tackling coral bleaching in sabah

As you may already know, RCM staff in all our locations have been actively monitoring coral bleaching. In Sabah, we’ve been working closely with local stakeholders, NGOs, and governmental organisations such as Sabah Parks, for both our bleaching monitoring and reef rehabilitation activities. On Mabul Island, no severe bleaching was observed, and reef rehabilitation efforts were actively led by RCM interns and the local youth group. Similarly, the Larapan Marine Conservation Group (LMCG), supervised by the same interns, reported no severe bleaching in early May but identified issues due to drupella predation. However, towards the end of May, the monitoring on Larapan Island revealed a significant rise in coral bleaching.

In Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, bleaching rates were critically high, affecting 70-80% of coral populations, prompting a response plan with Sabah Parks. Coral reefs in Mantanani Island and Usukan, Kota Belud also exhibited high bleaching percentages while other sites in Turtle Island Park, Semporna, and Kudat remained relatively resilient to this bleaching event.

Severe bleaching in one of the monitored sites

Reef Check Surveys in Sabah: Tackling Conservation Challenges with Community Support

Throughout the month of May, several Reef Check surveys were conducted across Sabah, revealing both progress and ongoing challenges in marine conservation. RCM colleagues alongside staff from Sabah Parks completed the annual survey at Taman Pulau Tiga. Meanwhile, the survey team at Usukan Cove Lodge involved RCM staff and local youth trained in Semporna, who completed the surveys at 11 out of 12 sites.

The surveys in Mantanani Island were completed in 5 days, and it highlighted the persistent issues of fish bombing, spear fishing, and anchoring, but also celebrated the removal of a ghost net from Stingray Point. Despite challenges, these efforts underscore our commitment to marine conservation and the importance of community involvement.

An EcoDiver conducting an RC survey in Mabul

kota kinabalu

empowering wanis: environmental and Craft Workshops

In May and June 2024, a series of women empowerment workshops were organized for WANIS in Kg. Song-Song. On May 12, an environmental workshop led by Michael Yap from Seagrass Guardians, under APPGM-SDG, engaged 20 WANIS members. For 5 days in May, a handicraft workshop trained 10 members in weaving with pandan leaves or “daun Serdang”, conducted by local experts. Additionally, we’ve also organised a Community Capacity Building Program for the local women, and they are two sessions away from completing it.

Some of the finished product (mats) during the weaving class

Educating the Future: Marine Awareness program

In May, our colleagues Adzmin and Calvin carried out a marine awareness program with SK Lok Yuk, Inanam. This school is an eco-school, which is active in environmental conservation activities and programs. The program was joined by around 200 upper primary school students who showed great participation throughout the program. We also set up a small booth with our educational materials at the school for the students and teachers to read and get to know Reef Check in general.

Calvin speaking to SK Lok Yuk during the awareness program

Reef Check Progress update: RCM’s Meeting with TSMP Director

RCM paid a courtesy visit to Tn Ghazalie, the Park Director for Tun Sakaran Marine Park (TSMP) to update him on all efforts carried out with the Selakan Island community, under the KePKAS TSMP fund. The Director was briefed on projects such as reef rehabilitation monitoring, fish diversity monitoring and coral bleaching monitoring as well as trainings on fish survey, seagrass survey, bleaching and ghost net removal protocol.

We also introduced and discussed the upcoming sea patrolling project under the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. The Director supported the project and expressed an intention to build few posts around the reef (where appropriate) to be used by the local community to do the patrolling. We also shared several reports with Tn. Ghazalie, including those on coral restoration in Selakan, community needs analysis, the Annual Reef Check Survey report and a few copies of Eco-Friendly Snorkel Guide (EFSG) booklet.

MANTANANI

Island Waste Management: Seeking Cost-Effective Solutions

In mid-June, our team on the island sent out 62 bundles of compressed plastics weighing almost 700kg to the mainland in Kota Belud. The company that bought the recyclables paid us RM50 for it, which we used to cover the cost of transportation. In the last quarter, we successfully sent out 1,720kg of general trash to the Kayu Madang landfills. We are still looking for a more cost effective solution to handle the waste management program on the island, so do reach out to us should you have any suggestions!

