KOTA KINABALU: Damaged reefs within the protected marine park off the state capital are regenerating.
A large flat reef at the Midreef diving point near Pulau Manukan Island, in particular, has seen new coral growth aided by artificial reefs. This was after the area’s corals were wiped out by Tropical Storm Greg in 1996.
Manukan is one of the five islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP), a protected marine area. The other islands are Sapi, Mamutik, Sulug and Gaya.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) reef ecologist Dr Zarinah Waheed said Sabah Parks had initiated reef restoration work by placing artificial reef balls in some of the damaged areas.
She said this established solid substrate for new corals to migrate and attach themselves.
“The problem with damaged reef is that, when coral or any hard limestone structures are destroyed, it will become small loose pieces and these move with the water current.
“Corals will not be able to attach themselves onto the reef and that is why it is important to have solid substrate,” she said.
Zarinah said when she first dove at Midreef in 1998 there were very few living corals left.
“I never saw the reef when it was alive and intact (prior to Tropical Storm Greg), but I remember diving six months after the deployment (of reef balls). There was not much growth yet.
“I didn’t dive there until 2017 and (the coral recovery) was amazing.
“There’s large acropora (table corals) covering the reef balls and many established corals have begun to spread to the natural bottom substrate.”
She said there were many fishes now and UMS undergraduate students were documenting subjects growing on the reef.
She said UMS was looking into doing a write-up on the progress of Sabah Park’s initiative reef restoration work.
Speaking further on coral reproduction in Sabah waters, Zarinah said the outlook was promising with the discovery of lots of juvenile corals settling into the reef.
“This indicates that there is recruitment taking place... We have data of mass spawning, which means various coral species are releasing eggs and sperm into the water column.
“We can actually see the eggs covering the water.
“They are usually pinkish or brownish in colour.
“We have observed this happening at Pulau Mabul (Semporna) and Pulau Langkayan (Sandakan).
“In the northern hemisphere. spawning is reported between March and May with its peak in April.
“Based on direct observation in the state’s east coast, our coral reproduction is active, but I’ve not seen it in the west coast or heard reports from dive operators seeing water turning pink or brown in April.
“Although we don’t have information on mass spawning in the west coast of Sabah, what we do see are juvenile corals, which is very promising and indicates that corals are reproducing,” she said.