Underneath Malaysia’s coastal waters, there are ecosystems teeming with marine life such as colourful coral reefs and lush seagrass meadows.
These habitats provide shelter and sustenance for a variety of underwater creatures and in turn, sustain human life on land by providing vital protection, food and economic resources.
However, they are vulnerable to human activities and are at risk of being destroyed, which makes the work of those dedicated to protecting them all the more important.
Recognising such efforts, the third annual Biji Alam Awards has honoured two Malaysian marine conservationists whose work focuses on safeguarding the country’s marine ecosystem.
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) assistant professor Dr Muhammad Faiz Mohd Hanapiah and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) senior lecturer Dr Chong Wei Sheng each received RM40,000 under the Outstanding Malaysian Nature Conservationist Award.
Two additional special grants of RM10,000 each were also presented to conservation organisations MareCet and Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre (TRCRC) to fund their research and conservation projects of marine mammals and threatened tropical rainforest plant species respectively.
Guardians of our marine life
Muhammad Faiz’s work is focused on protecting Terumbu Kuantan, a vast submerged reef system off the coast of Kuantan, Pahang.
Through the award funding, Muhammad Faiz and his team hope to document and raise awareness on the area’s ecological significance, including conducting ecological surveys, assess local livelihoods and involve communities in reef monitoring and clean-up activities.
“Winning this award will help us bring an overlooked reef ecosystem into the spotlight and bring the people who depend on it into the conversation,” says Muhammad Faiz.
Meanwhile, Chong’s conservation work takes him to the waters surrounding Pom Pom Island and Mabul Island in Sabah, where seagrass meadows support a range of marine life, including dugongs, horseshoe crabs and the critically endangered hawksbill turtle.
Chong and his team are working to help overcome the mounting threats faced by this habitat through detailed mapping using geospatial technology. The scientific data can then help authorities incorporate these areas into marine protected area networks.
The project will also involve local fishing communities in monitoring and restoring damaged seagrass meadows with the support of conservation partners.
Speaking at the ceremony, Biji Alam co-founder Natalie Yong highlights the efforts of conservationists like Muhammad Faiz and Chong.
“Behind the scenes, all sorts of improvements are going on in the infrastructure of protection and society’s commitment to conservation is becoming more apparent. Much of this is testament to the efforts of our local conservationists.
“It leaves us hopeful that there are people out there doing something to try and stem the downward trend of our biodiversity which has been marked since the seventies.”
Last year’s winners of the award were Dr Munira Azman for her work on conserving migratory shorebirds along the coast of Penang, and Dr Nurzhafarina Othman for her work on protecting the Bornean elephants in Sabah’s Lower Kinabatangan area.
