car-pooling/bus, where the costs will be borne by each individual participant.
Member price: RM1,200
Non-member price: RM1,270 (includes 1-year MNS membership)
Please make booking payment of RM200 by Monday, February 18, 2008.
Please make full payment by Monday, March 3, 2008.
Interested individuals are to contact Khor Hui Min (mobile: 017-881-7714, e-mail: khor.hm@gmail.com) for booking as soon as possible, as places are limited.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Workshop: Coral Identification
Date: January 5 (Sat)
Time: 9am-noon
Location: Auditorium, MNS HQ, Jalan Kelantan
Facilitator: Affendi Yang Amri
About this workshop
Interested to know more about one of the wonders of our oceans? Come and find out about corals. Affendi Yang Amri, one of our esteemed marine biologists, will share his knowledge and experience in the methods of identifying corals.
Participants will be exposed to the basic ecology and taxonomy of hard corals a.k.a. Scleractinian corals. The method to differentiate between a hard coral, soft coral and sea anemone would also be included. A detailed explanation will be given on the aspects to look for in determining a hard coral species up to the taxonomic family level while using the CORAL ID software and various coral specimens. At the end of the workshop, it is hoped that participants would be able to recognise a hard coral and identify it considerably well.
This workshop is suitable for a wide range of people, including divers, snorkellers, students, nature enthusiasts and researchers.
About the facilitator
Affendi Yang Amri started out as a mangrove man but chose to concentrate on corals thereafter and is in the midst of finishing his PhD in thermal biology of scleractinian coral (hard corals). The course of his work took him to coral reefs all over Asia - from pristine undiscovered areas in Australia back to the balmy waters of Malaysia and Indonesia and to as far north as Japan. One of his most memorable dives in the frigid waters of Okinawa was a descent into surprisingly warm temperatures as a result of seeping fresh lava that still glowed red and bubbled with sulphur.
Affendi’s name is often mentioned in relation to creatures far removed from coral reefs. He was appointed Project Leader for the University of Malaya Maritime Research Centre ’s (UM Maritime’s) dugong project. Again studying a Malaysian animal that nobody knows much about, Affendi led a pioneering team of scientists and volunteers to the islands of Sibu-Tinggi to find out more about this mystical creature and its ecosystem.
Register now!
As places are limited, please call Khatijah at 013-7708204 to book your place now. This workshop is free of charge, but donations are welcome.
Do not miss this opportunity to know more about the corals you see in the ocean!
Special addition to the programme: A brief slide show about seahorse surveys will be presented at the end of the workshop.
Time: 9am-noon
Location: Auditorium, MNS HQ, Jalan Kelantan
Facilitator: Affendi Yang Amri
About this workshop
Interested to know more about one of the wonders of our oceans? Come and find out about corals. Affendi Yang Amri, one of our esteemed marine biologists, will share his knowledge and experience in the methods of identifying corals.
Participants will be exposed to the basic ecology and taxonomy of hard corals a.k.a. Scleractinian corals. The method to differentiate between a hard coral, soft coral and sea anemone would also be included. A detailed explanation will be given on the aspects to look for in determining a hard coral species up to the taxonomic family level while using the CORAL ID software and various coral specimens. At the end of the workshop, it is hoped that participants would be able to recognise a hard coral and identify it considerably well.
This workshop is suitable for a wide range of people, including divers, snorkellers, students, nature enthusiasts and researchers.
About the facilitator
Affendi Yang Amri started out as a mangrove man but chose to concentrate on corals thereafter and is in the midst of finishing his PhD in thermal biology of scleractinian coral (hard corals). The course of his work took him to coral reefs all over Asia - from pristine undiscovered areas in Australia back to the balmy waters of Malaysia and Indonesia and to as far north as Japan. One of his most memorable dives in the frigid waters of Okinawa was a descent into surprisingly warm temperatures as a result of seeping fresh lava that still glowed red and bubbled with sulphur.
Affendi’s name is often mentioned in relation to creatures far removed from coral reefs. He was appointed Project Leader for the University of Malaya Maritime Research Centre ’s (UM Maritime’s) dugong project. Again studying a Malaysian animal that nobody knows much about, Affendi led a pioneering team of scientists and volunteers to the islands of Sibu-Tinggi to find out more about this mystical creature and its ecosystem.
Register now!
As places are limited, please call Khatijah at 013-7708204 to book your place now. This workshop is free of charge, but donations are welcome.
Do not miss this opportunity to know more about the corals you see in the ocean!
Special addition to the programme: A brief slide show about seahorse surveys will be presented at the end of the workshop.
Local communities in seahorse conservation
By Khor Hui Min & Mohala Santharamohana
Photo by Mohala Santharamohana
We and fellow conservationists in Save Our Seahorses (SOS) are alarmed at the pessimistic outlook for the watery “grasslands” and the diverse flora and fauna, including seahorses, which co-exist or depend on them for their continued survival.
Unfortunately, seagrass meadows, once abundant, are slowly being decimated by coastal developments along seashores worldwide. This in turn, has led to the decline in threatened species living in the seagrass meadows, or which depend on them during part of their life cycles. In the Philippines alone, the seahorse population declined by 70% from 1985 to 1995. In Malaysia, the loss of seagrass meadows, which are nurseries for fish fry, has led to dwindling fish catch. According to villagers at Pendas, Johor, a fisherman could make an average of RM100 a day twenty years ago. Today, they are lucky to make that amount in a week.
