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Giant clams are making their way back into waters off the city after decades of uncontrolled exploitation.
An award-winning marine research centre here will release 500 giant
clams into the sea after three long years of breeding and nurturing the
natural sea water-filtering creature.
The Marine Ecology Research Centre (MERC) at Gaya Island, a 15-minute
boat ride from the city, will sporadically release the three-inch giant
clams in selected ocean nurseries during its month-long marine
awareness month starting tomorrow.
Besides the clams, the oceanic research centre, which is attached to
the Gayana Eco Resort at the island, will integrate 1,000 corals – which
it has planted and looked after – into the reefs off the island and
city.
Project director Alvin Wong said his team of marine biologists and
support staff was eager to release the clams back into the sea.
“Hopefully, this first batch will make it. We will monitor their
progress as we continue to produce more giant clams,” said Wong, adding
that they had 2,000 more giant clams in their nursery.
“We chose giant clams for our Save the Giants programme because they
are endangered, slow to grow and important in producing oxygen into the
marine ecosystem,” he said.
Wong said the first stage of the project involved work to spawn the
larvae and taking care of them until these were ready to survive in
ocean nurseries.
He said the public must play their part to protect the marine environment by not polluting the sea or buying clams.
MERC, awarded the Most Innovative Tourist Attraction Award at the
Malaysia Tourism Awards 2008/2009, is the only centre in Malaysia to
have spawned giant clam spats.
As part of the marine awareness programme, he said MERC would also be
hosting schoolchildren and non-governmental organizations to inculcate
in them the awareness for marine conservation.
There will also be a beach concert by Irish crooner Ronan Keating at
sister resort Bunga Raya Island Resort on the other side of the island
tomorrow for the programme.
Source: http://kepkas.sabah.gov.my/2012/03/28/return-of-the-giant-clams/
5 comments:
The MERC will be releasing the first batch of 500 baby giant clams into the sea and all together they have planned to release 2,000 of these clams. Their efforts to improve the population of this giant clam species deserves praises.
MERC will also be hosting schoolchildren and non-governmental organizations to inculcate in them the awareness for marine conservation. This will be a good way to create awareness among the children.
Its a good job from the MERC for making the move to improve the population of giant clams.
Hope that more awareness will be created among all Sabahans on the importance of conserving nature.
“We chose giant clams for our Save the Giants programme because they are endangered, slow to grow and important in producing oxygen into the marine ecosystem,”
yup.. and giant clams also uses a siphon to draw in water to filter and consume plankton. by absorbing and filtering nitrates, ammonia and other organics that are harmful to coral reefs, giant clams help to clean the water in marine ecosystems..
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