Marine Research Foundation

31/03/2026

Our TEDs journey in the land of hornbills continues in Sibu! 🐢

From introducing Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to building them from scratch, the workshop was a reminder that real change happens when people come together with purpose - reducing bycatch and protecting sea turtles, this time alongside Sibu’s local trawl fishers and DOF officers 💪

A big thank you to Jabatan Perikanan Laut Sarawak for co-organising this workshop and supporting the effort on the ground, and to Yayasan Sime Darby and Fondation Segré for their support in making this program possible.💫

27/02/2026

Shaping the next chapter for our marine environment 🌊♻️

Exactly a month ago, we got everyone in the same room to talk about one big issue: Plastic Pollution in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

We had representatives from Sabah Parks, Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu, NGOs, island operators (hotels, resorts, restaurants, dive operators), recycling partners, and even plastic manufacturers.

It was an open, honest discussion. We agreed on what needs to be prioritised, who’s taking the lead on what, and set timelines to actually make things happen 💪

Big thanks to everyone who showed up, the momentum is building! Stay tuned for the progress updates!👏🚀

And much gratitude to The SeaCleaners for supporting our work!

📆 27 January 2025
📌 Grandis Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

27/02/2026

20/01/2026

🤩 We have exciting news! 🤩
MRF will be joining the DRT Show 2026 for the very first time!!

Drop by our booth to learn more about marine research and conservation in Malaysia, from our work on sea turtles, sharks and rays, to addressing marine debris pollution!! 🐢🦈 🌊

SEE YOU THERE!! 🤗

𝗗𝗥𝗧 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
🗓️ 30 Jan – 01 Feb 2026 (Fri–Sun)
📍 Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) Hall 4 & 5 – Booth C37

◖ Opening Hours ◗
🕙 10:00am – 7:00pm (Fri & Sat)
🕙 10:00am – 6:00pm (Sun)

◖ Website ◗
https://www.drtexpo.com/malaysia

10/12/2025

🐬🐳 Celebrating a major milestone in marine conservation!

The NPOA Marine Mammal Workshop brought together key stakeholders to finalise Malaysia’s first-ever National Plan of Action for whales, dolphins, porpoises, and dugongs. Watch the highlights here!

Jabatan Perikanan Malaysia (DOF) Yayasan Sime Darby

05/12/2025

We wrapped up the National Plan of Action (NPOA) Marine Mammal Workshop, co-organised by the Department of Fisheries Malaysia and MRF in Kota Kinabalu and wow, what a day! We couldn’t have asked for a better group to kickstart Malaysia’s very first NPOA for marine mammals 🐬🐳🐋

This is just the beginning, and as we work on finalising the document, we want to acknowledge everyone who is already doing incredible work on the ground to protect our marine mammals 🙏🙏

There’s so much to be grateful for.
To Jabatan Perikanan Malaysia (DOF) thank you for your immense support, not just for MRF, but for recognising the conservation efforts happening across the country.

To all the participants from agencies nationwide, NGOs and universities, we are humbled by your presence and your passion.

To Yayasan Sime Darby, we truly couldn’t have come this far without your trust and support over the years.

To MareCet Marine Mammal Research & Conservation, thank you for your contributions in shaping the NPOA, and to Dr Vivian for setting the scene with a great introduction to marine mammals.

And of course, to our amazing moderator, colleague and friend, Alvin Chelliah from Reef Check Malaysia, thank you for carrying the session the way you did, so effortlessly.

From all of us at the MRF, we are genuinely grateful for this milestone and for everyone who made it possible 🙌🏼🙌🏼

11/11/2025

Guardians for Guardians 🌊

We’re dedicated to keeping our oceans clean and protecting marine life through the Mobula waste collection vessel and underwater clean-up expeditions. But sometimes that debris, or even the amazing creatures we encounter during the clean-up, can be a little hazardous. Thankfully, Ansell has our backs (and our hands 👐), keeping us safe while we protect the ocean!

Catch the highlights in the video, then head to the article here for all the details!

https://www.ansell.com/my/en/sustainability/sustainability-stories/ansell-teams-up-with-the-marine-research-foundation-for-cleaner-oceans

17/10/2025

Courtesy visit to Jabatan Perikanan Laut Sarawak - thank you for having us JPLS!

09/10/2025

We were honoured to be part of the ASEAN Blue Economy Forum 2025 in Kota Kinabalu, hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Sabah Maju Jaya Secretariat. 🌊

It was a fantastic opportunity to share our work with not only local stakeholders but also counterparts from across the ASEAN region. Always a pleasure to reconnect with many familiar faces and build new connections 🤝

A big thank you Sabah Maju Jaya Secretariat for the invitation, and to everyone who stopped by our booth to say hi to the team! 🙌

📆 29, 30 Sept and 1 Oct 2025
📍SICC, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

10/09/2025

One for the books! 🌟

We’ve reached another milestone - the signing of an MoU with Jabatan Perikanan Malaysia (DOF)/ the Department of Fisheries Malaysia. For over a decade, MRF has been working closely with DOFM on mitigating marine megafauna bycatch in Malaysian fisheries, and they have been a trusted and supportive partner 🤝🏽

On behalf of MRF, Liyana Khalid, Principal Programme Officer, exchanged the MoU with Dato’ Haji Adnan bin Hussain, Director General of DOFM, in a ceremony witnessed by YB Datuk Seri Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia.

This MoU is a testament to our long-standing collaboration and we look forward to many more years of working together towards sustainable fisheries in Malaysia. Thank you DOFM for believing in us, and to all our funders and supporters for standing with us throughout this journey 🙌🏼

📅 2 August 2025
📍SICC, Sabah

04/09/2025

📣💥 REEF DANGER ALERT!! 💥📣

An outbreak of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) has hit Darvel Bay, Lahad Datu, reported by Darvel Bay Diving 🚨

MRF joined forces with Reef Check Malaysia, Sabah Parks and Sabah Dive Rangers, gathering 17 volunteer divers for an epic underwater cleanup mission. And surprise, surprise, we also discovered a pool of discarded nets!

The results: 1,495 COTS removed and a 100kg ghost net pulled out in just 3 days! This critical effort is a huge step to help our corals recover and maintain the reef health for the future, saving thousands of marine life.

A massive thank you to our funders PADI AWARE Foundation and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKaS), and to the incredible volunteers from the Department of Fisheries Sabah, Marine Police, Selakan & Larapan Community Marine Conservation Group (CMCG) and Darvel Bay Diving who came together to protect our ocean! You guys are awesome!

Our sunscreen was kindly sponsored by Stream2Sea Coral Care & our underwater gloves by Ansell. Thank you for keeping us safe!

🗓️ 10-12 August 2025
📍Darvel Bay, Lahad Datu, Sabah