Tioman Island,
Pahang, 7 March 2010 – 50 divers joined forces from 5 to 7 March to remove the Crown of Thorns (
Acanthaster planci) from the coral reefs around
Tioman Island. Organised by Berjaya Tioman Resort and endorsed by PADI Project AWARE (Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility and Education), the 3-day Berjaya Tioman Reef Cleanup (BTRC) event was supported by 3 dive centres - Dolphin Sport Adventure, R&D Scuba & Services and Scuba People.
The enthusiastic volunteer divers removed 134 COTs from 3 of Tioman’s 22 breathtaking dive sites, namely, Renggis Island, Chebeh Island and Malang Rocks.
“It is my first reef cleanup and it has been a very interesting and fun experience. I would definitely do this again!” said volunteer diver Belinda Chee, 28.
BTRC 2010 Group photo
Conserving Marine Life Since 2005
Though this is the first time such an event is taking place at Berjaya Tioman Resort, Berjaya Hotels & Resorts is no stranger to beach and reef cleanups.
“We have been organising cleanup events at Redang Island twice yearly since 2005,” said Michael Tan, Hotel Manager of Berjaya Tioman Resort. “There are many divers in Berjaya Hotels & Resorts and thus, it is natural for us to be passionate about preserving marine life. Through our beach and reef cleanup events, we want to spread the awareness that taking good care of our underwater treasure is everybody’s responsibility.”
Divers being briefed on the do's and don'ts of the marine park and the proper way of removing the COTs by a marine park officer
The boats used to transport the divers to the respective dive spots for reef cleanup
After gearing up, the divers plunged into the sea to begin the reef cleanup
A diver holding a net of COTs at the waters of Renggis Island
Some of the COTs that were caught
Belinda Chee receiving her PADI Project AWARE certificate from Michael Tan
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What Are Crown of Thorns (COTs)?
 COTs are red-coloured predator starfish with thorn-like spikes that devour living coral reefs. Low numbers of this starfish increase reef diversity as they mainly feed on fast growing corals, leaving the slower growing ones space to mature and grow. However, overpopulation of COTs will lead to the destruction of coral reefs and dramatically lower reef diversity. The outbreaks are believed to be encouraged by pollution and overfishing. Fertilizer runoff and sediment from the land that seeps into the sea water excretes nutrients upon which Crown of Thorns larvae feed upon, whereas overfishing reduces the number of predators that devour COT larvae. How Do You Remove COTs?
COTs are hardy creatures. Their spikes are venomous and if cut into pieces, each piece will multiply to a fully grown COT.
As such, their removal must be done in a safe and proper manner. Only experienced divers with good buoyancy control and the ability to correctly identify COTs were given a net and a long metal hook to disengage the starfish from its hiding place underneath the reef. Once the COTs are placed into the net, divers must hold the net far away from their bodies. The COTs will then be buried under the sand at the shore.
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The physical removal of COTs by divers does bring results but it is a costly and labour-intensive exercise. Still the awareness generated by these cleanup events has heightened over the years.
Michael believes that it is important to bring awareness to the local community and to start them young.
“We have been partnering with SEATRU (Sea Turtle Research Unit of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu) to organise Turtle Camps called “Kem SiPenyu” for the children of Redang Island aged 10 to 12. The 2D/1N camps are conducted in small groups of 20 per session where the children are taught about sea turtles and the importance of conserving them,” he said.
Based on the encouraging response of the Berjaya Tioman Reef Cleanup, Michael plans to make it an annual event at Tioman Island. "Instead of hosting the event twice yearly at Redang Island, Berjaya Tioman Resort will host one cleanup event in March and Berjaya Redang Resort will host the other in September," he explained.
The next cleanup event will be held at the end of the year or early next year. For more information, go to www.berjayahotel.com.
Credits of underwater COT photo: Captain Mohd Azam Abdul Hamid
About Berjaya Tioman Resort, Pahang
Berjaya Tioman Resort is a fully contained vacation village sprawled over 200 acres of tropical paradise. With 361 spacious and tastefully furnished air-conditioned rooms, chalets and suites built in traditional Malay-style architecture, they are perfect for an indulgent beach vacation. It is the only resort on the island with its own 18-hole international golf course. Their in-house PADI Centre offers courses from entry level to advanced dive master lessons. They also conduct boat dives to any of the over 20 spectacular dive sites in the vicinity.
The resort’s seemingly endless golden sand of the private beach stretches as far as the eye can see, fringed by warm crystal clear turquoise waters. And on the other side, lush rainforests and misty mountains provides a different and equally charming backdrop.
About PADI Project AWARE
In 1989, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) developed the AWARE philosophy - Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility and Education - to stress divers' roles in conserving the environment and to create a group of effective environmental advocates. Project AWARE Foundation is the dive industry's leading non-profit environmental organization with international presence in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland and Japan. The mission of Project AWARE Foundation includes conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action from 175 countries around the world. Visit
www.projectaware.org for more information.
References:
Microdocs, Standard University – Crown of Thorns from http://www.stanford.edu/group/microdocs/crownofthorns.html
