Pulau Bidong Research Articles

Development of an Ocean Wave Energy Harvester using an Array of Flexible Piezoelectric Sensors

The ocean offers vast opportunities for unprecedented energy harvesting where most studies had concentrated on large scale energy harvesting from the ocean waves. However, there were minimal studies on low-scale energy harvesting. This study focuses on ambient, low-scale energy harvesting which theoretically can be used to power low energy consumption electrical appliances. The inherent characteristic of piezoelectric materials which can convert mechanical energy to electrical energy has created an alternative to generate energy from renewable sources including ocean waves. Initially, this study started with preliminary work which consisted of the development and testing of a lab scale piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH-1) which was tested along the beach area of Kuala Nerus, east coast of Malaysia. Results from PEH-1 had shown that the high tide produced more power level compared to low tide experiments. The findings from the first phase of this study served as a foundation study towards the development of an upscaled version of the PEH-1 in relation of mechanical and electronics, which was termed as PEH-2. Testing for PEH-2 was conducted in the coastal area of Pulau Bidong Laut, Kuala Nerus. Results from the second part of the study had shown that approximately almost 80% of the power harvested correlated linearly with wind speed, however after reaching 0.7W the peak dips down which was probably due to the instability of PEH-2 to be used in harsh open seas environment. This study had shown the feasibility of utilizing piezoelectric material to harvest low-scale power, however, several in-house modifications needed to be made for it to be fully functionable.

Optimum image alignment setting selection for structure-from-motion photogrammetry using Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) to support coral habitat classification

Coral reefs provide a range of ecological services and support highly diverse coastal ecosystem. However, the extent of living corals has been reduced by half globally as a result of anthropogenic natural stressors. Continuous monitoring by deploying accessible remote sensing (RS) methods to map coral habitats is necessary for effective conservation and management strategies. Recently, there has been an increased use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for coral reef RS. Image misalignment is considered a key problem in the Structure from Motion (SfM) workflow. Combinations of image alignment settings (IAS) and key point limit (KPL) optimizations aim to improve quality of the sparse cloud while lowering SfM reconstruction uncertainty, increasing projection accuracy, and ultimately improving coral habitat classification accuracy. In this study, the orthoimages were produced from a total of 25 IAS (lowest, low, medium, high and highest) and KPM (5k, 10k, 20k, 40k, and 60k) combinations using Agisoft™ Metashape software. Measurements of geometric distortion, efficiency, and completeness were used to evaluate these orthoimages with three visible bands. Results that satisfied the requirements for both geometric quality, spectral accuracy, processing efficiency identified the optimum alignment methods needed for routinely monitoring and mapping of coral reefs of Pulau Bidong. The SfM-image alignment techniques chosen for this study could produce the coral mapping extent, a higher number of tie points and matches, better image alignment success and coral habitat classification accuracy, less processing time and memory usage and no geometric distortions. The development of the methodology for the optimum parametrization of RPAS multispectral imagery would be beneficial to researchers studying coral reefs, marine sciences, and RS data analysts. It would provide them reliable methods for evaluating the quality of orthoimages and faster processing methods to achieve coastal RS objectives.

Current Status of Coral Reef Fish Abundances at Pulau Bidong and Nearby Islands, South China Sea Using Stereo-Diver Operated Video System

Current Status of Coral Reef Fish Abundances at Pulau Bidong and Nearby Islands, South China Sea Using Stereo-Diver Operated Video System

Evaluating the survival and growth rate of Acropora digitifera in wild and mesocosm systems

