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Wild pepper, Piper umbellatum L. is traditionally consumed as a leafy vegetable by the indigenous Kenyah tribesmen of Belaga, Sarawak, Malaysia. The shoots are normally harvested from secondary forest floors. The present study was carried out to determine the morphological and nutritional characteristics of P. umbellatum, i.e., proximate, mineral, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), vitamin C, and anti-nutrients, i.e., oxalate and phytate. The results showed that P. umbellatum possesses an ovate, alternate, entire and non-glandular trichome on its leaf surface. The inflorescence comprises an oblongoid spike attached to a peduncle and the ripened berries were orange and red in color. The results also revealed that the leaves of P. umbellatum had a high moisture content (63.27%), other recorded nutrient values were ash (8.62%), crude fiber (19.32%), K (1280.20 mg/100 g), Ca (570.60 mg/100 g), Mg (323.80 mg/100 g) and P (291.14 mg/100 g), TPC (510.63 mg/100 g), TFC (377.82 mg/100 g) and phytate (411.67 mg/100 g). Thus the consumption of the P. umbellatum as a leafy vegetable supplies a good dose of various essential nutrients.

The consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables (ILV) is a common practice among local people in Bintulu. It serves as an important food resource for local communities in rural areas. However, these traditional practices were declining in urban areas and among younger generations. Therefore, the study aimed to record the ILV consumed by the local people, and mode of consumption of the ILV. A field survey was carried out with two phases; phase one was the distribution of structured questionnaires and the second phase was the interview session with 20 respondents from each of the three native markets located in Bintulu Division; Bintulu, Tatau, and Sebauh market. The study has identified 20 species of ILV from 18 different families: Agavaceae, Anacardiaceae, Athyriaceae, Blechnaceae, Brassicaceae, Compositae, Euphorbiaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Gnetaceae, Leguminosae, Limnocharitaceae, Menispermaceae, Myrtaceae, Olacaceae, Ophioglossaceae, Piperaceae, Smilacaceae and Verbenaceae. Identified ILV were consumed in many ways by the natives. The plant parts used also differ from one species to another and had different taste. A further study should be carried out to analyse the plant nutritional values and agronomy factors for commercialization of the potential ILV. Keywords: Bintulu, consumption method, ethnobotany, ethnobotanical study, indigenous leafy vegetables

Seaweeds are abundant and are an important renewable resource for the coastal community since they are rich sources of minerals and natural bioactive compounds. Among them, the Caulerpa species under green seaweeds is widely consumed by locals in Southeast Asia. Edible seaweeds are often associated with various health benefits. However, in Malaysia, limited studies have been done on the mineral and antioxidant levels of seaweeds, especially for the Caulerpa species. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the variations of minerals and antioxidants of selected Caulerpa species in Malaysia. The samples were collected in two study sites, which were Blue Lagoon, Port Dickson and Merambong Shoal, Johor. Two species, C. racemosa and C. manorensis were recorded from Merambong Shoal, Johor, while five species were recorded namely C. sertularioides, C. racemosa var lamourouxii, C. lentillifera, C. racemosa var cylindracea and C. racemosa at Blue Lagoon, Port Dickson. Among all the Caulerpa species from both study sites, C. manorensis possessed the highest phosphorus content (139.54 mg/100g) while C. racemosa from both Merambong and Blue Lagoon Port Dickson’s calcium (Ca) content was significantly highest at 2318.33 – 2406.66 mg/100g. All the Caulerpa species possessed high sodium (Na) content ranging 9338.30 – 21748.30 mg/100g. For micronutrients, the highest zinc content was recorded in C. manorensis (3.40 mg/100g) while the copper content was significantly highest in C. racemosa from Port Dickson (1.05 mg/100g). The methanol extract of C. sertularioides possessed phytochemical attributes of high antioxidant activity (DPPH EC50 = 24.16 mg/mL) with a high FRAP value being recorded in C. lentillifera (27.09 mg TE/100g). The TPC and TFC were highest in C. lentillifera with 57.95 mg GAE/100g and 1506.41 mg QE/100g respectively. The present study revealed that Caulerpa species contained constituents with significant mineral compositions and phytochemical attributes suitable for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical uses.

