Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Parks is requesting visitors and tourism players to be cautious about coral bleaching at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, here.
Sabah Parks said on Facebook that coral bleaching occurs when corals, stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues – an event that can be fatal to the corals.
The park management said the rising sea temperature can be one of the causes of coral bleaching, apart from possible changes in water quality due to pollution.
“Overexposure to sunlight, [or] high solar irradiance, can damage the symbiotic algae; ocean acidification, [driven by] increased CO2 levels, reduces the availability of carbonate ions [necessary] for coral skeletons,” Sabah Parkss aid.
To preserve the coral reefs and minimise further stress, visitors and tourism players are asked to adhere to rules and regulations of the marine park.
“Be extra careful when approaching areas affected by coral bleaching. Avoid touching or stepping on corals," said Sabah Parks.
“Report observations – the park management has been collecting data on coral bleaching for the past three months. We urge visitors to report any sightings or changes in coral conditions to
[email protected]."
They added the status of coral bleaching within the park is being closely monitored by the management.
