More than half of Malaysia's coral reefs affected by bleaching, says report

KUALA LUMPUR: More than half of Malaysia's coral reefs have been affected by bleaching, with over a third showing signs of death, according to a new report highlighting the devastating impact of the 2024 global coral bleaching event.
The 2024 Malaysia Coral Bleaching Impact Report, released by Coralku and Reef Check Malaysia, revealed that 50.7 per cent of surveyed corals across Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah experienced bleaching, while 34.1 per cent suffered mortality on average.
The northeastern region, particularly the Terengganu archipelago, was the worst hit, with coral death averaging 44.2 per cent.
Monitoring data on coral bleaching incidence and mortality were collected across 24 sites in four Malaysian regions: northeastern Peninsular Malaysia, southeastern Peninsular Malaysia, and east and west Sabah.
Coralku founder and lead author of the report, Sebastian Szereday, said Malaysia's coral reefs are at a tipping point.
"The scale and severity of bleaching observed in 2024 underscore the vulnerability of our reefs to extreme and prolonged heat stress, with profound implications for marine life and reef-dependent communities," he said.
Szereday added that unlike previous bleaching events in 2010 and 2019-2020, coral species with complex growth forms, crucial for reef structure and fish habitat, were disproportionately impacted in 2024, resulting in a significant loss of three-dimensional reef complexity.
"This threatens not only marine ecosystems but also the aesthetic and economic value of reefs, which are vital to local tourism and fisheries. To date, six archipelagos within Malaysia's marine parks are valued at RM8.7 billion, according to the Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DoF)," he said.
Reef Check Malaysia science officer and co-lead author Chen Sue Yee said urgent local and national actions are necessary to support reef resilience.
"It is vital to take action to support our weakened reefs. Measures such as eliminating land-based pollution, including untreated sewage, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff, and mitigating coastal development impacts like sedimentation and physical reef damage must be prioritised," she said.
"We should also promote sustainable tourism to minimise direct physical harm to coral ecosystems and enhance local research capacity and community-led reef co-management. Our findings with Community Marine Conservation Groups (CMCGs) show that these approaches improve awareness, livelihoods, and reef health.
"Strengthening enforcement of no-take zones and fishing regulations is also essential to reduce exploitation and habitat destruction," added Chen.
Meanwhile, National University of Singapore researcher and co-author of the report Lee Li Keat said research should focus on expanding standardised bleaching monitoring protocols to identify heat-resilient coral species and sites.

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