PORT KLANG: Seventy local researchers yesterday embarked on a expeditionary voyage into the South China Sea to study and evaluate the effects of the El Nino phenomenon on marine ecology.
The researchers, including those from the Marine Department, Fisheries Research Institute and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, were being led by Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Fadzil Mohd Akhir of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT). Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Madius Tangau said the expedition was important as it would provide information on how bad the marine ecosystem in the South China Sea, which provides the biggest source of protein for the people in the country, was affected or destroyed by the El Nino phenomenon.
“They set sail today aboard three vessels to collect important information to be used by the government in making decisions on marine issues, such as in sustainable fisheries management, as well as coral reef protection and conservation.” The minister said this to reporters after launching the 2016 National Scientific Expeditionary Voyage 2016 at the National Hydrographic Centre here yesterday.
Also present were Marine Department director-general Datuk Baharin Abdul Hamid and UMT vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Nor Aieni Mokhtar. — Bernama
It is the second expeditionary voyage launched for the purpose after the first in 2009.
All data, information and findings collected on the expedition will be kept at the National Oceanographic Data Centre (MyNODC), which also functions as the national marine science data hub. — Bernama