Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 21 Mar 12;
GAYA Island waters will have an abundance of giant clams once 500 juveniles are released into the ocean seabed.
The re-introduction of these baby clams to their natural oceanic habitat is part of the Marine Ecology Research Centre's (MERC) awareness month programme.
MERC director Alvin Wong said giant clams were vital as they produced oxygen and acted as biological filters, taking in ammonia and nitrate and expelling clean water.
"We are glad to announce that MERC is the only centre in Malaysia to spawn and make clam spats of all seven out of eight known species of living giant clams," he said at the centre based in Gayana Eco Resort near here.
"These seven species of giant clams can be found in the country's waters and we have successfully produced 2,000 clams since the propagation programme was initiated four years ago."
The 500 baby giant clams, each measuring three inches in length, will be placed 6m deep within the resort's vicinity for close monitoring.
"We hope that they will survive on their own and the team will continue to assess their progress.
"These giant clams can still be found within the protected Sabah Park area. They are endangered and you would probably spot one or two in a dive.
"That's why we want everyone to be with us because if we were to do it alone it would be zero per cent survival because whatever we put, someone else will pick up the next day," said Wong.
He said larger clams could grow up to 1.5m in length while smaller clams could reach up to seven inches if it was left to thrive on its own.
Return of the giant clams
Durie Rainer Fong The Star 21 Mar 12;
KOTA KINABALU: 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 organisations 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.
