Sabah harbors 80% of the coral reefs in Malaysia, with it’s highest concentration in Semporna
water. Coral reefs, which provide ecosystem services and support the diving industry, are currently
threatened by destructive fishing and unsustainable tourism development. In this project, we aim to
highlight areas with endangered mushroom corals and propose for habitat protection. This project wil
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collaborate with dive operators to conduct underwater surveys to map abundance and distribution of
the targeted mushroom corals. Spatial analysis will be conducted using ArcGIS, and then incorporated
into online information sharing platform (GLOBIL). Local youth club will be engaged to conduct
education and awareness activities. Consequently, local youth clubs will be empowered to champion
marine conservation. Simultaneously, dive operators will work towards more eco-friendly operation by
following the recommendations from Green Fins. Project results will provide awareness to government
agencies regarding the needs for habitat protection and due recognition for gazettement of
conservation area through Marine Spatial Plan for Semporna District. Henceforward, these endangered
mushroom coral spesies will be protected and safeguarded by local communities.
