South of Johor:

July – September 2025

Stakeholder Engagement Meetings

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) held three stakeholder meetings with local schools and the Majlis Perbandaran Pengerang (MPP) to plan future conservation activities. Teachers from SMK Pengerang Utama and SK Kampung Baru Pasir Gogok expressed strong enthusiasm for 2025 awareness programs, supported by guidance from the Kota Tinggi District Education Office on effective school outreach. 

Meanwhile, during the meeting with Majlis Perbandaran Pengerang (MPP), we organised a boat excursion at Pasir Gogok, joined by YDP En. Norazmi bin Haji Amir Hamzah, who expressed strong support for protecting mangroves and seagrass in Pengerang. The trip along Sungai Santi and Sungai Lepau allowed participants to observe seagrass, seaweed, mangrove propagules, and local livelihoods such as fishing and aquaculture—highlighting the link between communities and healthy ecosystems. The event strengthened partnerships and encouraged dialogue on sustainable coastal management.

Meeting with representative from SK Kg. Baru Pasir Gogok with Kota Tinggi District Education Office

Boat excursion and stakeholder consultation session with MPP and PITSB

Kicking-off School Awareness Programs

Our colleagues conducted an awareness session with 129 students from SMK Pengerang Utama, introducing coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass through interactive demonstrations. Fifty students later joined us in the International Coastal Cleanup (second session) with teachers and PITSB volunteers, collecting 430 kg of marine debris (4,571 items). As a follow-up, students will repurpose some of the waste to create a marine debris replica, turning cleanup efforts into a creative learning project.

In our first session with SK Kampung Baru Pasir Gogok, we were joined by 68 students. We introduced the issue of marine debris alongside coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass through an engaging Yes/No quiz. In Session 2, 31 students and 2 teachers, with support from a PITSB volunteer, established a mangrove nursery, planting 50 propagules. These seedlings will be nurtured for several months before being transplanted along the coastline, allowing students to actively contribute to mangrove restoration.

Students sorting out rubbish collected during the beach clean-up

Mangrove propagule planting session with students from SK Kampung Baru Pasir Gogok

Checkout these stories

Sabah Updates (April – June 2025)

Sabah Updates (April – June 2025)

Sabah Updates: April - June 2025Annual Reef Check SurveysHere is a quick recap of the surveys we conducted in the last quarter around Sabah:  In April, our RCM colleagues and a volunteer conducted the surveys at 12 sites around Mantanani Island. 2 fish bomb explosions...

read more
Cintai Redang (April – June 2025)

Cintai Redang (April – June 2025)

Cintai Redang Updates: April - June 2025Skills UpgradeOur RCM colleague on Redang, Muhaimin, had the opportunity to undergo the Green Fins assessor training in Tioman Island in April. Following the course, Muhaimin is now a certified Green Fins assessor who will be...

read more
Cintai Mersing: April – June 2025

Cintai Mersing: April – June 2025

Cintai Mersing: April - June 2025Sustainable Tourism Programmes in MersingOur colleagues have been conducting assessments of resorts in Mersing based on the ASEAN Green Hotel Standards. Three resorts on Pulau Besar and Pulau Sibu were assessed in this past quarter,...

read more

Checkout these stories

Sabah Updates (April – June 2025)

Sabah Updates (April – June 2025)

Sabah Updates: April - June 2025Annual Reef Check SurveysHere is a quick recap of the surveys we conducted in the last quarter around Sabah:  In April, our RCM colleagues and a volunteer conducted the surveys at 12 sites around Mantanani Island. 2 fish bomb explosions...

read more
Cintai Redang (April – June 2025)

Cintai Redang (April – June 2025)

Cintai Redang Updates: April - June 2025Skills UpgradeOur RCM colleague on Redang, Muhaimin, had the opportunity to undergo the Green Fins assessor training in Tioman Island in April. Following the course, Muhaimin is now a certified Green Fins assessor who will be...

read more
Cintai Mersing: April – June 2025

Cintai Mersing: April – June 2025

Cintai Mersing: April - June 2025Sustainable Tourism Programmes in MersingOur colleagues have been conducting assessments of resorts in Mersing based on the ASEAN Green Hotel Standards. Three resorts on Pulau Besar and Pulau Sibu were assessed in this past quarter,...

read more