Teaching in Malaysian universities has undergone a few transformations. In the effort of fully embracing outcome-based education, other initiatives had also been injected to further enhance teaching and learning. Hence planning teaching has become more complex and may be more challenging to both junior and senior academics. The focus of the study was to compare senior and junior academics' perceptions on what they viewed as important criteria in measuring teaching effectiveness. The instrument used in the survey was developed based on the individual standards under each of the seven criteria of the Australian University Teaching Criteria and Standards (AUTSAC) Framework. Sixty-eight standards were identified as relevant to the Malaysian context. Multi-stage sampling procedure was utilized to identify samples among the lecturers of the Malaysian public universities. In general, the younger academics considered five of the seven criteria as important in the measurement of teaching effectiveness, whereas the senior academics only considered four as important. The findings were not surprising as the junior academics were in the early stages of their career and were more focused on developing their expertise. It is hoped that universities will recognize these criteria and standards and include them in their assessment for teaching effectiveness for yearly appraisal as well as promotion and teaching awards.

Numerous efforts have been taken to prepare graduates for employment right after their graduations. The statistics show that over 53,000 of Malaysian graduates were unemployed in 2017 and expected to increase in 2018 as the total unemployment for all group of people in July 2018 was 518,600. Although the outcome-based education (OBE) has been advocated in the 1970s to improve students’ achievement, higher education institutions are still struggling to produce quality and capable graduates to the industry. As the new education systems are emerging from time to time, academics of higher education institutions might have different interpretations of outcome-based education and its practices. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) relating to the OBE among academics in Universiti Putra Malaysia and to compare the respondents’ work profile characteristics with the KAP towards the implementation of the OBE. A total of 173 academics participated in this study through an online survey. The findings of this study indicated that the majority of the respondents were well versed with the knowledge of OBE and have a positive attitude and practices towards the implementation of OBE. Next, the results show that there are significant differences between positions on the respondents’ knowledge, and for the year of service in UPM on respondents’ attitude and practices towards the OBE implementation. It is anticipated that the findings from this study may help the university to improve the OBE system and to prepare the academics with the right knowledge, attitude, and practice towards the OBE implementation.

The behavioural response of the mud lobster, Thalassina anomala Herbst, 1804, to different trapping devices (TD), was studied in the mangrove areas of Sibuti, Sarawak, East Malaysia. Nine different TDs were deployed in this study. Observations revealed that there were no differences in response, neither due to the various types of mound, or as a result of the different TDs: rather, the lobsters either avoided, or obstructed those TDs. Detailed observations revealed that the mud lobsters showed skilled avoidance by either moving freshly dug, moist mud into the TD-types made of bamboo and plastic, or moved the fishing net out of the burrow when it was obstructed by such a type of TD. The damaged parts of the mound caused by deployment of the TD were successfully reconstructed or rebuilt by the mud lobster, using moist mud from the bottom of their tunnel. There was no particular period determined, i.e., neither by day nor at night, when the mud lobsters repaired or rebuilt their opened or otherwise disturbed burrows.

Passiflora quadrangularis L. belongs to the family Passifloraceae which bears larger fruit with edible juicy mesocarp and pulp known as a good source of phytochemicals. Cultivation and plant management practices are known to influence the phytochemical compositions of agricultural produce. This study aimed to examine the influence of the cultivation practices on the antioxidant activities and secondary metabolites of the organically and conventionally grown P. quadrangularis. Findings revealed organically treated P. quadrangularis plants showed enhancement in their antioxidant properties and secondary metabolites profiles. Among the plant parts, leaves of P. quadrangularis grown organically possessed higher antioxidant activities compared to the conventional in all assays evaluated. The antioxidant activities in the edible parts of the P. quadrangularis fruit have also been enhanced through organic cultivation with significantly higher total phenolic content and DPPH in mesocarp, and the pulp showed higher total flavonoid content, DPPH and FRAP. This observation is supported by a higher level of vitamins and secondary metabolites in the samples. The secondary metabolites profile showed mesocarps were phenolic rich, the pulps were flavonoids rich while leaves showed good composition of phenolics, flavonoids and terpenoids with outstanding antioxidant activities. The common secondary metabolites for organically produced P. quadrangularis in different plant parts include 2-isopropyl-3-methoxycinnamic acid (mesocarp and pulp), myricetin isomers (pulp and leaves), and malvidin-3-O-arabinoside isomers (pulp and leaves). This study confirmed that organic cultivated P. quadrangularis possessed higher antioxidant activities contributed by its vitamins and secondary metabolites.