Recognising the need for increasing effort in awareness and education among people about seagrass meadows and seahorses, besides other unique creatures that live therein, Marine SIG has committed itself to long-term conservation and protection of seagrass meadows in Malaysia, especially the threatened 40-hectare seagrass bed at the Sungai Pulai Estuary area in Johor.
We are happy to support and collaborate with SOS in the ABN-AMRO conservation project at the Sungai Pulai Estuary. The recent 24-25 November trip was indeed satisfying, because we had two seagrass survey workshops for the locals over the weekend. The workshop on 24 November was organised for the Pendas community, while the workshop on 25 November was organised for the Seletar community at Kg. Simpang Arang a little further away.
In this way, local communities become more aware of scientific data collection methods and gain more knowledge about their marine heritage. We are also thankful to the 15 MNS volunteers who participated in the workshops and seagrass surveys, including 5 who came all the way from Penang!
To date, not much is known about seahorses due to a lack of research data. The bigger species are estimated to live from 3-5 years while smaller ones, a year. What’s alarming is the future of seahorses is increasingly uncertain. Apart from contending with its natural predators such as rays, skates, crabs and tuna, seahorses are fast losing their homes.
You can play your part to preserve this intriguing animal. For example, never buy seahorse souvenirs and never attempt to raise a seahorse in a home aquarium. You could also volunteer with SOS. To sign up, log on to www.sosmalaysia.org. Alternatively, you could always e-mail us at khorhmin@yahoo.co.uk to know more.
The experience of wading in ankle, knee or chest high waters is one you will never forget. You will also add new skills to your repertoire, such as laying transect lines and assessing quadrants to identify seagrass species. So, we hope to see you out there at the seagrass meadows doing your part for conservation some time soon!
Photo by Mohala Santharamohana
We and fellow conservationists in Save Our Seahorses (SOS) are alarmed at the pessimistic outlook for the watery “grasslands” and the diverse flora and fauna, including seahorses, which co-exist or depend on them for their continued survival.
Unfortunately, seagrass meadows, once abundant, are slowly being decimated by coastal developments along seashores worldwide. This in turn, has led to the decline in threatened species living in the seagrass meadows, or which depend on them during part of their life cycles. In the Philippines alone, the seahorse population declined by 70% from 1985 to 1995. In Malaysia, the loss of seagrass meadows, which are nurseries for fish fry, has led to dwindling fish catch. According to villagers at Pendas, Johor, a fisherman could make an average of RM100 a day twenty years ago. Today, they are lucky to make that amount in a week.
Recognising the need for increasing effort in awareness and education among people about seagrass meadows and seahorses, besides other unique creatures that live therein, Marine SIG has committed itself to long-term conservation and protection of seagrass meadows in Malaysia, especially the threatened 40-hectare seagrass bed at the Sungai Pulai Estuary area in Johor.
We are happy to support and collaborate with SOS in the ABN-AMRO conservation project at the Sungai Pulai Estuary. The recent 24-25 November trip was indeed satisfying, because we had two seagrass survey workshops for the locals over the weekend. The workshop on 24 November was organised for the Pendas community, while the workshop on 25 November was organised for the Seletar community at Kg. Simpang Arang a little further away. In this way, local communities become more aware of scientific data collection methods and gain more knowledge about their marine heritage. We are also thankful to the 15 MNS volunteers who participated in the workshops and seagrass surveys, including 5 who came all the way from Penang!
To date, not much is known about seahorses due to a lack of research data. The bigger species are estimated to live from 3-5 years while smaller ones, a year. What’s alarming is the future of seahorses is increasingly uncertain. Apart from contending with its natural predators such as rays, skates, crabs and tuna, seahorses are fast losing their homes.
You can play your part to preserve this intriguing animal. For example, never buy seahorse souvenirs and never attempt to raise a seahorse in a home aquarium. You could also volunteer with SOS. To sign up, log on to www.sosmalaysia.org. Alternatively, you could always e-mail us at khorhmin@yahoo.co.uk to know more.
The experience of wading in ankle, knee or chest high waters is one you will never forget. You will also add new skills to your repertoire, such as laying transect lines and assessing quadrants to identify seagrass species. So, we hope to see you out there at the seagrass meadows doing your part for conservation some time soon!
Sharks Ahoy at Alice Smith KL
By Serina Rahman
As the six young Nature Detectives stepped into Mrs Lim (better known to MNS birders as Bing)’s library, their eyes widened in excitement. Parked quietly on their favourite carpet was a big (inflatable) shark.
And there I was ready to fill their minds with shark trivia. It’s always exciting to work with little kids and talk to them about marine life. But nothing quite gets to them as much as the shark.
Most children know a lot about sharks already – how they have many many teeth and love the taste of humans. But it was a discerning lot that day at Alice Smith as they could tell me that sharks don’t mean to bite – they’re just being curious. Or that their traditional prey had all been shot by man. While some had eaten shark fin soup, others were aware of its origins and the children were suitably saddened by the image of drowned finless sharks.
