Pulau Merambong: A walk down the island

Satiman Jamin, Johor Buzz 23 Nov 09;

[Pulau Merambong lies just off Tuas in the Johor Straits]

A whole island with its own self-supporting ecosystem awaits the discovery of scientists. SATIMAN JAMIN hopes that they get there before it is too late

PULAU Merambong in Gelang Patah, a tiny unexplored island with a self-supporting ecosystem, could be a new star for ecosystem researchers.

That is if the two-hectare island could be saved from wanton destruction

Situated about four kilometres from Gelang Patah, Pulau Merambong is unique as it has a small rainforest at its hilly centre surrounded by three types of beaches -- muddy, mangrove, and rocky and sandy.

The nearby sea grass bed, said to be the biggest in Malaysia, has received much coverage as the habitat for dugong and seahorses, but the island itself has not been thoroughly studied.

Unknown parties have cut down all vegetation around a light-house on the island, an act that could have wide repercussions as it would take years for new seedlings to take root on the jagged rocks that form the beach. On a tiny island like this, a tree may be the sole representative of a species.

Even the merambong (Scaevola taccada) shrub, from which the island got its name, had been decimated, with only a small clump of the hardy plant left on one side of the island.

The merambong is not a rare plant as it can be found on almost any beach in Malaysia, but the hordes of insects climbing all over the succulent shrub on the island suggest that it is an important food source for the insects.

A strange looking bee with the colours of the giant honey bee (Apis dorsata) is found here. It has a much longer and slender abdomen like that of the nocturnal hornet (Provespa barthelemyi).

An in depth study of the ecosystem, flora and fauna of Pulau Merambong may lead to the discovery of new sub-species or even a new species altogether.

An expedition to the island organised by the Johor Malaysian Nature Society, Marine Parks Department, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Tanjung Pelepas Port and the state government recently had sought to list the flora and fauna on and around the island, a step towards understanding the island's unique ecosystem.

It was a continuation of the collaboration between the port and the society to study the natural heritage on the island, which started in 2005

Tanjung Pelepas Port exco member Shahrull Allam Shah said an allocation of RM100,000 was given to produce a coffee table book on the island's ecosystem, flora and fauna.

"Our strategic location as a port also put us in an ecologically sensitive area. That was why we decided to do our part to preserve the surrounding ecosystem, including Pulau Merambong," he said.

Johor Malaysian Nature Society adviser Vincent Chow said it was not feasible to halt all development works to protect our natural heritage as the government needs to ensure the creation of jobs for the growing population.

"Humans produce kids, and when the kids graduate, they will need jobs. Therefore, we think it is more feasible to work with the authorities to safeguard our natural heritage while allowing development works to continue," said Chow.

One of the spots that need to be conserved is the sea grass bed near Pulau Merambong. It was popular with the Gelang Patah villagers who hunted for the siput gonggong or pearl conch (Strombus canarium).

When the expedition team arrived on the scene, it was already teeming with people searching for the mollusc, which could fetch up to RM10 per kg.

Apart from over-exploitation, Johor Malaysian Nature Society chairman Dr Maketab Mohamed pointed out that the sea grass bed was slowly being suffocated by seaweeds.

"The seaweeds rob the sea grass of sunlight, space and nutrients. We are trying to find a solution to this as the seaweed has no natural enemy to curb its spread," he said.

The spotted seahorse (Hippocampus kuda), noble volute (Cymbiola nobilis) and mantis shrimps are just a few of the marine animals that depend on the sea grass bed to survive.

If it is lost, it would mean losing a treasure trove as it could be home to plants or animals that could hold curative properties.

The study of the marine life around Pulau Merambong will, hopefully, lead to a full study of the plants and creatures on land.

The tiny island may just be what we need to understand our own fragile existence and help provide cures for our ills.

But first we must not let Pulau Merambong fight the battle of survival on its own.

Related posts
Pulau Merambong: an island off Tuas on the wildfilms blog.