ICOSMAP conference

This week two TRACC scientists, Thomas Gibson and Kit Wui Sien, went to the

International Conference of Oceanography & Sustainable Marine Production (ICOSMaP) 2016

This was hosted by the Marine Science Department at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in Kuantan, Pahang, from 23rd to 26th August 2016.

Kit presented his work on step-reef construction techniques and Tom described recruitment to new reefs.
Tracc also showcased our data on the Mabul Shark Fishery (2014)(PDF)
and the Community Coral Planting project (2014-16)(PDF) which is funded by the GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) implemented by UNDP.

Link here to the abstracts, the posters and the manuscripts.

 

  

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If you want to help with any marine conservation activity, please 

check our website http://tracc.org or e-mail info@tracc-borneo.org 

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TRACC has opportunities for scientists, media or social science students

More Marine conservation projects

Reef conservation would not be possible without generous financial support from

GEF /SGP for Malaysia who are helping our community activities and coralreefcare.com who generously provided materials to build the new reefs.

If visits to Tracc are not possible then please consider financial support and follow our projects on Facebook.

Coral identification

The easist corals to study are in the lagoon and
are very shallow at low tide.  However even with the books
and easy access it is hard to identify hard corals to family
and we can identify very few to species.   YET :-)

More blogs on Marine science class 2016
More info on the Cambridge Marine science A level class


Become a volunteer in 2016 here

Conservation projects 2016

For more information, please check our website or e-mail info@tracc-borneo.org 

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Whitneys project-soft coral and rubble planting

Today I went out with Tom and Helena to help out with Whitneys project.
Whitneys project is to see if soft corals can be used to stabilize a rubble reef slope and if they do, will this enable hard corals to settle, grow and create a coral reef.
I very much look forward following this particular project.

Tom's focused on attaching the cable tie

On the way to the control site we saw a octopus hiding in his hole and on the way back we saw a turtle resting.

The vizibility was, for Pom Pom, not that great, we have had a bit of rain and wind the last few days, which has been very much appreciated, we needed that.

Helena with things to plant

Octopus hiding in his hole

Green turtle resting

With his fellow sucker fish

For more information, please check our website or e-mail info@tracc-borneo.org

The main website is at http://tracc-borneo.org
Check out our posts on our activities
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TRANSECT PROJECT AT TIP OF BORNEO

   The Transect Project is carried out to survey the reefs around TOB. The purposes of this project include:

1. To look for potential sites of other TRACC projects (E.g. the on-going Bottle Reef Project for reef recovery)
2. To obtain data of reef condition (Required by the government for marine park establishment)

The project is indeed a tough one considering the number of factors we need to encompass. First we need to make sure that the research design is one that can produce accurate data of the reef condition. This is of course the first and foremost absolute rule of any scientific survey. Secondly, the device used must be durable enough to withstand the wear and tear over time, especially during monsoon season. Since we might be initiating new project on the surveyed reefs, we need resilient markers that can lead us back to the desired location in the future. Then, we need to consider the procedures of our in situ operation. We doubtlessly have a number of excellent divers and experienced researchers in the camp, but not everyone has good combined skills hence close cooperation is the key to work efficiency.

The project has been going on for about a month to date. We’ve completed data collection of more than half of all targeted sites despite the obstacles we met: rough sea condition, lost tools, malfunctioning compressor, terrible visibility, lack of experienced underwater researcher etc. etc…. I’m genuinely grateful that we’ve managed to pull things off so far. Pray that everything will go smooth from this point onwards and we can finish this project soon ;-)

More info about volunteering with TRACC in Malaysia - Turtle Snorkellers - Divers

Submerged marine conservation with TRACC

Linkia starfish

The marine life at the tip of borneo was fantastic - so many different species and so colurful.  We did some great biodiversity surveys, counting and identifying fish and other marine life.  My photo collection leaves me spoilt for choice.  These are a few of my favourites

original triptease post here
More info about volunteering with TRACC in Malaysia - Turtle Snorkellers - Divers

Lion fish

Dendronepthya soft coral

Sabellid worm

Diving volunteer during Cuttlefish breeding season

Cuttlefish breeding season is early each year and I was lucky enough to visit TRACC in the middle of the breeding season.  They were not seen on every dive but we did see groups of upto 6 at the lighthouse. They are simply amazing.  Flashes of colour with elecric blue and then the whole body can change from spiky to smooth and from red to white.

Original triptease post here
More info about volunteering with TRACC in Malaysia - Turtle Snorkellers - Divers

Crate reefs for larval fish

Crate reef for larval fish recruitment.

Crate reefs were filled with cut pieces of plastic to make many small spaces.  The plastic was recycled from the trash on the beach.  The crate was bedded into cement to make it heavy and to hold everything together.

You may also want to read about our coral planting for world ocean day or Growth of the branching corals in the coral nursery.  or Step reefs or Bottle reefs or Shark cave reefs or igloo reefs

More blogs about TRACC marine conservation centre 

More info about learning to dive or volunteering to help save the ocean with TRACC in Malaysia - Turtle Snorkellers - Divers  

Seven amazing weeks diving at the Tip of Borneo

I have just spent 7 of the most amazing weeks of my life at TRACC’s Kudat camp. The diving on the west coast of the Kudat Peninsula is absolutely staggering, with heaps and heaps of colourful corals and a huge diversity of fish and other marine life as well. When the weather prevented us from diving on the west coast, we took day trips to the east coast which is just as awesome. During my time with TRACC I completed my open water and Advanced Open Water Diver certification and was able to participate in loads of underwater adventures.

