Another accolade for Tun Mustapha Park with largest Coral Fragment Planting event

Hexagon-shaped frames to be tied with coral fragments before transportation to the deployment site. INSET: A group of participants from the local community tying coral fragments to the frames at the beach of Simpang Mengayau. Photo courtesy of Sabah Parks

KOTA KINABALU: The country's largest marine park is expecting to be bestowed with another accolade as it is making its way into the prestigious Malaysia Book of Records (MBR).

Sabah Parks has initiated a two-week programme by hosting the Largest Coral Fragment Planting Event ever recorded in Malaysia.

This mammoth endeavour involves tying a total of 12,000 coral fragments to 1,000 metal frames, transporting and installing them at a site about two kilometres from the Tip of Borneo close to Pulau Kalampunian off Tunku Mustapha Park in Kudat.

Sabah parks director Dr Maklarin Lakim said the main objectives of this programme are to rehabilitate the damaged coral reef in a selected area within Taman Tun Mustapha (TTM) in Kudat.

The programme, that started on May 5, mobilising hundreds of participants, including certified divers, non-divers, local communities, and various stakeholders.

Maklarin said TTS implemented the programme by adopting the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS).

"This system entails nine processes, namely Coral Habitat Assessment, Building of Frames (or Reef Stars), Coral Collection, Coral Fragmenting, Tying of Coral Fragments to each Frame, Shuttling or Transportation of Frames to Site (or Reef Stars), Reef Star Deployment (or Installation of Frames), Arrangement of the Reef Stars to form a Beehive Web on the seabed, and Maintenance & Monitoring.

"There are 12 free diver shuttlers at the deployment site to deliver the frames from the surface of the sea to the seafloor; eight builder divers to securely install the frames at designated sites on the seafloor at Tun Mustapha Park (TMP); 30 support divers assist the builder divers in placing the frames on the seafloor to ensure the smooth operation
of coral planting activities; and four rescue divers to ensure the safety of all dive participants," he said in a statement after paying a courtesy visit to Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew here.

On May 18, three divers from the MBR, together with divers from the Sabah Parks (TTS) which initiated this planting programme, will inspect and certify the designated coral planting sites on the seafloor at TTM.

On May 19, TTS will receive the Certificate of Recognition from a MBR representative at the launching ceremony in Kudat.

Liew is expected to launch the event with the theme "Unite for Oceans" in conjunction with the 9th Anniversary of the gazettement of TTM at Dewan Tun Mustapha Kudat .

"Kudos to the Director and team of Sabah Parks for implementing a major coral restoration initiative.

"I am proud that Tun Mustapha Park is making history by hosting the Largest Coral Fragment Planting Event ever recorded in Malaysia.

"This is a potential tourism product for Kudat which is already famous for its picturesque Tanjung Simpang Mengayau (Tip of Borneo)," she said.

Also present at the courtesy call were TTS Senior Principal Assistant Director Fazrullah Rizally Abdul Razak, Principal Assistant Director Ak Mohd Rodzan Pg Dahlan, Assistant Director Norhaslam Adin, and TTM Park Officer Ivycleire Edward.