The growing interest in coral culture for restoration and biotechnological applications has prompted researchers to improve their understanding of coral culture, with a focus on ex-situ production. This study aimed to understand the performance of common hard coral, Acropora digitifera by examining their survival and growth at Pulau Bidong (in-situ) and in a mesocosm system (ex-situ). First, three branches were tagged from each of eight A. digitifera colonies (n = 24). Mortality and linear extension rate were recorded monthly, from July - November 2018. Meanwhile, five branches from each tagged colony were brought back to a mesocosm set up at the hatchery in the Institute of Tropical Aquaculture (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) for the ex-situ experiment. All coral nubbins (n=40) were then divided into two coral size groups: small (<5cm) and large (>5cm). After four months, small nubbins showed 100% survivorship, while large nubbins survived for only two months. In contrast, 67% of wild colonies remained alive. However, nubbins in mesocosm extent with almost 2-folds slower (0.091 + 0.027 mm day-1) than those in the wild (0.166 + 0.033 mm day-1). Coral nubbins in mesocosm form a basal self-attachment “disc” at the bottom. This suggests that fragmented corals invest more energy in self-stabilization, especially in the early stage of transplantation, which affects their linear growth. This study demonstrates the different demographic traits for corals in both the environments.

Species Composition, Diversity, and Biomass Estimation in Coastal and Marine Protected Areas of Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia

We investigated and compared the tree species composition and diversity of different forest types in Setiu Wetlands and on the three major islands of Terengganu. A total of 24 plots of 25 m × 25 m with four plots in each study site were established, viz. Melaleuca swamp forest in Kampung Fikri, freshwater swamp forest in Kampung Gong Batu, mangrove forest in UMT Setiu research station, and the islands, namely Pulau Bidong, Pulau Redang, and Pulau Perhentian. We calculated the basal area, stand density, Importance Value Index, species diversity, and above-ground biomass in the designated study areas. We assessed 139 tree species from 96 genera and 50 families based on a total of 2608 tree samples of 5 cm DBH and above. The freshwater swamp forest harbored the highest number of species with 20 species in Setiu Wetlands, and among the islands, Pulau Redang had the highest with 56 species. Melaleuca cajuputi was the most dominant species in the Melaleuca swamp forest, while Alstonia spatulata and Rhizophora apiculata are expected in the freshwater swamp and mangrove forest, respectively. Pulau Bidong, Pulau Redang, and Pulau Perhentian are mostly represented by Licania splendens, Shorea glauca, and Vatica sp., respectively. All the dominant species but Licania splendens contributed to the highest amount of above-ground biomass. Our current study indicated that different forest types vary in composition and structure, which may contribute to their unique ecological roles within their specific environment.

DISTRIBUTION OF BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA IN THE CORAL REEFS ECOSYSTEM OF PULAU BIDONG, TERENGGANU, SOUTHERN SOUTH CHINA SEA

A study on the distribution of benthic foraminiferal species in the surface sediments of coral reefs was carried out in Pulau Bidong in the southern South China Sea (SCS). Samples were collected at 12 sites around Pulau Bidong at water depths ranging from 5 m to 30 m. Live (rose bengal stained) and optimally preserved empty tests of benthic foraminifera were analysed based on their chamber and apertural characteristics observed under binocular microscope (Leica Zoom 2000). The results revealed that 32 genera of benthic foraminifera were found in the coral reefs sediments. Amphistegina was the most abundant genus with relative abundance of 68% and frequently recorded at depths of between 10-15 m and 25-30 m. Other common genera that were found were Calcarina, Elphidium, Heterolepa, Heterostegina, Quinqueloculina, Peneroplis and Triloculina. These genera showed depth distribution preference in the shallow water zone (5 m depth). The highest diversity index (2.3) and number of taxa (26 genera) were recorded at station W2, located at the western part of Pulau Bidong. The lowest diversity index (0.2) and number of taxa (seven genera) were recorded at station S3, located at the southern part of Pulau Bidong. The frequency distribution and diversity of benthic foraminifera in the study area were related to water depth.