But the afternoon was not all about sad thoughts; it was a session to celebrate all that is wonderful about this top predator of our seas. And the children jumped at the chance to discover the many weird shapes and sizes of sharks that they had never seen or heard of before.
It was encouraging to see that the world’s citizens of tomorrow remain open to the possibility that sharks aren’t all that evil and bad, and that they too deserve their rightful place on this planet. If only their unbridled passion could permeate the souls of other young minds, our seas and sharks will always be ensured a safe journey. We can only hope...
To request an eye-opening shark talk for your office or school, contact Serina at serina_mola@yahoo.com. These public awareness programmes are part of the MNS Marine SIG’s Fins – Best on Sharks Campaign.
As the six young Nature Detectives stepped into Mrs Lim (better known to MNS birders as Bing)’s library, their eyes widened in excitement. Parked quietly on their favourite carpet was a big (inflatable) shark.
And there I was ready to fill their minds with shark trivia. It’s always exciting to work with little kids and talk to them about marine life. But nothing quite gets to them as much as the shark.
Most children know a lot about sharks already – how they have many many teeth and love the taste of humans. But it was a discerning lot that day at Alice Smith as they could tell me that sharks don’t mean to bite – they’re just being curious. Or that their traditional prey had all been shot by man. While some had eaten shark fin soup, others were aware of its origins and the children were suitably saddened by the image of drowned finless sharks.
But the afternoon was not all about sad thoughts; it was a session to celebrate all that is wonderful about this top predator of our seas. And the children jumped at the chance to discover the many weird shapes and sizes of sharks that they had never seen or heard of before.
It was encouraging to see that the world’s citizens of tomorrow remain open to the possibility that sharks aren’t all that evil and bad, and that they too deserve their rightful place on this planet. If only their unbridled passion could permeate the souls of other young minds, our seas and sharks will always be ensured a safe journey. We can only hope...
To request an eye-opening shark talk for your office or school, contact Serina at serina_mola@yahoo.com. These public awareness programmes are part of the MNS Marine SIG’s Fins – Best on Sharks Campaign.
Of lawns, cows & horses – a talk by Jillian Ooi
By Serina Rahman
Photo by Khatijah Abdullah
With a title like that, who would guess that we were actually about to embark on a journey through fields of watery green – exploring marine meadows of seagrass chock full of weird and wonderful critters, a world so vital to the entire marine ecosystem that losing it would be a worse fate than losing our coral reefs?
So, we were enlightened by Jillian Ooi, University Malaya lecturer and passionate seagrass scientist. To many of us, it was an alien flora – isn’t seagrass the same as seaweed? Apparently not. The former has fruit, roots and flowers – and are the favourite food of dugongs. What an honour for this humble plant of the sea. And yes, they are plants.
Seagrasses are the link between mangroves and coral reefs. Their importance to the marine world varies from being a nursery and breeding ground for juvenile marine fauna to ensuring shoreline stability and protection. Economically, all local fisheries depend on the seagrass; as without it, fish numbers rapidly decline and catch volumes fall dramatically.
Interestingly, seagrass also has mythical and cultural value. It was the fruit of a humble seagrass that so entranced a pregnant maiden that she did not realise that the tide was rising – until she was enveloped by the water and transformed into a dugong.
Seagrass meadows are also host to the ever popular seahorse and its cousins the pipefish. Its fields are thriving habitats that coastal communities depend on for snails (gonggong), sea cucumbers and other nutritious foods.
Yet, in spite of its importance and value, many of us don’t realise that Malaysia has vast seagrass beds (in both East & West Malaysia) that lie unprotected and constantly threatened by development. Not enough research has been done to even document and identify the expanse of seagrass that our country is blessed with. And sadly, before we can get round to doing that research, we may lose it all.
Globally, seagrass is declining at a rate of 2-5% every year. In Malaysia, our seagrass beds are in steep decline due to pollution, badly planned land development, changes in water hydrodynamics and trawling, just to name a few.
With a vastly underestimated area of just 3.15 square kilometres of seagrass in Peninsular Malaysia (this figure is highly conservative as too many places have yet to be adequately surveyed) – our seagrass meadows are worth at least RM20,951,910 a year (calculations are based solely on its value as raw material and for nutrient cycling). Given that so many more variables could be added in to the calculation (e.g. waste management, biological control, habitat, food production, climate regulation, genetic resources, recreation, etc.), the actual worth of our seagrass savannahs is set to blow the mind.
It was a revelation for many of us. We left in awe and with a touch of sorrow – we need to get to work NOW to protect these little-understood areas. Spread the word, join an MNS/SOS trip to the seagrass fields of Johor – help us with Seagrass Watch and tell others about it. It’s the only way we can come together to save these species – and with it, all marine life as we know it.
Photo by Khatijah Abdullah
With a title like that, who would guess that we were actually about to embark on a journey through fields of watery green – exploring marine meadows of seagrass chock full of weird and wonderful critters, a world so vital to the entire marine ecosystem that losing it would be a worse fate than losing our coral reefs? So, we were enlightened by Jillian Ooi, University Malaya lecturer and passionate seagrass scientist. To many of us, it was an alien flora – isn’t seagrass the same as seaweed? Apparently not. The former has fruit, roots and flowers – and are the favourite food of dugongs. What an honour for this humble plant of the sea. And yes, they are plants.