Learning to make several different types of artificial substrate, using glass bottles, plastic bottles, crates and black pipe all anchored in cement bases, helping to search for suitable locations and then placing the constructions in those locations gave me a immense sense of triumph, especially when small fish began to explore them and as soon as the structures were in place. We collected lots of live coral fragments from storm damaged reefs at the lighthouse, attached these fragments to the substrates and watched them grow. It was truly incredible to see how quickly the corals are able to begin colonisation and flourish on the new substrate. Towards the end of my stay, I participated in several survey dives to search for cuttlefish along the inshore reefs and describe the topography and features of the reef in preparation for a cuttlefish spawning event that is expected to take place in January to March each year (I only wish I could be here for that).

I was also a willing participant in several exploration dives to off shore reefs such as Batumandi rocks rarely explored by humans. These expeditions were a highlight of my internship, being able to compare the difference in diversity of the near shore reefs and the off shore ones. The visibility at these reefs went forever and the fish species were abundant.

You would never guess
 that I was claustrophobic
 when I started.

Steve and the staff at TRACC are extremely friendly, helpful and full of information for those who want to learn, all you have to do is ask. I have learned more in the past 7 weeks than I have in the past two and half years of study. It is an honour and a privilege to have been involved with such a fantastic organisation and able to help with their conservation projects to preserve the biodiversity in this area. I will miss you all and look forward to seeing you again soon.

I have already booked my return trip next year so that I can bring my husband and two teenage sons over here to see for themselves how being passionate about something and getting involved can actually make a difference.

TRACC has a great series of Projects planned for next year, I hope I can get back to Borneo.  Marine conservation volunteer projects 2015

Black Tip Reef shark - Carcharhinus melanopterus in Semporna

Black tip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) are very infrequently seen on Pom Pom Island off Semporna.  Individuals are occasionally seen on very deep dives in the early morning at the N tip.  One juvenile was seen in the shallows in Oct 2012.  The fishermen caught it!!!  We now employ those fishermen and with our education programme in their village, we may manage to protect the next shark that comes to the island.

 Sipadan the world famous dive destination (fully protected) is only 70km away and they have a few Black tip reef sharks; about 1 seen each month.  Sipadan does have lots of White tip reef sharks and small numbers of Grey reef sharks which are seen every day.  Pom Pom island doesn't have the same shark population as Sipadan but we know there are lots of fish on the deep wall below 50m and it is possible there are sharks down there that we don't see during the day.

We do know where there are a few baby blacktips in the Semporna region but for obvious reasons we are not disclosing the location.

More info about volunteering with TRACC in Malaysia - Turtle Snorkellers - Divers 

Wonderpus (Wunderpus photogenicus)

Pom Pom Island has a resident population of wonderpus (Wunderpus photogenicus) and Blue ring octopus. While our camp site at the Tip of Borneo has a population of both wonderpus and mimic octopus.  If you like muck diving away from he eef over the sandy silty sabed, it is relatively easy to see these.  Both species are away from their burrows much more at night.

If you are a student we have a great project for these interesting octopus,

 More info about volunteering with TRACC in Malaysia - Turtle Snorkellers - Divers

Masters Project On Pom Pom Island

Pom Pom Island, there is only one word to describe it....paradise. I arrived here on Pom Pom  on the 18th of April 2012 and literally felt like I had stepped into paradise. The view of the island from the boat was just breathtaking, turquoise water, white sands. I was overwhelmed with excitement at the fact that I was going to stay in this beautiful place for my masters project! As I got off the boat I was greeted so nicely by all the staff and instantly felt at home. Something told me this was going to be a good three months.

The beautiful island of Pom Pom

My time here will be devoted to conducting fieldwork for my Msc project with Professor Steve Oakley as my mentor, on the soft coral Parerythropodium fulvum fulvum. Yes, I know it is a mouthful hence Steve  named it ‘the yellow triffid’ due to its fast growth rate and ability to grow over a lot of coral and substrate. I will be looking specifically at this growth rate and how it is affected by depth, current and location which is something that has not been looked at before with regards to this species thus will be answering numerous ecological and biological questions with regards to this species.

Parerythropodium fulvum fulvum.  ‘the yellow triffid’

After growing the yellow triffid in the coral nursery at depths of 3-5m (we went to Pandanan Island to collect a surplus of yellow triffid and then placed fragments of it on 15×15cm concrete blocks and letting it grow for two weeks) we  plan to go to 6 different locations (regional island reefs varying by current intensity and ecology) and place the coral at varying depths of 5,10,15,20,25 m along a transect and recording the growth rate at 2 week intervals. This will be done by photographing each block of yellow triffid and working out the increase in horizontal growth using a design software programme called AutoCAD. This is easily feasible due to the fast growth rates observed by this species.


If I have time I will try and also look at what might be predating on the yellow triffid as it has been observed that colonies of yellow triffid in the wild only increase upto a certain size. Thus something very obsecure and not obvious has to be predating on it, as it has yet to be seen. I would also like to look at competition of yellow triffid with numerous aggressive hard corals as I have observed it growing over only some species of hard coral in the wild and it has not been able to grow over other species. Determination of these specific species would increase knowledge of this species of soft coral has not been studied in great depth.

More information on volunteering with TRACC  - Facebook page - pom pom island biodiversity - Marine biology courses -