Reef health assessment of Pulau Payar Marine Park during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia

Abstract

Pulau Payar Marine Park (PPMP) consists of four islands, namely Pulau Payar, Pulau Kaca, Pulau Lembu and Pulau Segantang. This study was carried out in PPMP from June 2020 to February 2021, during the implementation of Malaysia’s Movement Control Order in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. The purpose of this study was to determine the species, coverage and biomass of corals and fish present within the area and to assess its coral health status. Data were derived at 11 sites at depths of 5 to 10 m. The Point Intersect Line method was applied to record benthic communities for every meter across two 50-meter transect lines. The outcomes showed that benthic communities were dominated by scleractinian corals, with an average of 25% coverage at all islands. Pulau Payar, Pulau Kaca, Pulau Lembu and Pulau Segantang were characterized by 37%, 33%, 25% and 37% live coral cover respectively. A total of 14 families, 30 genera and 49 species of scleractinian coral species were identified, giving the latest comprehensive species list for this marine park. The most common species recorded was Porites lutea, followed by Physogyra lichtensteini. The fish survey revealed a total of 39 fish species from 23 genera, encompassing 16 families, with Lutjanidae being the dominant group. Fish biomass values varied between 20 g/m2 and 183 g/m2 at each site. Shannon-Wiener diversity (H), Evenness (E) and coral health index (CHI) were calculated for each island. The H values ranged between 2.03 and 3.01. Pulau Payar had the highest value of H, at 3.01, and the highest number of species. The E values ranged from 0.75 to 0.85, showing that the scleractinian corals of PPMP were relatively evenly distributed. CHI at each site ranged from 0.17 to 0.24. Overall, the health condition of the coral reefs in PPMP was considered degraded. This study provides valuable insights into the benthic and fish communities of PPMP through its health assessment.