Seagrasses are the link between mangroves and coral reefs. Their importance to the marine world varies from being a nursery and breeding ground for juvenile marine fauna to ensuring shoreline stability and protection. Economically, all local fisheries depend on the seagrass; as without it, fish numbers rapidly decline and catch volumes fall dramatically.
Interestingly, seagrass also has mythical and cultural value. It was the fruit of a humble seagrass that so entranced a pregnant maiden that she did not realise that the tide was rising – until she was enveloped by the water and transformed into a dugong.
Seagrass meadows are also host to the ever popular seahorse and its cousins the pipefish. Its fields are thriving habitats that coastal communities depend on for snails (gonggong), sea cucumbers and other nutritious foods.
Yet, in spite of its importance and value, many of us don’t realise that Malaysia has vast seagrass beds (in both East & West Malaysia) that lie unprotected and constantly threatened by development. Not enough research has been done to even document and identify the expanse of seagrass that our country is blessed with. And sadly, before we can get round to doing that research, we may lose it all.
Globally, seagrass is declining at a rate of 2-5% every year. In Malaysia, our seagrass beds are in steep decline due to pollution, badly planned land development, changes in water hydrodynamics and trawling, just to name a few.
With a vastly underestimated area of just 3.15 square kilometres of seagrass in Peninsular Malaysia (this figure is highly conservative as too many places have yet to be adequately surveyed) – our seagrass meadows are worth at least RM20,951,910 a year (calculations are based solely on its value as raw material and for nutrient cycling). Given that so many more variables could be added in to the calculation (e.g. waste management, biological control, habitat, food production, climate regulation, genetic resources, recreation, etc.), the actual worth of our seagrass savannahs is set to blow the mind.
It was a revelation for many of us. We left in awe and with a touch of sorrow – we need to get to work NOW to protect these little-understood areas. Spread the word, join an MNS/SOS trip to the seagrass fields of Johor – help us with Seagrass Watch and tell others about it. It’s the only way we can come together to save these species – and with it, all marine life as we know it.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Fins – Best on Sharks 2007 round-up
By MNS Marine SIG (Selangor Branch)
We’ve come to the end of 2007 and many things have happened… At time of writing we have 32 pledges from companies who have agreed to NOT serve shark’s fin soup at company functions and events. It seems like a small number, but it’s a start – there are several more promised pledges and most companies that we approached say that they had no intention of serving shark’s fin soup – they just had no reason to declare it… until now.
Are you working somewhere that has the same unwritten policy? Join us in this no-cost contribution to the shark population! The more companies we can get on board, the bigger the momentum will be to encourage others to stop serving shark’s fin soup.
Of the many companies who support our little campaign, special thanks go out to Maersk Line & Maersk Logistics (Maersk Malaysia Sdn Bhd) who got everything off to a rolling start by being the very first company to sign on. Kudos also to our first resort Japamala Resort, Tioman Island and first restaurant Tamarind Springs, Kuala Lumpur who have declared that they have never ever served shark’s fin soup and never intend to.
Our biggest achievement of course was having Dato’ Seri Azmi Khalid, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment sign the pledge to declare that shark’s fin soup will not be served at all functions and events run by the ministry and its agencies.
Come 2008, we will begin to offer all campaign supporters an opportunity to hold an educational shark talk on their premises. Feel free to get in touch with us if you’d like to get involved with this too.
More and more couples have been able to convince their parents and in-laws to leave shark’s fin soup out of their wedding menus. A thousand thanks to those who downloaded our wedding card and bought the printed versions. Congratulations on your recent nuptials and thanks also for the warm notes of support that you’ve sent us in spite of your busy wedding preparations.
We are glad that our awareness efforts generated responses – whether positive or negative. It is even more encouraging to see the replies sent in by members of the public in support of the shark campaign.
There does seem to be a growing global movement to reduce our impact on sharks. Japanese researchers have been testing a gelatin-replacement for shark’s fin soup, western conservationists are pushing through their fishing regulations and more Chinese celebrities are swearing off shark’s fin soup.
Newlyweds Andre and Yvonne sent us a note of encouragement upon their return from their dive honeymoon. Sadly, their many dives around south Thailand did not reward them with a single black-tip or white-tip reef shark. This is an area where many of us have enjoyed dives with tens of sharks at any one time. Those sharks are there no longer. Andre wrote, “Trawlers were parked at the marine park every night with the bright squid lights. How to survive?”
Please do continue to support our campaign and tell as many of your friends and family members to get their companies to pledge with us. It’s only a small – free! – act to carry out. Companies, schools, NGOs, associations – write us a pledge TODAY!
We’ve come to the end of 2007 and many things have happened… At time of writing we have 32 pledges from companies who have agreed to NOT serve shark’s fin soup at company functions and events. It seems like a small number, but it’s a start – there are several more promised pledges and most companies that we approached say that they had no intention of serving shark’s fin soup – they just had no reason to declare it… until now.
Are you working somewhere that has the same unwritten policy? Join us in this no-cost contribution to the shark population! The more companies we can get on board, the bigger the momentum will be to encourage others to stop serving shark’s fin soup.
