South of Johor Updates:
January – March 2026
Looking Ahead in Pasir Gogok
In Kampung Pasir Gogok, a recent town hall brought the community together to talk about what’s happening along their coastline and what can be done next.
Residents shared what they’ve been seeing on the ground, from changes along the shoreline to the need for better protection. There was strong interest in starting mangrove restoration efforts, along with opportunities to be involved in related livelihood activities. What stood out to us was the willingness of the community to take part not just in discussions, but in the work ahead.
With restoration and training activities planned for 2026, this feels like a good starting point for building something together with the community at the centre of it.
Town Hall discussion session
From Learning to Action Along the Coast
Students from SMK Tanjung Datuk and SK Kampung Baru Pasir Gogok took part in a series of hands-on activities, from exploring coastal habitats to restoring them. At Desaru, the SMK Tanjung Datuk students stepped into the intertidal zone during low tide, observing marine life and coastal ecosystems up close. Over at Pulau Tanjung Surat, they explored mangrove forests and nearby village areas, learning how these important ecosystems support both nature and local communities while also learning the history of the island community.
Back in Kampung Baru Pasir Gogok, learning turned into action. Students from Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Baru Pasir Gogok planted 71 mangrove saplings that they had previously nurtured, working alongside teachers and parents to restore coastal habitats.
Mangrove walk session
Planting mangrove saplings
Checkout these stories
Our Corals Are Bleaching – How We Can Save Them
Our Corals Are BleachingI recently wrote about the coral bleaching that is happening right now around Malaysia. Since that post just a few days ago, monitoring data has shown that in some areas up to 80% of corals are bleaching.What are we doing now?Managing Coral...
Our Oceans are in a World of Pain – time to celebrate World Oceans Day
It’s One OceanThe ocean? The oceans? We can’t even find the right words to describe our lungs, supermarket and waste disposal system. Because that’s what the ocean is.In fact, we don’t even have a consistent answer for how many there are – when I was a kid it was...
Coral Resilience: Understanding the Challenges and Roadblocks – A Candid Discussion
Coral Resilience? Again?You: Resilience? Again?Me: Yep.You: Why? Isn’t it getting boring?You: Nope. More like frustrating.You: Care to explain?You: Sure.Coral Bleaching Is HappeningOver the last couple of weeks, various sources have confirmed the emergence of the...


