More Red Tide Info?

Check out maru maru's blog at http://marufish.blogspot.com/. There's recent satelite images showing chlorophyll level in seawater, sea temperature and etc. These are quite helpful in detecting the red tide movement and whereabouts. If anybody have more information on red tide around Sabah coastal waters, it's location, shellfish poisoning due to red tide and etc let us know.

Information Saves Lifes (even cage cultured fish's life) :-)

-Sofia-

Red tide news in Daily Express

Red Tide Alert Off KK and Tuaran
Daily Express, 20 March 2008. Kota Kinabalu

The Fisheries Department Wednesday announced that Red Tide was detected off Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran, though in small amounts, since last week. Its Principal Assistant Chief Ronny Bisuing advised to the public to be extra careful when eating shell fish or fish known to be easily contaminated by toxin produced by Red Tide.The situation is not critical and is under control. He also advised fishermen involved in cage fish culture to monitor the sea in their area and shift their fish to safer areas if needed. The department is monitoring the Red Tide movement and would inform the public from time to time.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=56502

-Salha-

We need Co-organizers

Been busy with day jobs and sorting out stuffs with government agencies to seek approval for our ‘I see, I care, I save’ program. Education department of Sabah suggested we seek approval from the Federal Education Ministry. We are now trying to get the KK City Bird Sanctuary to co-organize the program as their theme ‘wetland’ is very much related to our marine theme. We might extend our intention for Sabah Park to co-organize the program as well, as getting their support is very important and beneficial to the sustenance of the program.

-Sofia-

Environmental Race in Sandakan

Salha is at the moment busy co-organizing the Environmental Race in Sandakan, it’s like an adventure race, only the theme and all clues are related to the Environment. It’s quite a significant event involving teachers, government authorities and NGOs. Hope we can organize this sort of race along with other agencies in Kota Kinabalu targetting teachers and students this year.

-Sofia-

Borneo Global Issues Conference

29th February to 3rd March the team was invited to Brunei by the International School of Brunei’s director, David Taylor to exhibit our work on marine education and as an observer at the ‘Borneo Global Issues Conference VI’ organized by the International School of Brunei (www.isb.edu.bn/). It was a model UN conference run by ISB and attended by high school students from all over the world. We had a very fruitful trip as we met teachers and educators who are very passionate about the environment and education. There were about 300 high school students attending the conference proposing and debating environmental and social action plans for countries they represent.

The team posing with check awarded to ISB for their Million Trees Project (hehehe)

KK Reef Watch booth at the International Conference Centre. Two of Animal Planet presenters checking out our booth :) (p/s: a few minutes before these people came in, our booth fell due to unexplained reason)

Student's choir during the opening ceremony

-Sofia-

Update on RED TIDE status

Red tide is still around and visible to the naked eyes around Kota Kinabalu coastal water. Most probably it is due to the constant washing down of nutrients from mainland by heavy rain and the occasional very sunny day. This condition is quite favorable for red algae bloom.

Nutrient + Sunshine = Bloom


-Sofia-

Red Tide ALERT!

Went to Manukan Island last week, the water at Jesselton point was covered with slimy brownish colored algae. It's red tide algae bloom again!

C. polikrikoides cells

The Red Tide was believed to be caused by the presence of Cochclodinium polikrikoides, one of the red tide causing species. This species does not produce harmful toxins, but kills fishes through asphyxiation or the lack of oxygen due to the gills being clogged by the cells.

Consumption of fish that died as a result of oxygen deprivation caused by the C. polikrikoides does not cause any health hazards for humans.

Theres 4 ways red tide cause harm to other organisms:

1. Presence of so many cells may suffocate fish by clogging or irritating the gills (as in Cochlodinium sp.). NOT good for fish farmers.
2. Then the densely concentrated algal cells die off, the decay process, assisted by bacteria, can deplete the water of Oxygen, which can lead to death of Oxygen-dependent marine creatures.
3. Some algal species produce deadly toxins which directly kill the animals that ingest the poisons.
4. By shellfish (called PSP or Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning) such as mussels, clams and oysters which feed by filtering particles, including phytoplankton from sea water. Toxins from certain dinoflagellate or diatom species accumulate in the tissues of shellfish, when people, sea mammals, or seabirds eat the shellfish, they ingest the toxins as well.

In Sabah, the species that is harmfull to human is Pyrodinium bahamense. High risk areas in Sabah include Kota Kinabalu (particularly near Gaya Island and Sepanggar Bay), Binsuluk, Kuala Penyu, Sipitang and Kota Marudu.

-Sofia-