Of the many companies who support our little campaign, special thanks go out to Maersk Line & Maersk Logistics (Maersk Malaysia Sdn Bhd) who got everything off to a rolling start by being the very first company to sign on. Kudos also to our first resort Japamala Resort, Tioman Island and first restaurant Tamarind Springs, Kuala Lumpur who have declared that they have never ever served shark’s fin soup and never intend to.
Our biggest achievement of course was having Dato’ Seri Azmi Khalid, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment sign the pledge to declare that shark’s fin soup will not be served at all functions and events run by the ministry and its agencies.
Come 2008, we will begin to offer all campaign supporters an opportunity to hold an educational shark talk on their premises. Feel free to get in touch with us if you’d like to get involved with this too.
More and more couples have been able to convince their parents and in-laws to leave shark’s fin soup out of their wedding menus. A thousand thanks to those who downloaded our wedding card and bought the printed versions. Congratulations on your recent nuptials and thanks also for the warm notes of support that you’ve sent us in spite of your busy wedding preparations.
We are glad that our awareness efforts generated responses – whether positive or negative. It is even more encouraging to see the replies sent in by members of the public in support of the shark campaign.
There does seem to be a growing global movement to reduce our impact on sharks. Japanese researchers have been testing a gelatin-replacement for shark’s fin soup, western conservationists are pushing through their fishing regulations and more Chinese celebrities are swearing off shark’s fin soup.
Newlyweds Andre and Yvonne sent us a note of encouragement upon their return from their dive honeymoon. Sadly, their many dives around south Thailand did not reward them with a single black-tip or white-tip reef shark. This is an area where many of us have enjoyed dives with tens of sharks at any one time. Those sharks are there no longer. Andre wrote, “Trawlers were parked at the marine park every night with the bright squid lights. How to survive?”
Please do continue to support our campaign and tell as many of your friends and family members to get their companies to pledge with us. It’s only a small – free! – act to carry out. Companies, schools, NGOs, associations – write us a pledge TODAY!
Seagrasses of Johor
By Choo Li Ann
Photos by Andy Paul
Up and ready by 7.30am on 27 Oct, we met at Kuala Lumpur Sentral to convoy to Skudai, stopping along the way for breakfast and refreshments. After a quick check-in and lunch, we were geared for what lay ahead - saving seagrass and seahorses at Sg Pulai! Warmly greeted by Mr Choo Chee Kuang, the project leader for the SOS (Save our Seahorses) programme, he gave us a quick briefing and slide show before we headed for the pier.
Bright sunshine and calm waters blessed our boat journey as we arrived at Pulau Merambong at low tide for a quick tour of the island. Mr Choo proved his expertise by providing on-the-go commentaries on everything we encountered. Ranging from mangrove trees, sea cucumbers and sea squirts, to hairy crabs, spongy anemones and living corals, bizarre yet fascinating creatures abound for us city slickers to discover!
Then off we went to the Sungai Pulai estuary, where the seagrass beds were located. Mr Choo and his assistant Sharifah then briefed us on the correct procedures in collecting the required data. Split into groups of five, we completed the tasks at hand.
We also learnt that dugongs grazed in the area and left peculiar patterns on the seagrass beds that resembled lawnmower tracks! Time flew by and soon after dusk, we were summoned back to the boats. Though we failed to find the elusive seahorse, a treasure trove of other marine creatures were found – a multi-coloured sea pen, sea snails, sea cucumbers, a huge hermit crab and a rare alligator pipefish, which was photographed by Andy to Mr Choo’s delight.
The next day, we were up bright and early for Kukup National Park. Our guide Ismail took us on a walking trail of the island as he explained the island’s various mangrove species and the importance of mangrove swamps – which acts as a filter to trap debris and shelter smaller marine life from the elements. We strained our necks and eyes, spotting mudskippers, mangrove crabs, snails, clams and even two venomous pit vipers! The walk across the hanging bridge and the climb up the 65-feet high watchtower were nerve-wracking but worth the sweeping views of the island’s lush surroundings.
Based on the collected data, Mr Choo concluded that seagrass cover dropped by 24% since last July. Degradation of seagrass meadows and mangrove swamps were evident, which could have a domino effect and impact the entire marine ecosystem. Thus, Mr Choo’s ongoing study and research on the largest seagrass bed in Peninsular Malaysia plays an important role in raising awareness for the preservation of this precious environment.
Lastly, kudos to Hui-Min and Margaret Schumacher for ‘leading’ the team on this memorable journey of discovery and Mr Choo for spearheading this worthy cause for conservation. With greater awareness, let’s hope that the plight of the seagrass beds will not fall on deaf ears and Sg Pulai’s green carpet can remain to thrive for many generations to come.
Photos by Andy Paul
Up and ready by 7.30am on 27 Oct, we met at Kuala Lumpur Sentral to convoy to Skudai, stopping along the way for breakfast and refreshments. After a quick check-in and lunch, we were geared for what lay ahead - saving seagrass and seahorses at Sg Pulai! Warmly greeted by Mr Choo Chee Kuang, the project leader for the SOS (Save our Seahorses) programme, he gave us a quick briefing and slide show before we headed for the pier.
Bright sunshine and calm waters blessed our boat journey as we arrived at Pulau Merambong at low tide for a quick tour of the island. Mr Choo proved his expertise by providing on-the-go commentaries on everything we encountered. Ranging from mangrove trees, sea cucumbers and sea squirts, to hairy crabs, spongy anemones and living corals, bizarre yet fascinating creatures abound for us city slickers to discover!Then off we went to the Sungai Pulai estuary, where the seagrass beds were located. Mr Choo and his assistant Sharifah then briefed us on the correct procedures in collecting the required data. Split into groups of five, we completed the tasks at hand.
We also learnt that dugongs grazed in the area and left peculiar patterns on the seagrass beds that resembled lawnmower tracks! Time flew by and soon after dusk, we were summoned back to the boats. Though we failed to find the elusive seahorse, a treasure trove of other marine creatures were found – a multi-coloured sea pen, sea snails, sea cucumbers, a huge hermit crab and a rare alligator pipefish, which was photographed by Andy to Mr Choo’s delight.
The next day, we were up bright and early for Kukup National Park. Our guide Ismail took us on a walking trail of the island as he explained the island’s various mangrove species and the importance of mangrove swamps – which acts as a filter to trap debris and shelter smaller marine life from the elements. We strained our necks and eyes, spotting mudskippers, mangrove crabs, snails, clams and even two venomous pit vipers! The walk across the hanging bridge and the climb up the 65-feet high watchtower were nerve-wracking but worth the sweeping views of the island’s lush surroundings.Based on the collected data, Mr Choo concluded that seagrass cover dropped by 24% since last July. Degradation of seagrass meadows and mangrove swamps were evident, which could have a domino effect and impact the entire marine ecosystem. Thus, Mr Choo’s ongoing study and research on the largest seagrass bed in Peninsular Malaysia plays an important role in raising awareness for the preservation of this precious environment.
Lastly, kudos to Hui-Min and Margaret Schumacher for ‘leading’ the team on this memorable journey of discovery and Mr Choo for spearheading this worthy cause for conservation. With greater awareness, let’s hope that the plight of the seagrass beds will not fall on deaf ears and Sg Pulai’s green carpet can remain to thrive for many generations to come.
Locals committed to protecting Tioman
By S.L. Wong
Photos by Md Rozaimi Jamaludin & Wong Wee Liem
Three years from now, they envision Tioman Island’s land and oceans protected. Three years from now, they envision being professional tourist guides both in the water and in the forests. Three years from now, they envision lots of tourists visiting the island to enjoy the different activities that will be available.
These statements came from a group of local boatmen/snorkeling guides of Tioman Island, who are keen to work towards making Tioman a sustainable tourist attraction. Based on marine friendly snorkeling programmes that the Marine SIG had been conducting for members since 2003, SIG organised a trial training programme for 22 locals last year, which was very successful. Amongst other things, the guides indicated their willingness to work towards a training and certification scheme.
As such, SIG returned to Tioman in October 2007 to determine what the community needed to be effective snorkelling guides within the larger context of their overall needs. The method used goes by the unwieldy term of a Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA).
A PRA is a tool used in development projects, which is community-oriented and is a mutual learning process to work towards a common goal. It is a methodical framework to understand and assess a community’s situation and plan for development. The knowledge of the local people is taken as a starting point and planning is done collectively.
So there they were, envisioning what they would and would not like for Tioman and themselves in three years’ time. Agreeing on an overall goal of protecting Tioman Island, two project goals were then decided: to become professional land and marine guides, and to form a snorkelling guide association.
Of participants, 12 registered, most of them from Kampung Tekek (9) while the rest were from Kampung Salang. Most had participated in last year’s training workshop.
Where do we go from here? We have been keeping Marine Parks apprised of what we are doing and shall submit the PRA report to them. Marine Parks will soon be implementing a five-year programme for four islands, including Tioman, which they have not finalised. We must make sure our programme fits in with that.
We were fortunate in having as a PRA participant, a Marine Parks officer in charge of Tioman, Izarenah Md Repin, who briefed the islanders directly as to Marine Park plans and answered their questions. Marine SIG is also considering a potential collaboration with other NGOs on sustainable island tourism, and an SIG website to support this initiative.
The PRA committee comprised Lee Siew Yeen, Wong Wee Liem, Jessica Ng, Shahrul, Lisa Lee, Md Rozaimi Jamaludin (MNS HQ) and S.L. Wong. To support our 2006 trained guides, we listed them on our blogspot, with reports of the training as part of the Tioman Island Fest 2006.
Tioman PRA Outcomes
Overall objective:
To protect Tioman Island
Project objectives:
(1) To become professional land and marine guides, and
(2) To form a snorkelling guide association
Key activities:
(1) Water and land safety training
(2) English language classes (tourist conversational level)
(3) Training on how to teach proper snorkelling techniques to tourists
(4) Capacity building in managing a community association
(5) Marine knowledge training
(6) Tourist guiding training
Photos by Md Rozaimi Jamaludin & Wong Wee Liem
Three years from now, they envision Tioman Island’s land and oceans protected. Three years from now, they envision being professional tourist guides both in the water and in the forests. Three years from now, they envision lots of tourists visiting the island to enjoy the different activities that will be available.These statements came from a group of local boatmen/snorkeling guides of Tioman Island, who are keen to work towards making Tioman a sustainable tourist attraction. Based on marine friendly snorkeling programmes that the Marine SIG had been conducting for members since 2003, SIG organised a trial training programme for 22 locals last year, which was very successful. Amongst other things, the guides indicated their willingness to work towards a training and certification scheme.