Review on Vietnamese Refugees, Resettlement and Mental Health: From Pulau Bidong, a Malaysian Experience

War regardless of where it occurs, causes widespread devastation for everyone on the planet. Civilians who are directly affected by war are subjected to unspeakable atrocities. They cross national borders in search of safety. The total number of refugees in the world reached 26.4 million in 2020 and now with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the number is escalating. As of May 2021 the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia has registered 179,570 refugees and asylum seekers. With the growing number of refugees around the world, the prevalence of their mental health disorders is significant for public health. These people are among the most vulnerable people on the planet. The purpose of this review is to look at the short and long term psychological impact on refugees, in particular the Vietnamese refugees who once fled their country for safety in Malaysia and then resettled in other countries. From the review, recommendations for handling the growing number of refugees worldwide in the hope of reducing the impact their psychological problem in future. #SayNoToWar

Coral health status assessment in Malaysia islands; looking towards Marine Spatial Planning

In enhancing coral reef management, identifying the key threats that influence the coral reefs ecosystem needs accurate information on the current knowledge of coral health status and coral communities. This study attempts to update such information by evaluating the data of coral assessment on the reef areas in the southern part of the South China Sea (SCS); the Labuan Marine Park (LMP), Pulau Tioman Marine Park (PTMP), Pulau Kapas Marine Park (PKMP), Pulau Bidong (PB) and Pulau Perhentian Marine Park (PPMP). The Coral Video Transect (CVT) technique was utilised to examine the biotic [live coral (C), algae (ALG) and other invertebrates (OT)] and abiotic [(dead coral (DC), sand, silt and rock (SR)] composition, coral health status and coral communities. The variation of biotic and abiotic components was significantly influenced by ‘Area’ and ‘Tourism Development’, which implied that the reefs were influenced by proximity from the mainland and varying human-induced stressors within the site in the survey area. Lower C composition and high cover of ALG, DC and SR can be associated with the decreasing proximity of the reef ‘Area’ to the mainland and the criteria of ‘Tourism Development’. ‘Areas’ close to the mainland such as PKMP and LMP was mainly dominated by abiotic components. High ALG composition was found in PPMP and some sites in LMP, indicating the high commercial use in the ‘Area’ have induced the algae colonisation. The reefs nearby the mainland and intense human activities consequently resulting in coral health status with some sites rated as ‘poor’ condition. PTMP and PB recorded the highest C composition, suggesting distance from the mainland as a factor to PTMP while low human intervention is an attributable factor to PB. No ‘poor’ sites were found in PTMP and PB, implying that both areas face minimal impact from the local stressors. The coral communities among the areas were dominated by three types of communities; Acropora-Porites-Montipora (LMP), Acropora-Porites (PTMP, PKMP and PPMP) and Acropora-Porites-Fungia (PB), suggesting linkages to the environmental stressor. Conclusively, apart from filling in the information gaps on the current status of the coral reefs, the findings underline the urgent need for systematic Marine Spatial Planning design and adoption to accurately mitigate threats against a more resilient coral reef health in Malaysia.

Introducing Theil-Sen estimator for sun glint correction of UAV data for coral mapping

Despite wider applications for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in aquatic remote sensing, frequent sun glint in UAV acquisition often results in significant data gaps. Much research exists in the development of sun glint correction methods for airborne and satellite imagery to generate accurate coral habitat maps. Conversely, little is known about an appropriate glint correction method that can also be considered as data gap in UAV. This study compared glint correction methods for filling data gaps in UAV imagery acquired from the coral-dominated Pulau Bidong island in Peninsular Malaysia. This study proposed a simple seed pixel region growing technique that can be used in glint detection and mask development. It introduces the Theil-Sen regression glint correction (TSGC) for glint correction in UAV imagery and to achieve coral composition maps with thematic details, useful for sustainable coastal management. TSGC achieved a 25.6% greater coral classification accuracy compared to the uncorrected images.

Quantitative dataset of shallow water reef in Pulau Bidong, Southern of South China sea during pre and post of tropical storm (Pabuk - January 2019).

This article provides raw datasets of the coral reefs status in Pulau Bidong, southern of South China Sea before and after being strike by the tropical storm Pabuk on January 2019. Data were collected using a rapid coral survey method called Coral Video Transect (CVT) technique. The data were collected along a 100 m transect line set up parallel to the shoreline and at a constant depth. In total, eight transects were surveyed during both periods (pre – August 2016, post – March 2019). Back in laboratory, the footage was then extracted into non-overlapping frames or still images prior to image analysis using Coral Point Count with Excel Extension (CPCe) software. The benthic coral reefs relative percentage cover was automatically generated after the image analysis and represented by five major categories; live coral (C), algae (ALG), other invertebrates (OT), dead coral (DC), and sand silt and rock (SR). Live coral cover was identified up to the genus level. This raw dataset was used in this article. The data provided in this article could be of significant use for future studies especially on coral recovery after the natural disturbances. It can provide a baseline assessment especially for coral reefs management as well as to comprehend changes in coral health status in the face of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The data presented here support the information in the article Safuan et al. (2020).

Metagenomic data on bacterial diversity profiling of high-microbial-abundance tropical marine sponges Aaptos aaptos and Xestospongia muta from waters off terengganu, South China Sea.

Marine sponges are acknowledged as a bacterial hotspot and resource of novel natural products or genetic material with industrial or commercial potential. However, sponge-associated bacteria are difficult to be cultivated and the production of their desirable metabolites is inadequate in terms of rate and quantity, yet bioinformatics and metagenomics tools are steadily progressing. Bacterial diversity profiles of high-microbial-abundance wild tropical marine sponges Aaptos aaptos and Xestospongia muta were obtained by sample collection at Pulau Bidong and Pulau Redang islands, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing on Illumina HiSeq2500 platform (250 bp paired-end) and metagenomics analysis using Ribosomal Database Project (RDP) classifier. Raw sequencing data in fastq format and relative abundance histograms of the dominant 10 species are available in the public repository Discover Mendeley Data (http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/zrcks5s8xp). Filtered sequencing data of operational taxonomic unit (OTU) with chimera removed is available in NCBI accession numbers from MT464469 to MT465036.

First record of tropical storm (Pabuk - January 2019) damage on shallow water reef in Pulau Bidong, south of South China Sea

Little is known regarding the damage caused by tropical storms to the coral reefs in the southern region of the South China Sea, especially in Malaysia where tropical storms are a rare occurrence. In January 2019, a tropical storm known as Pabuk was recorded near Malaysia. This storm brought strong winds (>50 mph) to the region and created strong currents (>1 m/s) as well as large significant wave heights (>4 m). The physical disturbances due to this storm were stronger than usual and caused some damage to the coral reefs surrounding that area. In this study, we examined the physical changes to the coral reefs in Pantai Pasir Cina, Pulau Bidong that occurred before and after the event of tropical storm Pabuk. The results of this study indicated that the live coral cover was significantly reduced from 47.9 ± 5.02% to 28.75 ± 3.9%, while the dead coral cover increased from 26.3 ± 3.8% to 65.09 ± 3.77% based on the average live and dead coral cover when all the transects were combined. Corals at depths of 3 m were the most affected as compared to corals at depths of 8 m, in which more than 60% reduction of live coral cover was identified in 3 m-depth transects and up to 30% reduction was observed in 8 m-depth transects. The analysis of non-metric multidimensional scaling showed no clear changes in coral communities, although the percentage cover of dominant corals such as Acropora and Fungia decreased drastically. Since the aftereffects of the storm were significant, it is vital for frequent monitoring to be performed in the future to identify changes in coral communities within the region.

Monthly physicochemical variation of tropical island groundwater of Pulau Bidong, south China sea

