Protect Coral Reefs in Malaysia

On average, reefs in Malaysia are in fair condition, as measured by widely used coral reef health criteria. Average Live Coral Cover (LCC) for Malaysia is 42.42%. However, it should be noted that the average masks a wide range of variation in reef health, from reefs with over 85% LCC to reefs with below 1% LCC.

Key threats facing coral reefs in Peninsular Malaysia are development and tourism related, with most impacts arising from land-based pollution, sewage pollution, land use change or direct impacts (boats, anchors, users).

Coral reefs in East Malaysia face different threats. In Sabah and Sarawak, threats appear to be population related, with impacts arising from resource use (over-fishing and destructive fishing) and lack of management (few MPAs, limited enforcement and patrolling of extensive coastline).

The “snapshot” of reef health provided by the 2018 survey data suggests reefs in Malaysia are relatively healthy (“fair” LCC, high diversity of fish and invertebrate indicators). However, an analysis of 12 years of Reef Check surveys shows changes in indicator species abundance over the period that suggest possible declining reef health across Malaysia in recent years. Some concerning trends can be identified:

• Level of LCC, which recovered after the 2010 bleaching event, has been declining for the last four years, as levels of negative indicators (NIA, RB, RKC) have been increasing
• Food fish abundance is decreasing, while at the same time Parrotfish abundance – an algae grazer – is increasing
• Invertebrate indicators are scarce, with the exception of Diadema Urchin, the abundance of which has increased over the last five years.

Such trends, should they continue, could have very serious consequences for both those communities that rely on reefs for their food supply, as well as the tourism industry, which relies on healthy reefs to attract millions of tourists to Malaysia every year.

• Full report (PDF)