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Seaweeds are an important ingredient of functional foods recommended for daily food, due to their unique compositions and nutritional value. Padina tetrastromatica is a brown edible seaweed that is commonly found along the coastal regions of Peninsular Malaysia and consumed as food by some coastal communities. This study investigates the nutritional and antihyperglycaemic potential of P. tetrastromatica extracts, which is generally accepted as an important functional food. In our methodology, we induced diabetes intraperitoneally in experimental animals with a dose of 65 mg kg−1 body weight of streptozotocin. Oral treatment with 200 and 400 mg kg−1 of P. tetrastromatica ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts were initiated, respectively, to experimental rats once daily for 18 days. Metformin was used as the positive control. Biochemical estimations and histopathological analysis were included in this study. Treatment with P. tetrastromatica extracts significantly lowered the plasma glucose levels in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In addition, P. tetrastromatica extract treatment also showed a significant reduction in serum alanine transaminase levels. However, no significant changes were observed in serum aspartate transaminase levels. The ethyl acetate extract of P. tetrastromatica at 400 mg kg−1 dose shows some nephroprotective effect, which is observed from the significant increase in the plasma albumin levels. Histopathological evaluation revealed no marked morphological changes in tissues of the isolated organs of the ethyl acetate extract-treated group, revealing the safe nature of P. tetrastromatica.

Tourism on small tropical islands in the Global South is a balancing act between development to improve local livelihoods and the conservation of fragile coastal and coral ecosystems. The objective of our study is to develop a series of new spatial metrics to support sustainable development through assessing the direction and magnitude of tourism development support and conflict between groups. We surveyed 317 individuals out of an estimated total population of 3300 using public participation GIS (PPGIS) on Tioman Island, Malaysia. Here we present a first example of how nuances in conflict can be articulated spatially across different levels of attitude toward tourism development within and between different segments of the population. Our results suggest that treating a population as homogeneous risks missing place specific development conflicts between segments of the population and locations of agreement where development can be managed sustainably with the support of the community.

The Reef Check survey methodology was designed for use by non-scientists to assess the health of coral reefs. The methodology focuses on the abundance of particular coral reef organisms that best refl ect the condition of the ecosystem and that are easily recognisable to non-scientists. Selection of these “indicator” organisms was based on their economic and ecological value, their sensitivity to human impacts and ease of identifi cation, allowing large numbers of non-scientists to participate in surveys. Indicators include a broad spectrum of fi sh, invertebrates and substrate categories that refl ect human activities such as fi shing, collection or pollution. The fi rst global survey programme in 1997 provided scientifi c confi rmation that coral reefs were facing a major crisis on a global scale. Since 2007, Reef Check Malaysia has conducted an annual Reef Check survey programme of Malaysia’s coral reefs. The paper presents an analysis of fi ve years of data (2007-2011) collected from over 100 survey sites in both Peninsular and East Malaysia. Changing populations of fi sh and variations in live coral cover highlight local impacts on coral reefs, providing valuable information for managers and scientists. Data can be used to manage local threats to coral reefs, and contributes to building coral reef resilience. (Keywords: Reef Check, coral reefs, survey, Tioman, Perhentian, Redang)

Knowledge about the timing and synchrony of coral spawning has important implications for both the ecology and management of coral reef ecosystems, however,data on spawning timing and extent of synchrony are still lacking for many coral reefs, particularly from equatorial regions and from locations within the coral triangle. Here we present the first documentation of a multi-species coral spawning event from reefs around Pulau Tioman, Peninsular Malaysia, a popular diving and tourist destination located on the edge of the coral triangle. At least 8 coral species from 3 genera and 2 families participated in multi-species spawning over five nights in April 2014, between two nights before and two nights after the full moon. Two Acropora species (A. digitifera and A. tenuis) also spawned one night prior to the full moon in October 2014. While two species of Acropora (A. millepora and A. nasuta) exhibited highly synchronous spawning in April (100% of sampled colonies), two other common species (A. hyacinthus and A. digitifera) did not contain visible eggs in the majority of colonies sampled (i.e.