COASTAL SENSITIVITY OVERVIEW OF THE STRAIT OF MALACCA Compiled by the World Conservation il^ Monitoring Centre (WCMC) Cambridge for International Maritime Organisation (IMO) May 1994 r! ?<s r Ai^m W JAM 1 1 iiW 1 B. ii: M BA!L«B WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE i^JH X-TGS"/ W CHC (2^c--'rs "^^ The mission of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre is to provide information on the status, security and management of the Earth's biological diversity. COASTAL SENSITIVITY OVERVIEW OF THE STRAIT OF MALACCA Compiled by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) Cambridge for International Maritime Organisation (IMO) May 1994 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from UNEP-WCIVIC, Cambridge http://www.archive.org/details/coastalsensitivi94wcmc BACKGROUND The World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) was set up in 1979 as an information centre to provide reliable scientific data on the sate of the world's biodiversity. This work has been greatly facilitated by the WCMC's status as a joint venture between its three partners, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (lUCN), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In order to monitor the world's biodiversity, large quantities of data have been collected and entered into extensive databases on a wide range of subjects. Each of the units within the WCMC, Habitats, Species and Protected Areas, have specialised in collecting data on a particular aspect of biodiversity. Today, these large data sets (tabular and GIS) contain some of the most accurate and detailed inventories of the world's biodiversity, a summary of which was published in Global Biodiversity: Status of the Earth's Living Resources (WCMC. 1992). The World Conservation Monitoring Centre maintains a large amount of information relating to marine and coastal environments arvJ their conservation, and is involved in a number of proposed and ongoing projects in this field. Increasingly, this information is being managed using GIS. Particular attention has been devoted to mapping sensitive coastal ecosystems and this information is of interest to oil companies for oil spill emergency response and contingency planning, and has been used in several such applications (see Section 7). Data relevant to coastal sensitivity mapping are held within the Centre's Biodiversity Map Library arnJ comprise protected and unprotected important areas for conservation, mangroves, coral reefs, forests, wetlands and species. Additional information is held in the Centre's paper files and library - some of the information provided in this report are examples. This summary report of the coastal sensitivity of the Strait of Malacca has been compiled as background material for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). CONTENTS Section 1. Introduction Section 2. Coastal Forests Section 3. Important Coastal Wetlands Section 4. Coral Reefs Section 5. Protected Areas Section 6. Species Turtle nesting sites Birds in the Strait of Malacca Section 7. Oil Spill Sites Section 1 . INTRODUCTION The maps and enclosures show many of the important ecosystems and species found in the Malacca Strait area, but special attention should be drawn to the following: Mangroves Mangroves are an important habitat in the Strait of Malacca, although the distribution is scattered and hence is not clearly shown on the maps. (More detailed information is provided in the wetland site sheets found in Section 3.) Generally, mangroves are located in more sheltered areas and are often closely linked to fisheries, providing shelter and nursery areas for numerous fish species, and hence are often of major economic and ecological importance. Oil can be extremely damaging to mangrove communities, particularly to saplings - oil can smother the aerial roots and block the lenticels which can lead to restricted growth, defoliation and/or mortality. There is also evidence of the toxic effect of oil, particularly the shorter-chain molecules and aromatic fractions, which can kill trees. Many of the invertebrate species associated with mangroves are also adversely affected. The use of dispersants is controversial. A considerable amount of work has been done in the region (Hoi-Chaw and Meow-Chan, 1984). Coral Reefs Coral reef resources along the north-east coast of Sumatra as a whole are not highly developed. Most of the eastern coastline of Sumatra is dominated by silt-laden waters, with high sedimentation rates. Salinity fluctuates over large areas. Similar conditions apply over much of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, although here there are several offshore islands where important coral reef communities have developed. Reefs are well developed in the nearby Nicobar Islands and also, though more distant, in the Andaman Islands