Climate Stress Ravages Terengganu Coral Reefs

MERSING, July 25 (Bernama) — Three coral reef zones in Terengganu have been identified as worst-hit by coral bleaching in Malaysia this year, according to the latest data on the country's marine ecosystem monitoring.

Malaysian Marine Science Society (MSMS) president Affendi Yang Amri said due to rising sea surface temperatures, Pulau Redang recorded 100 per cent bleaching with a coral mortality rate of 63.6 pct, making it the worst hit location so far.

This was followed by marine park islands like Pasir Besar in Pulau Lang Tengah which recorded a bleaching rate of 88.7 per cent and a mortality rate of 56.8 per cent, while Seringgih in Pulau Perhentian saw a bleaching rate of 54.9 per cent and a mortality rate of 24.9 per cent.

"The three affected locations are located in Terengganu, which is one of the main states focused on marine-based tourism," he told Bernama at the Coral Reef Rehabilitation programme in Pulau Aur, Mersing recently.

He said high sea surface temperature due to climate change is the main factor in the large-scale coral bleaching in several locations in the country this year.

Affendi, who is also a coral reef expert, said the phenomenon was also recorded in several other locations including Sabah and Johor, and described the current bleaching as one of the worst in the history of coral reef monitoring in the country.

"Last year, 2024, was indeed a very bad year. Sea water temperatures rose too high for a long period of time, causing coral reefs to become stressed, bleach and eventually die. In some locations, the death rate reached 60 per cent," he told Bernama.

He said coral bleaching occurs when algae that live symbiotically with coral reefs are separated due to heat (thermal) stress, causing corals to lose their main food source and turns white and that coral reefs are breeding grounds for one third of marine species.

“When temperatures rise by just one degree Celsius above normal, corals will be stressed. The microscopic algae (called zooxanthellae) that usually provides up to 90 per cent of the coral’s food will be expelled. When this algae is gone, the coral loses its colour (and turns white), the coral starves and eventually dies,” he explained.

Affendi, who is also a research officer at the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES) of  Universiti Malaya, said coral bleaching not only affects the marine ecosystem, but also threatens the country’s seafood resources which depend on the coral reef ecosystem.

“When corals die, the three-dimensional structures that are the habitats of various fish species are also destroyed. This reduces the population of fish such as Groupers and Rays (stingray) that depend on corals for shelter and reproduction.

“We estimate that about 40 pct of the fish in the local market are directly related to the coral reef ecosystem. If this habitat continues to be damaged, our seafood supply will dwindle and prices increase,” he said.

-- BERNAMA