The groundwater of Pulau Bidong, Terengganu, Malaysia was investigated to monitor the quality of freshwater source. Groundwater samples were collected from five sampling stations from June 2016 to October 2016. Physical parameters such as temperature, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, salinity, and DO saturation were measured in-situ by using handheld device. Meanwhile, total suspended solid (TSS), total dissolved solid (TDS), nitrate (NO3−), nitrite (NO2−), ammonium (NH4+) and phosphate (PO43−) were also analysed. The inorganic nutrients of NO3−, NO2−, NH4+, and PO43− were ranged from 0.000 to 4.310 mg/L, 0.000–0.190 mg/L, 0.000–0.807 mg/L and 0.003–0.028 mg/L, respectively. The monthly trends of specific conductivity, DO, salinity, DO saturation, NH4, NO3 and NO2 demonstrated significant variation in June (the lowest rainfall) compared to other months. Correlation matrix revealed that temperature was associated with the specific conductivity, and NH4+ strongly correlated with DO, NO3− and NO2−. Nevertheless, there is a strong negative correlation between physicochemical parameters and monthly rainfall distribution. The physicochemical parameters were within the recommended safe limits suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) and National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS) except for pH. Nevertheless, pH of water does not directly impact on the human health. Environmetrics analysis demonstrated that NO3− and PO43− significantly influenced the groundwater quality spatially. Furthermore, the temporal variation of groundwater quality was affected by pH and salinity. Overall, the groundwater sources from Pulau Bidong are considered safe to be used as drinking water. Notably, future studies are required for long-term monitoring to ensure the good quality of groundwaters from Pulau Bidong.

Coral Reef Mapping of UAV: A Comparison of Sun Glint Correction Methods

Although methods were proposed for eliminating sun glint effects from airborne and satellite images over coral reef environments, a method was not proposed previously for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) image data. De-glinting in UAV image analysis may improve coral distribution mapping accuracy result compared with an uncorrected image classification technique. The objective of this research was to determine accuracy of coral reef habitat classification maps based on glint correction methods proposed by Lyzenga et al., Joyce, Hedley et al., and Goodman et al. The UAV imagery collected from the coral-dominated Pulau Bidong (Peninsular Malaysia) on 20 April 2016 was analyzed in this study. Images were pre-processed with the following two strategies: Strategy-1 was the glint removal technique applied to the whole image, while Strategy-2 used only the regions impacted by glint instead of the whole image. Accuracy measures for the glint corrected images showed that the method proposed by Lyzenga et al. following Strategy-2 could eliminate glints over the branching coral—Acropora (BC), tabulate coral—Acropora + Montipora (TC), patch coral (PC), coral rubble (R), and sand (S) with greater accuracy than the other four methods using Strategy-1. Tested in two different coral environments (Site-1: Pantai Pasir Cina and Site-2: Pantai Vietnam), the glint-removed UAV imagery produced reliable maps of coral habitat distribution with finer details. The proposed strategies can potentially be used to remove glint from UAV imagery and may improve usability of glint-affected imagery, for analyzing spatiotemporal changes of coral habitats from multi-temporal UAV imagery.

Opistognathus nigromarginatus Rüppell, 1830 (Perciformes, Opistognathidae), Bridled Jawfish: a first record from Malaysia

A specimen (125.5 mm in standard length) of bridled jawfish, Opistognathus nigromarginatus Rüppell, 1830 was collected from the Pulau Bidong, Terengganu, Malaysia using research trawler. Opistognathus nigromarginatus previously has been recorded from Southern Africa to the Persian Gulf, India, Thailand, and Vietnam. We document the first record of this species in Malaysia and the southernmost occurrence in the South China Sea and Western Pacific Ocean. Detailed morphometric and meristic data are presented along with brief diagnostic characters.

Macrofungi of Pulau Bidong

Studies on fungal taxonomy and fungal diversity are crucial for a better understanding of the interactions between fungi and their habitats. To date, there is no published record on macrofungal diversity in Pulau Bidong, Terengganu. Therefore, this study aimed to identify macrofungi species found with their respective substrates and to determine the macrofungal diversity in the island. The study was conducted at two different occasions and comprised of two trails near Universiti Malaysia Terengganu Research Station in Pulau Bidong, Terengganu. Collection of fresh macrofungi was made and additional data including host information, distinctive features of each fungal sample and several environmental parameters was also recorded. Fresh specimens were later observed and identified before being dried prior to storage. Overall, 65 macrofungal species with 2 unidentified species belonging to 21 families and 34 genera were recorded. Trail A and trail B recorded diversity index of 2.67 and 3.14 for Shannon Index while Simpson index recorded 0.90 and 0.94 respectively. The macrofungal diversity was dominated by family Polyporaceae while rare species discovered were from family of Tricholomataceae, Hericiaceae, Stereaceae, Schizophyllaceae, Sclerodermataceae, Dacrymycetaceae, Tremellaceae, Russulaceae and Clavulinaceae. The most common macrofungal substrates was decayed branches while other macrofungal substrates found were decayed trunks and leaves, soil, termite mounds, and living tree. In conclusion, the macrofungal species were randomly distributed with high diversity in both trails. Therefore, it is recommended that an increase in sampling trips, sampling efforts and areas covered be provided to increase the number of macrofungal species discovered and accuracy of diversity studies in the future.