and off the west coasts of Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and islands in the close vicinity of Singapore (including the Riau and Lingga islands of Indonesia). There is evidence that petroleum hydrocarbons have numerous detrimental effects on coral reproduction, larval development and settling, growth rate, photosynthesis, cell structure, feeding and behavioural responses. Such effects are probably the result of hydrocarbon fractions being incorporated into the water column, and can be exacerbated by the use of dispersants. A far greater threat comes from the smothering of corals by crude oil during particularly low tides - this is known to cause massive mortality, and toxins can enter the food chain through coral feeding fishes as a result. For coral reefs, as for other pelagic and subtidal benthic communities. It is clear that mechanical recovery of the oil from the surface or adjacent beaches is preferred over the use of emuisifiers of dispersants, which, in themselves, are frequently toxic. Species The Strait of Malacca and the Nicobar Islands are extremely important as both feeding and a breeding area for turtles: four species are known to nest: Green turtle Chelonia mydas, hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata, leatherback Dermochelys coriacea and olive ridley Lepidoche/ys olivacea. Whales and dolphins are known to occur in these waters, while dugong Dugong dugon (classified as Vulnerable) inhabits some of the coastal waters. Many coastal sites are important for seabird colonies. Protected areas Some of the important ecosystems and important areas for biodiversity are protected by law. These important areas are listed and mapped in Section 5. Useful References: Aksornkoae, S. (1987). Thailand. In: Umali, R.M. et al. (Eds). Mangroves of Asia and the Pacific: Status and Management: 231-261 . Manila: Natural Resources Management Center and national Mangrove Committee, Ministry of Natural Resources. Baker, J.M. (1983). Impact of Oil Pollution on Living Resources. Commission on Ecology Papers Number 4. lUCN, Gland, Switzerland. Collins, N.M., Sayer, J. and Whitmore, T.C. (Eds) (1991). The Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests. Asia and the Pacific. WCMC, Cambridge, UK and lUCN, Gland, Switzerland. 256 pp. Hoi-Chaw, L. and Meow-Chan, F. (Eds) (1984). Fate and effects of oil in the mangrove environment. Exxon Corporation, USA and University Sains Malaysia. IPIECA (1 991 ). Guidelines on Biological Impacts of Oil Pollution. IPIECA Report Series, Volume 4, International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association, London. 15 pp. IPIECA (1 991 ). Guidelines on Biological Impacts of Oil Pollution. IPIECA Report Series, Volume 1 , International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association, London. 15 pp. lUCN (1983). Global Status of Mangrove Ecosystems. Commission on Ecology Papers No. 3. lUCN, Gland, Switzerland. 88 pp. lUCN (1 992). Protected Areas of the World: A review of national systems. Volume 1: Indomalaya, Oceania, Australia and Antarctic. Compiled by WCMC, Cambridge, UK for lUCN, Gland, Switzerland. 352 pp. Koesoebiono, Collier, W.L. and Burbridge, P.R. (1982). Indonesia: resource use and management in the coastal zone. In: Soysa et al. (Eds) Man, Land and Sea, Bangkok. Pp. 115-34. Loya, Y. and Rinkevich (1987). Effects of petroleum hydrocar'oons on corals. In: Salvat, B. (Ed.) Numan impacts on coral reefs: facts and recommendations. Antenne de Tahiti Museum, French Polynesia. 253 pp. Malaysian Wetland Working Group (1987). Malaysian Wetland Directory, Vol 1. Introduction. Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia. Pande, P., Kothari, A. and Singh, S. (1991). Directory of National Parks and Sanctuaries in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, management status and profiles. Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. 171 pp. Piyakarncharna, Twesukdi (1987). Multiple-use practices for establishing eco- development policies in Thailand. In: UNDP'UNESCO Regional Project RAS/79/002. Report of Workshop for Mangrove Zone Managers, Phuket, Thailand, September 1986. Pp. 47-9. Ramsar Convention Bureau (1990). Directory of Wetlands of International Importance. Ramsar Convention Bureau, Gland, Switzerland. [Prepared for the Bureau by WCMCl Saenga, P., Hegerl, E.J. and Davie, J.D.S. (1983). Global Status of Mangrove Ecosystems. Commission on Ecology Papers No. 3, lUCN, Gland, Switzerland. 88 pp. Saldanha, C.J. (1989). Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep, and environmental impact assessment. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta. 114 pp. Salleh, M. N. and Chan, H.T. (1988). Mangrove forests in Peninsular Malaysia, an unappreciated resource. Seminar on the Marine Environment: Challenges and Opportunities. Institute of Strategic