Hands-On Learning: SK mantanani students explore ecosystems

In the mean time, our colleague Diana conducts awareness and education programs with the students of SK Mantanani. Among some of the topics discussed includes Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Seagrass and Recycling. The students attended classroom sessions and were also taken out to the field for snorkeling and beach walks.

local achievements: mantanani homestays continue to grow

In April, Mantanani Homestays collaborated once again with POLYCC to conduct a “batik” cake-making course for 20 villagers, including all homestay residents. At the end of the program, participants were given a recipe book and a box of cakes that they had learned to make.

We’re happy to report that from January to June this year, the net income of Mantanani Homestays is around RM44,980, with a total of 366 visitors. Our local homestay operators have certainly come a long way, having attended several skills trainings which have helped them grow their business sustainably. We’re excited to see what else is in store for them.

SEMPORNA

Community Engagement highlight progress of local efforts

At the end of March, RCM’s Semporna team conducted a community engagement activity at Selakan Island, to present the current progress update of the Community-Based Coral Restoration and Conservation Project at Tun Sakaran Marine Park. The update, delivered by RCM staff, Fauzi, was presented to the community leaders, village elders and other villagers. We also held a meeting with the Selakan Marine Conservation Group (SMCG) members to discuss future conservation activities, such as bleaching monitoring, underwater clean up, ghost net removals, mooring buoy installation, and other methods for coral restoration. In the evening, we held a “Jamuan Berbuka Puasa” with the community, joined by the “Ketua Kampung” (village head).

In April, a community engagement activity was conducted in Larapan Island, to present the progress of the Community-Based Waste Management Program and Coral Rehabilitation Program. 91 household representatives attended this session, during which we discussed the progress of all our activities, as well as presenting a short briefing on to Reef Check Malaysia and the Coral Reef Ecosystem. In the evening, we held a “Jamuan Berbuka Puasa” with the local community.

Enhancing Skills through workshops on marine conservation and Financing

In April, RCM conducted a series of trainings with the Selakan Marine Conservation Group (SMCG) members. The trainings include ghost-net removal protocol, RDT-Modified Fish Survey Protocol, Bleaching Monitoring Protocol and Seagrass Survey Protocol. All these trainings involved theoretical and practical components to properly equip participants with the necessary skills for each activity.

We also conducted a ‘Financing Mechanism Workshop’ under IKI with 10 youths from Larapan Island. During the workshop, we discussed and planned for possible products for tourists, such as coral adoption programs and other conservation works, to support long-term conservation work in the island. Each participant was taught how to calculate expenses to come up with reasonable prices for marketing the products, as well as some business tips for ensuring the continuity of this program. Similar workshops will be conducted in Mabul and Kulapuan islands soon.

Group discussion during the ‘Financing Mechanism Workshop’

Larapan Island Waste Management: Issues and Solutions

In June, our colleague Fauzi monitored the daily waste management collection activities by part-timer staff on Larapan Island. The staff were divided into 3 groups covering 30+ houses each, working on a total of 105 houses. A quick observation noted that most houses only used one out of three bin that were provided, and the waste were still not segregated regularly. This is probably due to the bin being broken, lost or used for other purposes like goods keeping and water collection. Since the program has just begun, we will conduct regular monitoring to assist these households, help solve the issues and hopefully encourage the compliance of the houses participating in the waste management program.

Monitoring of the daily waste management collection activities in Larapan Island

Community Sea Patrolling: Discussion and Training

In June, our colleagues engaged in two discussion sessions with the Selakan Marine Conservation Group (SMCG), with regards to the new ‘Community-Led Sea Patrolling’ Project. The discussions include details of the sea patrolling methodology, as part of the initial training for the patrolling team. We also ran through details of the community sea patrolling in Selakan, including risk and mitigation plan, as well as conducted a GPS and Stimulation training on engaging and approaching fishermen.

Group discussion on the sea patrolling project