As such, SIG returned to Tioman in October 2007 to determine what the community needed to be effective snorkelling guides within the larger context of their overall needs. The method used goes by the unwieldy term of a Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA).
A PRA is a tool used in development projects, which is community-oriented and is a mutual learning process to work towards a common goal. It is a methodical framework to understand and assess a community’s situation and plan for development. The knowledge of the local people is taken as a starting point and planning is done collectively.So there they were, envisioning what they would and would not like for Tioman and themselves in three years’ time. Agreeing on an overall goal of protecting Tioman Island, two project goals were then decided: to become professional land and marine guides, and to form a snorkelling guide association.
Of participants, 12 registered, most of them from Kampung Tekek (9) while the rest were from Kampung Salang. Most had participated in last year’s training workshop.
Where do we go from here? We have been keeping Marine Parks apprised of what we are doing and shall submit the PRA report to them. Marine Parks will soon be implementing a five-year programme for four islands, including Tioman, which they have not finalised. We must make sure our programme fits in with that. We were fortunate in having as a PRA participant, a Marine Parks officer in charge of Tioman, Izarenah Md Repin, who briefed the islanders directly as to Marine Park plans and answered their questions. Marine SIG is also considering a potential collaboration with other NGOs on sustainable island tourism, and an SIG website to support this initiative.
The PRA committee comprised Lee Siew Yeen, Wong Wee Liem, Jessica Ng, Shahrul, Lisa Lee, Md Rozaimi Jamaludin (MNS HQ) and S.L. Wong. To support our 2006 trained guides, we listed them on our blogspot, with reports of the training as part of the Tioman Island Fest 2006.
Tioman PRA Outcomes
Overall objective:
To protect Tioman Island
Project objectives:
(1) To become professional land and marine guides, and
(2) To form a snorkelling guide association
Key activities:
(1) Water and land safety training
(2) English language classes (tourist conversational level)
(3) Training on how to teach proper snorkelling techniques to tourists
(4) Capacity building in managing a community association
(5) Marine knowledge training
(6) Tourist guiding training
October round up
By Serina Rahman
It's the last quarter of 2008 and the shark campaign is trundling along. There have been interesting responses in the main press to proponents of shark's fin soup, some of which we have replicated here. Click on the Fins – Best on Sharks link under "In this blog..." to read more, including one from the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, Southeast Asian Region.
Thank you for your support and pledges thus far but we need more - it's easy to do - and the response that we've received so far indicates that a lot of companies have already made it an informal policy to not serve shark's fin soup, they just have not had any need to put it in writing... until now. So, let your voice be heard - send us your pledge, it will make a difference to this campaign.
All you need to do is to state on company letterhead that "(your company name) pledges not to serve shark's fin soup at any of our company dinners, functions or events." Have it signed and chopped and then fax it to Serina (MNS Marine SIG, Selangor Branch) at +603-22878773.
In return, we'll send you a certificate and a note of thanks and we will publicise your commitment in 2008. (Do include a contact name and address so that we can send these to you!) For once, we're not asking you for money, we're asking you to commit to NOT spending money... on shark fins!!
On a happier note, our shark fin wedding cards have gone to print. If you're getting married and would like to buy some of these cards to place on your dining tables - we are selling them at cost. These simple but elegant cards are in both English and Mandarin and politely explain why you are choosing to not serve shark's fin soup at your wedding. For more information or to place orders, simply get in touch with Serina at serina_mola@yahoo.com.
It's the last quarter of 2008 and the shark campaign is trundling along. There have been interesting responses in the main press to proponents of shark's fin soup, some of which we have replicated here. Click on the Fins – Best on Sharks link under "In this blog..." to read more, including one from the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, Southeast Asian Region.
Thank you for your support and pledges thus far but we need more - it's easy to do - and the response that we've received so far indicates that a lot of companies have already made it an informal policy to not serve shark's fin soup, they just have not had any need to put it in writing... until now. So, let your voice be heard - send us your pledge, it will make a difference to this campaign.
All you need to do is to state on company letterhead that "(your company name) pledges not to serve shark's fin soup at any of our company dinners, functions or events." Have it signed and chopped and then fax it to Serina (MNS Marine SIG, Selangor Branch) at +603-22878773.
In return, we'll send you a certificate and a note of thanks and we will publicise your commitment in 2008. (Do include a contact name and address so that we can send these to you!) For once, we're not asking you for money, we're asking you to commit to NOT spending money... on shark fins!!
On a happier note, our shark fin wedding cards have gone to print. If you're getting married and would like to buy some of these cards to place on your dining tables - we are selling them at cost. These simple but elegant cards are in both English and Mandarin and politely explain why you are choosing to not serve shark's fin soup at your wedding. For more information or to place orders, simply get in touch with Serina at serina_mola@yahoo.com.
