AN ASSESSMENT ON THE EFFECTS OF THE TSUNAMI ON THE MALAYSIAN CORAL REEFS

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AN ASSESSMENT ON THE EFFECTS OF THE TSUNAMI ON
THE MALAYSIAN CORAL REEFS

• Zulfigar Yasin, Anisah Lee and Aileen Tan
• Centre for Marine And Costal Studies
• Universiti Sains Malaysia

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Location of North Malaysian coast affected by the
Tsunami
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Landsat Thematic Mapper image of the coastal
region of North Peninsular Malaysia
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LANGKAWI ISLANDS
Existing Coastal Habitats
North
Kuala Kedah
PAYAR ISLANDS
ALOR SETAR
SONGSONG ISLANDS
STRAITS OF MALACCA
Merbok
Muka Head Marine Research Station USM
Kota Kuala Muda
PENANG
Butterworth
Georgetown
Scale 180 000
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Areas of tsunami impact
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Muka Head Marine Research Station Universiti
Sains Malaysia
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Research on the Seas and Islands of Malaysia
(ROSES) - Voyage Route 2004
LEGEND SECTION 1
SECTION 3

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Coral reefs offshore islands

• Offshore reefs islands surveyed
• Evidence unlike that of large storm damage
• Erosion on reef tops especially the reef edge
• Sediment resuspension and damage to fragile coral
  skeletons

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Fringing reefs

• Deeper water reefs less affected
• Shallow and intertidal reefs most affected
• Evidence of secondary effects of tsunami already
  seen
• Stress monitoring underway

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Sea grass beds and mudflats

• Mudflats and coastal sandy beaches show change in
  beach profile
• Changes in animal community profile
• Epifauna affected
• Indication of community changes

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Sea condition three hours after the tsunami
event - ebbing tide
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Sea condition - 8 minutes later
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Fish kill a day after the tsunami event
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Remains of fishermens aquaculture cages in
Penang - 3 hours after the tsunami event
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Largest change of generic reef types between the
SCS and the Indian Ocean
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Some salient points

• Important not to generalise impacts
• Pre-tsunami data and ecological behaviour
  critical in assessment
• Immediate post tsunami monitoring important for
  effects not to be masked
• Assessment must have a predictive value and
  therefore detail scientific assessment important
• Devastation in Acheh reefs and Malaysian offshore
  islands mostly unknown
• Immediate need to set up post tsunami assessment
  specifically for coral reefs in the impacted
  areas of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia