MSU project to appreciate marine life
CORAL reefs are key habitats for numerous marine life, including commercial fish species. When corals are exposed to various stressors, either naturally or man-made, their decline becomes a threat to sustainability as it affects other flora and fauna that depend on them for survival.
The Management & Science University (MSU) is involved in various activities and research to preserve marine environment.
Recently, it utilised the knowledge of its research in the waters of Pulau Geluk in Terengganu to benefit the local community.
MSU’s MyCoral project aims to benefit nature and society, and is an example of its commitment to environmental sustainability.
Its long-term vision is to encourage marine biology research in Malaysia, as well as to boost the country’s eco-tourism potential by developing new eco-marine parks.
For example, it has embarked on efforts to plant starter corals on artificial reefs around Pulau Geluk. Over the years, the starter corals will propagate and become a new marine ecosystem.
The second edition of the programme, MyCoral 2.0, continued from where the first had left off. The growth of starter corals planted around the island was checked and supplemented with new stocks.
MSU students also worked with the local authorities to collect turtle eggs to send to a local hatchery, and planted mangrove saplings near the seashore.
The turtle population and mangrove trees play a vital role in the ocean ecosystem to help maintain the health of coral reefs.
Other than promoting the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of Malaysia’s marine heritage, MSU’s MyCoral programme is also a knowledge-transfer initiative to lift the local economy.
Efforts to educate local communities on the importance of coral reefs include lessons in socio-entrepreneurship, as those reefs may help them generate income from tourism and fishing.
MSU gives priority to quality education and the importance of creative teaching methods. Besides incorporating international exposure in the students’ learning experience, extensive industrial training components and personal enrichment competencies are also blended into the programmes of study to ensure the graduates’ employability.
The programmes meet stringent standards set by the local and international bodies. MSU’s award-winning homegrown programmes are among the best in the region.
The university has also been accorded the “Excellent Status University” status twice in the SETARA national university-rating system by the Higher Education Ministry. Participants in the recent MSU MyCoral 2.0 project at a pristine beach in Pulau Geluk, Terengganu.