What’s the health of the Straits of Malacca, one of the busiest shipping waterways in the world and an important fishing ground for local commercial fishing industry?
A group of scientists was on board RV Discovery, Malaysia’s most sophisticated research vessel, operated by Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) for a three-month science expedition on the Straits of Malacca.
Sandals, buckets, fishery ropes, metal aerosol containers and wooden planks are some of the items found on the expedition route.
The expedition with this ‘floating laboratory’ focused on 62 stations/locations for study by 49 researchers from four groups of expertise - water quality, ocean colour and plankton; sediment; marine mammals; and marine biology and coral reef.
One of the researchers on water quality, Dr Poh Seng Chee, who is from UMT’s School of Marine Sciences said: “We also collected water samples to be brought back to the university to check on nutrients, heavy metals and toxic chemical contents in the Straits of Malacca”.
Read about UMT’s commitment on the ocean health of the Straits of Malacca through their scientific expeditions so that we can continue to have supplies of quality local seafood.
This Sunday, April 12, in Learning Curve, New Sunday Times.