Mudballs used to build artificial reefs underwater
KOTA KINABALU: If you are a leisure diver, you will surely come across artificial coral reefs. It is home to a lot of different marine life from the smallest critters to large fish assembling in schools.
Artificial reefs are man-made underwater structures that are built for promoting marine life, nurturing fishery resources, enhancing fishery habitat as well as helping increase economic benefit in the tourism industry.
As part of the continuation of the ‘End in Sipadan’ campaign in 2017 (an underwater volunteer tourism package that connects all scuba diving sites in Sabah and volunteering in building artificial reefs), the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) has again introduced another program that will contribute to the conservation of marine life in the state.
Known as ‘Voluntourism: Artificial Reef and Coral Planting’, the 2018 program is a collaboration with Tourism Malaysia and Sabah Backpackers Association (SBA).
Motac Sabah Director Ag Ahmad Zaki Abu Bakar said the program was similar to their previous underwater volunteerism/artificial reefs building program, but this time with the added replanting of coral reefs which would be done underwater.
“This year’s program is similar to our previous End in Sipadan program where we build artificial reefs.
“But this time, we choose to take the program to another level by not only building artificial reefs, but to replant recovered corals back onto the artificial reefs without bringing any of them back up to the surface,” he said during the ‘Voluntourism: Artificial Reef and Coral Planting’ program at Mari Mari Sepanggar Island on Nov 25.
According to Ahmad Zaki, he believed that their method was the first in its kind as it allows volunteer divers to build artificial reefs and replant corals all at the same time without causing more damage to the corals and reefs.
To do so, they rely on the ‘mudball’ method.
The mudball method is basically a mixture of cement and mangrove mud. It will act like normal cement that stick concrete blocks together to build artificial reef, but it can also be used as a base to replant corals back to its natural habitat.
Ahmad Zaki explained that there are two methods in coral reef planting.
The first method is to recover damaged or broken reefs from the sea and bringing them back to land. Epoxy or cement will be used to strengthen the reef and once they get hardened, they will be brought back to the sea.
“This method, however, will injure the reefs causing it to be unhealthy due to many elements involved such as exposure to sun and air.
“The second method is to replant the reefs underwater. But as there is no element that can stick these reef onto, most convention reef planting will use cable tie or wire.
“This method is also unhealthy to the growth of the reefs.
“But with the use of mudballs, we are able to build artificial reefs underwater, as it will stay harden, while at the same time to replant corals onto the artificial reefs.
“All this will be done underwater, thus limiting any further damage to the reefs and corals,” he said.
It is said that the mudball method was discovered during a ‘coffee session’ between Ahmad Zaki, SBA president Dares Saham Asaad @ Octavius, and former SBA president Richie Lee.
According to Octavius, who is also the owner of Mari Mari Sepanggar Island Lodge, he remembers seeing his grandfather using the mudball method to repair fishing boats.
“As a little boy, I remember seeing my grandfather using this method to repair leaks on fishing boats.
“They would apply the mudball onto boats that were leaking or sank onto the sea bed.
“After the mudball had hardened, water will be removed from inside the boats to make it easier to tow it away for further repairs.
“After sharing this old traditional method to Ahmad Zaki and Richie, we decided to try it out to see if it can be used to build artificial reefs,” said Octavius.
Ahmad Zaki added that they had tried out the mudball method during an artificial coral reef planting program in Bumbum Island in September and would check on the progress in three months time.
“We first introduce this method at Pulau Bumbum in Semporna where we created artificial reefs specifically for small critters or macrofauna.
“From there, we decided to test this method further by constructing artificial reefs and replanting coral reefs with the use of mudball in today’s program here at Mari Mari Sepanggar,” he said.
Ahmad Zaki believed that the method would work as it was cheap and can be applied by other resort operators who are into artificial reef building, coral planting and marine conservation.
“We welcome resort operators who have interests in adopting this method as part of their marine conservative effort in taking care of the marine ecosystem.
“We will patent this method so it can be commercialised for other resort operators to implement it as part of their conservation marine life program,” said Ahmad Zaki.
Meanwhile, Tourism Malaysia (Sabah) director Jamilah Abdul Halim said the ministry welcomed the program by Motac and SBA in further promoting tourism activities in the country.
“Tourists right now are very sophisticated and more ecotourist conscious.
“They want to spend their dollars (money) on something that they believe in.
“We, at Tourism Malaysia, fully support this program and feel that having this sustainable effort will bring tourists back to Sabah again,” she said, adding that sophisticated tourists now craved for something indulging, satisfying and meaningful.
Jamilah also hoped the ‘Voluntourism: Artificial Reef and Coral Planting’ program can be bundled as a tourist package to attract both tourists and eco-tourists to the state as the ministry was always ready to help promote the package.
The three-day program, which began on Nov 23, saw 25 artificial reefs being built by 20 volunteers around Mari Mari Sepanggar Island.
Among the volunteers involved in the program were ND Divers and Homestay, Ghost Divers Project, Ocean Park Tour and Travel Semporna, and Sabah Media Dive Team.