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General Session 4: Marine environment, ecosystem & sustainability |
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Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of benthic harmful dinoflagellate community assemblages at the fringing reefs of Malaysia: Implications of coral reef health
GS4-17
Chui Pin Leaw* , Bachok Marine Research Station, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya
Toh Hii Tan, Insitute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Hwa Lin Yong, Bachok Marine Research Station, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya
Nurin Mustapa, Bachok Marine Research Station, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya
Li Keat Lee, Bachok Marine Research Station, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya
Zhen Fei Lim, Bachok Marine Research Station, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya
Leo Lai Chan, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong
Po Teen Lim, Bachok Marine Research Station, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya
Presenter Email: cpleaw@um.edu.my
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| In tropical coral reef ecosystems, human exploitation and anthropogenic disruption often initiate shifts in the ecosystems, and is expected to have significant impacts to the structure, communities and resilience. Among the micro-inhabitants in the reef ecosystems, benthic dinoflagellate is one of the significant biotic components; several species have been found harmful and responsible for human illnesses. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP), a phycotoxin-borne illness, caused by several species in the genus Gambierdiscus, is affecting coastal populations that are relying heavily on reef fisheries. Outbreaks of certain species (i.e. Ostreopsis) produce air-borne biotoxins that associated with illnesses to the beach visitors, unswervingly affecting beach tourisms. The benthic harmful algal bloom (BHAB) dynamics, their abundances and compositions, though have been intensively studied, are scarce on spatial and temporal scales. In this paper, BHAB species assemblages and the community dynamics in the tropical coral reef ecosystems were investigated. Field surveys were conducted at fringing reefs of five islands of Malaysia. To examine the substrate preferences of BHAB species, a non-destructive sampling approach was applied. The spatial-temporal dynamics of BHAB in response to their microhabitat heterogeneity are discussed. The study revealed the complexity of benthic habitats in influencing the BHAB communities, which could have implications for the nature of variability in the BHAB outbreaks. |
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