Of buddies and marine life
Story and photos by Engu Chong Gin
The Marine-friendly snorkelling for Beginners was held at Lang Tengah Island (near Redang Island) from 6-9th September. There were 16 of us (including the three MNS Facilitators). Participants ranged from 3 to over 60 years of age.
On the first day, we were briefed on the Do’s and Don’ts of the Marine Park, safety guidelines, and various hand and whistle signals. Next, we were shown how to use the snorkelling gear such as how to put on the mask, defog the mask, breath through the snorkel, clear the snorkel and put on the fins. We were also informed (repeatedly!) on the importance of having a buddy when going snorkelling.
During my first snorkeling session at the house reef, I wasn’t comfortable wearing the mask and breathing through the snorkel. The seawater got into my mouth a few times. We were also required to use the fins in a fluttering motion (without bending the knees) and that wasn’t easy either. I also noticed that a friend of mine who couldn’t swim was actually comfortable with the mask and snorkel and was holding on to her buddy all the time. She was relaxed and therefore doing much better than me! No worries, the lesson I learnt here was to be comfortable with the snorkelling gear.
As I was fascinated with the many colourful fish, I was also left far behind my buddy. This was another lesson learnt - we need to be alert; check where the buddy is from time to time, and be aware of our surroundings - whether there’s a boat coming or if we’re near rocks or the jetty.
After these two lessons, I would always snorkel together with my buddy and communicate with hand signals. We saw many types of fish, such as damselfish, butterflyfish, gobies, lizardfish, groupers, halfbeaks, parrotfish, pufferfish, rabbitfish, blacktip reef shark, surgeonfish, triggerfish, sea urchins and moon wrasse. Some of us even saw the moray eel, squid and crown-of-thorns starfish. There were many types of soft coral, hard coral and sponges, and it was good to see the many sea grapes between the corals as well.
After snorkelling, we referred to the books to look for the names of the different types of fish we saw earlier, and take note of their different shapes and sizes, colours, behaviours and symbiotic relationships. For example, Triggerfish can be aggressive during their nesting period and will bite people who get too close to their nesting zone.
We enjoyed games and an underwater treasure hunt and of course the topic was always about the sea and marine life. So we learnt a lot about marine life during that time. On a night walk, we saw seashells and a ghost crab. During the day, we trekked 1.5 hours to the other side of the island and back again.
We could see beautiful sunsets every evening from the resort we stayed at. Overall, I really enjoyed myself on this trip and I know the next time I snorkel, I will be more relaxed and will thus be able to enjoy and observe the marine life. For this, I must thank three ladies - Sali, Adeline and Cheng Tuan. I must also thank Wai Chin for inviting me for this trip!
The Marine-friendly snorkelling for Beginners was held at Lang Tengah Island (near Redang Island) from 6-9th September. There were 16 of us (including the three MNS Facilitators). Participants ranged from 3 to over 60 years of age.On the first day, we were briefed on the Do’s and Don’ts of the Marine Park, safety guidelines, and various hand and whistle signals. Next, we were shown how to use the snorkelling gear such as how to put on the mask, defog the mask, breath through the snorkel, clear the snorkel and put on the fins. We were also informed (repeatedly!) on the importance of having a buddy when going snorkelling.
During my first snorkeling session at the house reef, I wasn’t comfortable wearing the mask and breathing through the snorkel. The seawater got into my mouth a few times. We were also required to use the fins in a fluttering motion (without bending the knees) and that wasn’t easy either. I also noticed that a friend of mine who couldn’t swim was actually comfortable with the mask and snorkel and was holding on to her buddy all the time. She was relaxed and therefore doing much better than me! No worries, the lesson I learnt here was to be comfortable with the snorkelling gear.
As I was fascinated with the many colourful fish, I was also left far behind my buddy. This was another lesson learnt - we need to be alert; check where the buddy is from time to time, and be aware of our surroundings - whether there’s a boat coming or if we’re near rocks or the jetty.
After these two lessons, I would always snorkel together with my buddy and communicate with hand signals. We saw many types of fish, such as damselfish, butterflyfish, gobies, lizardfish, groupers, halfbeaks, parrotfish, pufferfish, rabbitfish, blacktip reef shark, surgeonfish, triggerfish, sea urchins and moon wrasse. Some of us even saw the moray eel, squid and crown-of-thorns starfish. There were many types of soft coral, hard coral and sponges, and it was good to see the many sea grapes between the corals as well.After snorkelling, we referred to the books to look for the names of the different types of fish we saw earlier, and take note of their different shapes and sizes, colours, behaviours and symbiotic relationships. For example, Triggerfish can be aggressive during their nesting period and will bite people who get too close to their nesting zone.
We enjoyed games and an underwater treasure hunt and of course the topic was always about the sea and marine life. So we learnt a lot about marine life during that time. On a night walk, we saw seashells and a ghost crab. During the day, we trekked 1.5 hours to the other side of the island and back again.
We could see beautiful sunsets every evening from the resort we stayed at. Overall, I really enjoyed myself on this trip and I know the next time I snorkel, I will be more relaxed and will thus be able to enjoy and observe the marine life. For this, I must thank three ladies - Sali, Adeline and Cheng Tuan. I must also thank Wai Chin for inviting me for this trip!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
