Uses of marine environment by man are always in conflicts because we depend on the sea for fisheries, aquaculture, recreation, energy and mining. However, we also depend on the sea for cooling water, dumping of wastes and toxic substances. Use of the Straits of Malacca is one of the typical example for this kind of conflict. The depth of the Straits of Malacca is generally very shallow especially in the southern portion of the Straits where the average depth is less than 20 meters. The Straits of Malacca is known to be polluted by oil, domestic sewage, suspended particles and heavy metals. The water quality of the Straits of Malacca is highly dynamic; i.e. it varies greatly with the period of the monsoon seasons as well as the amount of wastes entered into the water. For proper management of the water quality of the Straits’ water, the information of the dynamic variation of the chemicals and pollutants such as chemical nutrients, fecal coliform bacteria and sterols, oil and grease, detergents, and some of the key environmental indicators are urgently needed.

Objectives

Activities

Water, sediment and microbiological samples will be collected from Langkawi Island to Johor coastal waters at various depths during the Straits of Malacca Expedition Cruises. To date, we have conducted three cruises and the 4^th Cruise will be conducted between 13^th – 23^rd July, this year. The chemical parameters studied are nitrate, nitric, ammonium, orthophosphate, organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Besides, we also study the petroleum hydrocarbon in water, sediments and organisms, oil oxidizing bacteria, total heterotrophic bacteria, fecal sterols, qualitative and quantitative distribution of hydrocarbons in sediment.

Expected Output

• Identify and locate the source of chemical nutrient pollution in the Straits of Malacca.

• Correlation between the monsoon seasons and the levels of chemical nutrients in the Straits of Malacca.

• The pollutant status of sewage, chemical nutrients and hydrocarbon in the Straits of Malacca

• To create a Microbial Indicator for oil pollution.

Researcher