Bernama 7 Aug 10;
REDANG ISLAND, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Department of Marine Parks is studying the extent of coral bleaching at three more dive sites in the Pulau Redang Marine Park to determine whether they should be closed temporarily to save the corals.
Its director-general, Abdul Jamal Mydin, said on Saturday the dive sites would be closed if the damage to the corals, caused by global warming, was more than 60 per cent.
Water recreation activities such as snorkelling and scuba diving are prohibited at the Teluk Bakau dive site which has been closed temporarily due to coral bleaching. The Pulau Redang Marine Park has 18 dive sites.
"We will not close the dive sites if the damage to the corals is less than 60 per cent, like in the case of the marine parks in Johor," he said to reporters after launching the Merdeka Conservation Dive 2010, here.
The Redang Island Resort Operators Association monitored several areas in the marine park recently and recommended the temporary closure of the Pulau Ekor Tebu, Pulau Che Isa and Tanjung Lebam dive sites.
Global warming due to the El Nino phenomenon had raised the temperature of sea water from 28 to 31 degrees Celcius and triggered the damage to the corals.
"The temperature has dropped to 29 degrees now," said Abdul Jamal.
On the conservation dive programme, he said it was to create awareness among students and the public on the importance of rehabilitation of marine biodiversity.
-- BERNAMA
