UMS MARINE SCIENTISTS DISCOVER WIDESPREAD CORAL BLEACHING IN SEPANGGAR BAY

By Newmond Tibin

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), July 29 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaysia Sabah
(UMS) scientists have discovered widespread coral bleaching in Sepanggar Bay,
off Sabah waters.

In disclosing this, UMS Director of Borneo Marine Research Institute Prof
Dr Saleem Mustafa said such activities deserved serious attention due to its
implications on marine biodiversity and coral reef fisheries in the state's
waters.

"UMS scientists, including M. Ali, Aw Soo Ling and Dr Abentin Estim noticed
bleaching in some areas of Sepanggar Bay.

"They are of the view that in the context of Sabah, the corals have been
living close to their maximum water temperature tolerance, and additional
warming of water certainly has a debilitating effect on their health and
survival," he told Bernama, here Thursday.

Saleem said coral bleaching was a stress response associated with
ecosystem disturbances.

"It happens when corals loose the symbiotic micro algae (zooxanthellae) due
to unfavorable environmental conditions.

"Bleaching stress has affected not merely the stony corals but also some
soft corals, sea anemone and other marine invertebrates which have symbiotic
relationship with the zooxanthellae," he said.

He said while the degree of bleaching in Sabah would require more studies
to quantify, it seemed to have started in recent months based on the routine
observations that have been on-going during regular dives in the area by
UMS marine scientists.

Saleem said the immediate causes could be unusual variations in temperature,
dilution and sedimentation.

According to him, the dry spell and warmer conditions experienced in Sabah
earlier this year (January–March) had weakened the corals and dealt a blow to
their resistance to environmental stress.

"During that period, temperature and solar radiations were reported to be
higher than average. The sea surface temperature anomalies (deviation from
normal profile) exceeded 1.5oC in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and the
consequential atmospheric anomalies that developed, reflected a moderate El Nino
Southern Oscillation," he said.

"A declining trend in the sea surface temperature anomaly that started
in the second half of March 2010 from 1.5oC and transitioned to below 0.5oC
over a vast part of the equatorial Pacific Ocean paved the way for rains that
have been heavy at times in the recent weeks, leading to a large volume of
run-off into coastal areas of Sepanggar Bay," he said.

Saleem said sedimentation was also another serious problem that needed
immediate attention.

"Sediment run-off from the land-based activities and upwelling during the
heavy rains have exacerbated the turbidity of the seawaters and covered the
corals.

"Under this condition, corals already weakened by high temperature could not
withstand increasing scale of sedimentation and dilution.

"Together with the measures for controlling sediment inputs to the marine
environment, we should also work towards protection and restoration of the
connectivity of corals with other associated marine critical habitats like
mangroves and sea grasses," he said.


He said the possibility of unusual regional patterns emerging from global
climatic change as factors responsible for coral bleaching cannot be ruled out.

"The equatorial location of Sabah and the region around it makes it an
active seat of hydrodynamics driven by changes in atmospheric conditions and
ocean circulation.

"If this pattern is indeed responsible for regional warm water pools and
altered chemical composition of sea water, the stress will ease out as the
pattern changes," he said.

However, Saleem said: "We should be prepared to face and examine oceanic
patterns unfamiliar to us due to complications caused by climate change".

He said the UMS scientists were of the view that the climate change was
worsening the serious problems facing the marine ecosystem.

"With acidification of ocean, altered hydrodynamic events and warming of the
sea, the marine life is heading towards more dramatic consequences.

"At local level, we should reduce stress on the coastal marine ecosystem and
build resilience in corals, and expedite the development of marine protected
areas. All global level, drastic reduction in carbon emission is the key factor
in our fight against the effects of climate change.

Saleem said the economic costs of degradation or loss of marine habitats
were enormous and deserved proper valuation for providing a sound basis for
policy tools to emerge for economically viable and socially acceptable marine
conservation programme of action.

-- BERNAMA