A taxonomic revision of the genus Thalia Blumenbach, 1798; Weelia Yount, 1954; Brooksia Metcalf, 1918 (Salpida: Salpidae) from East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

The marine pelagic tunicates of Family Salpidae Lahille, 1888 presence in the coastal waters of Terengganu was studied for the first time. Samples were collected from April to July 2016 using 200µm Bongo net; hauled vertically from a stationary vessel; and preserved in 5% buffered formaldehyde. A total of 4 species under this family were found, observed and identified: Thalia rhomboides (Quoy and Gaimard 1824); Thalia sibogae (van Soest 1973); Weelia cylindrica (Cuvier 1804) and Brooksia rostrata (Traustedt 1893). All species were identified as new records in Malaysian waters. The description on morphological characteristics and a key to the solitary and aggregate of the recorded species is added. The distribution was analyzed from the 18 sampling stations in theTerengganu waters including Pulau Bidong, Pulau Yu and Pulau Kapas. The collected data was then compiled with previous available global literature on the distribution and occurrence of these four species, consequently updating the biodiversity of Malaysian fauna and its worldwide biogeography distribution.

A new species of insular Rock Gecko (Genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887) from the Bidong Archipelago, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia.

A new insular species Cnemaspis bidongensis sp. nov. (Squamata: Gekkonidae), is described from Pulau Bidong, Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia and bears a unique suite of morphological and color pattern characters that differentiate it from all other congeners. Cnemaspis bidongensis sp. nov. is the sister species to C. kendallii (Gray) and represents the fifth insular endemic species of Cnemaspis on archipelagos along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This species survived massive deforestation of the small island of Bidong (260 ha) from the mid 1970s to the early 1990s when the island served as a Vietnamese refugee camp and harbored as many as 40,000 people at one time. We hypothesize that this species' generalized lifestyle contributed to its survival, allowing it to seek refuge in rocky microhabitats.

Remembering the Boat People Exodus

This essay examines the controversial stories and implications of two memorials built in March 2005 by former boat people from Vietnam on Pulau Bidong (Malaysia) and on Pulau Galang (Indonesia) to commemorate the refugee exodus that ensued after the end of the Vietnam War (April 1975). Tracing the histories and analyzing the contents of these objects, this essay not only illuminates the intertwining social, cultural, political, economic, moral, and spiritual dimensions of contemporary diasporic Vietnamese commemorative practices, but also explains how and why these commemorative practices are entangled in local, national, international, and transnational dynamics and therefore have multilateral impacts.

Counselling Indochinese Refugee Women Rape Survivors

This paper is based on my work experience as a counsellor of rape survivors and traumatised refugees at two refugee camps in Malaysia – Pulau Bidong and Sungei Besi – with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (1987–1988). The Indochinese refugee women rape survivors' traumatic experiences are presented using two case studies. Their resultant psychological and social issues are analysed in these case examples. Analysis of the work reveals a particular mental dissonance in these women which results from the clash between their culture and the new self concepts necessary for their recovery. It is demonstrated that counselling methods which emphasise self-esteem, personal values and self-sufficiency are necessary for the recovery of these traumatised people in host countries such as Australia and Canada. Information on clients' psychological and social issues and needs can increase the awareness of support groups regarding this matter. Establishment and training of these women's groups, composed of volunteers having the same cultural background as the clients, will facilitate the survivors' access to professional services.