Latest news with #MarineResearchFoundation
Borneo Post
6 days ago
- General
- Borneo Post
Nearly 1,500 Crown-of-Thorns starfish removed in Lahad Datu reef cleanup
Volunteers posing after one of the dives to remove COTS. – Photos courtesy of MRF & RCM. LAHAD DATU (Aug 15): A three-day underwater cleanup by volunteer divers resulted in the removal of 1,495 Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COTS) from the waters of Darvel Bay here. Co-organised by the Marine Research Foundation (MRF) and Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) with support from Sabah Parks, the August 10–12 expedition involved 17 divers from local government agencies, the Department of Fisheries Sabah, Marine Police Lahad Datu, community groups from Larapan and Selakan, Sabah Dive Rangers, and local dive operator Darvel Bay Diving. COTS are large predatory starfish that feed on corals and, in outbreak numbers, can devastate entire reef systems. Controlling their population is essential to preserving marine ecosystems. MRF's Principal Programme Officer, Liyana Izwin Khalid, urged communities, stakeholders, and policymakers to work together to manage COTS in Darvel Bay, while MRF Conservation Officer Chris Chai Chun Xue highlighted the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration. RCM Programme Manager Nadhirah Mohd Rifai stressed that removing COTS is only part of the solution, pointing to the need to tackle root causes such as water quality decline, overfishing of natural predators, and climate change. The initiative was funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah and PADI Aware Foundation.
Borneo Post
29-06-2025
- Science
- Borneo Post
Sabah's plastic waste sculptures shine globally
The manta ray, giant clam and starfish sculptures that were crafted from marine debris won the 2025 Global Ocean Cleanup Art Competition Judge's Choice award. KOTA KINABALU (June 29): The Marine Research Foundation created another history for Malaysia after winning the 2025 Global Ocean Cleanup Art Competition Judge's Choice Award. Titled 'Anatomy of the Breathless Sea', three marine animal sculptures – manta ray, giant clam and starfish – were crafted entirely from marine debris collected from the ocean and won the judges' heart from nine other countries. The debris were retrieved from Tunku Abdul Rahman Park waters in Kota Kinabalu during the World Oceans Day – Underwater Cleanup 2025, organised by Marine Research Foundation (MRF), Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) and Mariners Club UMS on June 14. The World Oceans Day was also supported by the Oceanic Society, PADI AWARE Foundation, Sabah Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah Parks, Kota Kinabalu City Hall and the Sabah Dive Rangers. Waste materials such as plastics have continued to threaten marine ecosystems and its biodiversity as it becomes a food chain for marine life. The sculptures created from plastic waste reveal the severity of humans' trash that ends up in our ocean and inside marine animals. The three sculptures thus deliver a powerful message in understanding the negative impact of plastic pollution on our ecosystem.
Borneo Post
07-05-2025
- General
- Borneo Post
Skimmer boat to combat marine plastic pollution in KK
Sabin (center), Rosmadi (second right), Firdausi (right) witness how the Mobula skimmer boat collects waste from the water. KOTA KINABALU (May 7): Marine plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. The issue is not confined to distant oceans, but is happening right here – in the coastal waters and islands that frame our city. Plastics and waste materials that accumulate in our drainage systems and eventually flow into the sea are damaging marine ecosystems, threatening biodiversity, and jeopardising livelihoods that depend on a clean marine environment. To tackle this challenge and to protect our marine ecosystems, the Marine Research Foundation (MRF) in collaboration with Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) unveiled the Mobula-8 skimmer boat at Gaya Island Resort, here on Wednesday. 'The Mobula-8 skimmer boat is a purpose-built vessel designed to collect and remove floating plastic debris from the waters surrounding Kota Kinabalu. This initiative represents our commitment to restore and preserve the beauty of our marine environment,' said City Hall Mayor Datuk Seri Sabin Samitah at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Marine Research Foundation and Gaya Island Resort (GIR). Present at the event were Marine Research Foundation (MRF) Executive Director Dr Nicolas J. Pilcher, Gaya Island Resort Vice President Wayne Lee, Sabah Maju Jaya Secretariat chief coordination officer Datuk Rosmadi Datu Sulai, Invest Sabah Berhad Chief Executive Dr Firdausi Suffian, DBKK Deputy Director General of Operation Robert Lipon and Department of Solid Waste Management Director Leong Tze Fui. Sabin said the Mobula-8 skimmer boat, an advanced waste collection technology from abroad, is a clear demonstration of DBKK's determination in addressing the growing threat of marine pollution and preserving the beauty of our marine environment. 'The deployment of this vessel is one of the key initiatives under the Marine Plastics Cleanup Project, a collaborative effort between DBKK and MRF. Together, we aim to implement a strategic and science-driven approach to marine waste management,' said Sabin. Sabin said the Mobula-8 will be deployed regularly across the coastal zones of Kota Kinabalu and the surrounding islands, complementing the existing land-based efforts in waste management by DBKK. 'The project is anchored on the development of a comprehensive Marine Debris Action Plan, which will outline not only the physical cleanup strategy but also the scientific monitoring and analysis of the types, sources, and distribution of marine debris,' he said. Meanwhile, Pilcher said all data collected would be analysed for long-term research to determine the type of waste that ends up in our ocean. 'This program is still at its early stage but once we have sufficient data, we hope to work together with DBKK to develop targeted and management approaches, similar to DBKK's no plastic bag initiatives, which has seen a massive reduction in the use of plastic bags,' he said. Pilcher added that the Mobula-8 skimmer boat, which was donated to MRF by The SeaCleaners, a Swiss NGO, is able to collect up to two tonnes of waste per-day. 'The collected waste will be off-loaded at DBKK's jetty for proper disposal at the Kayu Madang landfill, in Menggatal,' he said, adding that MRF's long-term vision is that the majority of waste collected will be recycled or upcycle.
