Mersing's seaweed beds to be mapped

The Star

17-07-2025

Pulau Setindan in Mersing, Johor, has become the starting point for initial efforts to map the increasingly threatened seaweed beds in the area.
It will facilitate subsequent efforts in preserving the marine ecosystem.
Seaweed Exploration Programme chief researcher Assoc Prof Dr Jilian Ooi said mapping activities of the seaweed fields on the island were being initiated to assess changes in the area.
She said the location was chosen because the seaweed was easily accessible without a boat, unlike other areas such as Sungai Pulai and Sungai Johor.
'No one has mapped this before, so we don't know whether this area is experiencing a decline.
'We also want to examine how the seaweed roots grow, whether they are in a healthy condition,' she told Bernama at the launch of the programme at Kampungstay Teluk Buih, Air Papan.
Ooi, who is with the Geography Department in Universiti Malaya's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, said the programme also emphasised the importance of conserving seaweed as a crucial habitat for dugong, a marine mammal which has become increasingly rare since 2005.
'Villagers say that seaweed quantity has been decreasing because of poorer water quality (among other factors).
'Some said dugongs were abundant in 2005, but now they are hard to spot, possibly because of less seaweed,' said Ooi.
'The reduction of this marine plant indirectly affects the dugong's natural habitat,' she added.
JCorp Foundation chief executive officer Zaidatul Zurita Abdul Rahman said it remained committed to preserving Johor's marine ecosystem through the organisation of the two-day programme in the waters off Mersing.
She said the initiative was a continuation of marine conservation efforts by JCorp Foundation that began in 2023 through a coral reef rehabilitation project.
The foundation is now expanding its focus to seaweed areas since it recognises that marine ecosystem sustainability can only be achieved by preserving their habitats.
'While coral reefs often receive attention in conservation efforts, seaweed plays a quietly important role in supporting marine biodiversity.
'It serves as a breeding ground for fish and other marine life, helps protect coastal areas from erosion and plays a role in carbon absorption,' said Zaidatul.