8/14/2019 TheSun 2009-11-02 Page10 Boosting Coral Growth With Artificial Reefs

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10 theSun | MONDAY NOVEMBER 2 2009

Boosting coral growthwith artificial reefs

Tee off withRed Crescentand save a life

Guan Eng cyclesfor the stateby Bernard Cheah

newsdesk@thesundaily.com

 OVER 1,000 people cycled alongwith Penang Chief Minister LimGuan Eng in George Town aspart of a campaign to promotecycling in the state.

The bicycle campaign, titled“Ride with CM”, was organisedby G Club bicycle group and theRotary Club of Tanjung Bungah,in efforts to promote the needfor bicycle lanes in the state.

Before flagging off at theEsplanade about 8.30am on Oct25, participants who had ex-pected Lim to give a long speech,were surprised to hear him say:

“I don’t want to talk much uphere. Let’s just cycle and havefun.”

Among those who cycledwith Lim in the 12km routewere Penang Island MunicipalCouncil (MPPP) president TanCheng Chui, state executivecouncillors Lydia Ong Kok Fooiand Wong Hon Wai and Lim’spolitical secretary and Komtarassemblyman Ng Wei Aik.

While 286 participants cycledalong with Lim in the 12kmFamily Ride, another 579 cyclistsalso took the 80km Round IslandRide, while 218 took part in theTeluk Bahang Ride for a distanceof 50km.

Lim (middle)cycling withseveralparticipantsof the “Ridewith CM”bicyclecampaignat theEsplanade.

ANY golfer worth his salt willknow that the Mines Resort &Golf Club is not an easy courseto play at – not only for itschallenging greens but alsobecause its almost exclusivelymeans a long waiting list.

However, here’s a brilliantway to cut the queue – jointhe Malaysian Red CrescentSociety’s (MRCS) annual golfcharity event on Nov 14.

As a bonus, golfers at theMRCS Charity Golf Invitational2009 will also get to rub shoul-ders with Deputy Prime Minis-ter Tan Sri Mu hyiddin Yassin,who will lead the play.

Over 100 participants areexpected to take part in thisinvitational, which will beplayed on the 18-hole shotgun format. Participants willinclude both corporate aswell as individual categoriesof golfers. This tournament isonly open to amateurs.

Themed “Tee off. Save alife”, organising committeechairman Datuk Wira Dr BahariAbu Mansor said the messageof this year’s invitational is “let your next winning golf swinghelp save a life”.

“We welcome the support,

contribution and participation,especially from corporate bod-ies as well as philanthropists.

The MRCS Charity GolfInvitational 2009 will serveas an excellent platform forall Malaysians to engage withthe noble efforts of the Ma-laysian Red Crescent Societyin providing critical help andmedical care as well as ambu-latory services during times ofdistress and emergencies allover the nation,” said Bahariwho is MRCS national vice-chairman.

He said MRCS is volunteer-based, funding is critical,

hence the MRCS hopes toraise up to RM1.9 million fromthe golf invitational.

He reminded the public thatsponsorship and donationstowards the MRCS Fund willentitle the respective donorsto receive tax exemptions.

Those interested to take part in the tournament may con-tact Claudia at the Organising Committee Secretariat at 03-77817502 or Suhana at theMRCS National HQ Office at:03-4257 8122.

by Meena L. Ramadas

newsdesk@thesundaily.com

CORAL reefs, which contribute to

the survival and sustainability of themarine ecology, are increasinglythreatened by human activitiessuch as over-development, fishingand global warming.

Reports by US-based NGO CoralReef Alliance indicate that 11% of the world’s coral reefs have beenlost and another 16% were severelydamaged during the 1998 El Ninophenomenon.

Scientists predict that another32% may be lost in the next 30years, if human threats are not reduced. And corals in Malaysianwaters have not been spared aswell.

Universiti Malaya (UM) post-graduate student Faedzul RahmanRosman said the coral reefs aroundPulau Tioman and Pulau Perhen-tian are increasingly damaged bydevelopment driven by the tourismindustry.

“The rapid development of tourism projects is threatening thecoral reefs around the islands,”said Faedzul, who is involved inresearch on a marine artificial reef project in Pulau Perhentian initi-ated by Panasonic Malaysia.

The company has been champi-oning marine conservation effortsby creating artificial reefs off PulauPerhentian in a continuous effort to encourage coral growth in thearea.

The RM20,000 marine conser- vation project this year involvedthe construction of an artificialreef, tagging of corals and researchbased on surveying the corals onprevious deployed structures.

Artificial reefs help stimulategrowth of corals and also aids inthe maintenance of the marineecology.

“Artificial reefs are eithernatural or man-made structuresdeployed to purposely influencebiology, marine ecosystem, fishingand so on,” said the project’s head

of research Badrul Huzaimi Tajud-din, who is currently pursuing hispostgraduate studies in MarineBiology at UM.

The five-year project startedin 2005 on the joint initiative of Panasonic Malaysia corporatecommunications and brandinggeneral manager Aziza Wahid anddive instructor Nafie Abd Ghani,who has been involved in marineconservation efforts for 10 yearsnow.

“As a diver, I think this is oneof the best activities we can do toenhance coral reef growth throughartificial reefs,” said Aziza.

Panasonic intends to create aseascape of corals over the yearswith its artificial reefs.

The research being conductedis vital to the project as the com-pany is planning future activitiessuch as education and awarenessprogrammes.

A team of 20 people from Pana-sonic Malaysia, Marine Park Ma-laysia, marine biologists from UM,

Universal Divers, Trigger Diversand media representatives recentlyplunged into the aquamarine wa-ters around Pulau Perhentian to

construct some artificial reefs.Twelve cube-shaped structures

constructed out of PVC pipes withan average length of 2.2m weretransported to the ocean bed andbolted down to form a pyramid-shaped artificial reef.

Panasonic also re-tagged thecorals on previous structures as thetags were gradually deterioratingand losing clarity.

The company has been moni-toring its 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008artificial reefs and so far the effortshave been fruitful.

The structures deployed since2005 are already bearing coralsthat are teeming with fishes.

“But we can’t keep deployingartificial reefs every year, so wehope the research that is beingconducted will guide us to ensurethe success and the sustainabilityof the programme,” added Aziza.

Panasonic’s artificial reef is teeming with fish.

Azizain front

of theartificialreef.