Several aquatic macrophytes such as Colocasia esculenta, Eleocharis dulcis, Nelumbo nucifera, Sagittaria sagittifolia, Trapa bispinosa, and Typha angustifolia possessed carbohydrate mainly in their storage and reproductive parts. Starch morphology, total starch, and amylose content of these six freshwater plant species were determined. Their functional properties, i.e., starch crystallinity, thermal properties, and rheological behaviour were assessed. Large starch granules were in N. nucifera rhizome (>15 μm), medium-sized was N. nucifera seed (8-18 μm), while the rest of the starches were small starch granules (T. angustifolia (37.19%) and corm parts of E. dulcis (37.41%)>S. sagittifolia (35.09%) compared to seed and pollen starches. The XRD profiles of macrophytes starches displayed in all the corms and N. nucifera seed had A-type crystallinity. The T. bispinosa seed had CA-type, whereas the rest of the starches exhibited CB-type crystallinity. Waxy starches of C. esculenta corm had higher relative crystallinity (36.91%) and viscosity (46.2 mPa s) than regular starches. Based on thermal properties, high-amylose of N. nucifera seed and T. angustifolia pollen resulted in higher gelatinization enthalpy (19.93 and 18.66 J g-1, respectively). Starch properties showed equally good potential as commercial starches in starch-based food production based on their starch properties and functionality.

Passiflora quadrangularis L., also known as giant granadilla, belongs to the family Passifloraceae together with the well-known species Passiflora edulis Sims. This species has received attention from growers in recent years due to its aromatic flowers, unique and excellent fruit flavor and phytotherapeutic properties. Despite the numerous health benefits of this Passiflora species, information on their agronomical features and production is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the reproductive biology and fruit setting of P. quadrangularis cultivated in Sarawak, Malaysia. The findings revealed that the giant granadilla was a steady-state species that produced flowers lasting for only one day. Passiflora quadrangularis started to produce flowers 3 months after transplantation, followed by fruiting two months after anthesis. In East Malaysia, the flowers started blooming at dawn (0625±0.17 hours) followed by anthesis at 0806±0.23 hours and remained open until sunset. In contrast to P. edulis which flowered all year round, this species only exhibited two peaks, with a minor peak recorded from January-March and a major peak from September-December, coinciding with warm temperatures and moderate rainy season. Good fruit yields were recorded which was attributed to the ability for self-pollination due to autogamy and geitonogamy, in addition to the presence of effective pollinators. The yearly production of P. quadrangularis, produced relatively larger fruit with weights ranging from 884.4-2892.7 g, was 20,151.36 kg ha-1 (8993 fruits). Detailed information on the reproductive behavior of P. quadrangularis growing in local climates can be used for commercial cultivation and future breeding studies.

Passiflora species generally known as passion fruit may well be the most fascinating plant of the tropics. This plant is known to be self-incompatible in its native environment and it affects the fruit production. Extend of passion fruit set is highly dependent on effective pollinators such as carpenter bees and honey bees. However, in East Malaysia, there was good fruit sets, although lesser number of pollinators visiting the farm or sometimes absence. It is important therefore, to study the reproduction mechanisms of Passiflora plants, because this factor reflect the quantity of the fruit produced. The present studies aim therefore to evaluate the floral behaviours, reproductive mechanism and fruit production of locally grown Passiflora species. Based on the observations, Passiflora species was classified as “steadystate species” that exhibit constant production of few flowers, each day lasting only one day. All species have the ability to adapt to the local condition where plants continuously grew and produced flowers and fruits all the year around. The flowering and fruiting were not synchronized and showed a marked phenological pattern with species. Good fruit yields were observed throughout the year which was attributed to Passiflora species ability for self-pollination, involving the movement of styles to lead the stigma faced the anthers during flower blooming. This is an important phenomenon in order to reduce the distance between the stigma and anther, aid for pollination and provided reproductive assurance to the species. As P. edulis growing in its native environment is reported to be self-incompatible and have become selfcompatible in the present study; showed that evolution of these features is an important factor for its adaptability and survivability, thus crucial to P. edulis propagation optimally in local conditions.

Seagrass meadows play a critical role in supporting coastal biodiversity and in providing food and habitats for other marine organisms but are continuously threatened by human activities, such as coastal reclamation in the maritime countries. The Sungai Pulai estuary harbours mangroves, mudflats, and shoals with one of the Malaysia’s largest seagrass meadow (Merambong, Tanjung Adang, and Tanjung Laut) in Johor, Malaysia. This study assessed the environmental impact of coastal reclamation activities based on Landsat imagery (1994–2017) through mapping cover and distribution changes of those seagrass meadows by using a previously developed image enhancement technique with further improvement in the classification scheme (87% overall accuracy). The image-difference maps showed changes in seagrass meadows and mudflat cover with the extension of reclaimed land. Some seagrass meadows experienced large-scale changes, and coastal reclamation activities have been suggested as main factors responsible for habitat degradation, reduction in coverage, and total loss due to physical damage and excessive sedimentation. Sufficient protection of on-site construction materials is essential if coastal areas are to conserve seagrass meadows. This Landsat-based image classification approach should help the coastal manager to map seagrass meadows and to monitor the environmental impact of reclamation activities with a large spatio-temporal scale.

Increasing global paper consumption has fostered the search for new alternative non-wood fiber sources. The aquatic weeds Cyperus digitatus, Cyperus iria, and Scirpus grossus were analysed for their fiber characteristics and chemical composition, and the processed fibers were transformed into handmade paper. The selected species yielded medium-length fibers (0.92 mm to 1.03 mm), which were thin-walled with a lumen diameter (3.37 µm to 5.26 µm) wider than cell wall thickness (2.73 µm to 2.97 µm). In terms of fiber derived values, the selected species possessed a slenderness ratio of 86.5 to 113.1 (favourable, > 30) and flexibility coefficient of 35.2 to 47.6 (favourable, within the range 50 to 70), which was classified as rigid fiber. The species also contained high cellulose, 42.1% to 44.8% (favourable, > 40%) and hemicellulose content, 42.8% to 45.6% (favourable, within the range of 30% to 50%), and low lignin content, 10.6% to 11.8% (favourable, < 12%). Handmade paper of Cyperus digitatus possessed relatively high tensile strength (2.61 ± 0.15 kN/m) and breaking length (1.20 ± 0.07 km) among studied species. Comparison with other non-wood fibers indicated that the studied plants fibers can be used for production of paper plates, paperboard, and decorative paper.

For the successful, large-scale cultivation of microalgae, which for our work refers to diatoms, it is important to select the appropriate species for the right environment. Intensive research on the growth of different strains of microalgae from several regions worldwide is an ongoing effort. The aim of our research in this context was to select the best isolates of diatoms from different coastal sites in Oman, a region whose flora is poorly known, and identify these species using molecular (nuclear-encoded small subunit ribosomal RNA and chloroplast-encoded rbcL and psbC) and morphologic data. We aimed also to investigate and measure the growth rate, biomass production and fatty acid composition under ambient environmental conditions. Our results showed that in contrast to most of the research reported in the literature, the production of biomass from six isolates has been successfully carried out with reduced amounts of nutrients and without CO2 addition. Growth rates for species cultivated outdoors were high and ranged from 0.37 to 0.92 day−1. These findings are economically very promising as fast growth rates, associated with reduced operational costs, could remarkably improve the production efficiency and thereby justify their use as biomass feedstocks. Molecular data revealed that one isolate was Bellerochea malleus, four isolates represented an unidentified species of Bellerochea and the remaining strain studied represented an unidentified species of the genus Nitzschia. These six strains were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, with an average of 47% of the total fatty acids, confirming their potential use as aquaculture feed supplements.

Background Coastal land development has deteriorated the habitat and water quality for seagrass growth and causes the proliferation of opportunist macroalgae that can potentially affect them physically and biochemically. The present study investigates the morphological and biochemical responses of seagrass from the Hydrocharitaceae family under the macroalgal bloom of Ulva reticulata, induced by land reclamation activities for constructing artificial islands. Methods Five seagrass species, Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii, Halophila ovalis, Halophila major, and Halophila spinulosa were collected at an Ulva reticulata-colonized site (MA) shoal and a non-Ulva reticulata-colonized site (MC) shoal at Sungai Pulai estuary, Johor, Malaysia. Morphometry of shoots comprising leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), leaf sheath length (LSL), leaflet length (LTL), leaflet width (LTW), petiole length (PL), space between intra-marginal veins (IV) of leaf, cross vein angle (CVA) of leaf, number of the cross vein (NOC), number of the leaf (NOL) and number of the leaflet (NOLT) were measured on fresh seagrass specimens. Moreover, in-situ water quality and water nutrient content were also recorded. Seagrass extracts in methanol were assessed for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical cation scavenging activity (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Results Seagrasses in the U. reticulata-colonized site (MA) had significantly higher (t-test, p < 0.05) leaf dimensions compared to those at the non-U. reticulata colonized site (MC). Simple broad-leaved seagrass of H. major and H. ovalis were highly sensitive to the colonization of U. reticulata, which resulted in higher morphometric variation (t-test, p < 0.05) including LL, PL, LW, and IV. Concerning the biochemical properties, all the seagrasses at MA recorded significantly higher (t-test, p < 0.05) TPC, TFC, and ABTS and lower DPPH and FRAP activities compared to those at MC. Hydrocharitaceae seagrass experience positive changes in leaf morphology features and metabolite contents when shaded by U. reticulata. Researching the synergistic effect of anthropogenic nutrient loads on the interaction between seagrasses and macroalgae can provide valuable information to decrease the negative effect of macroalgae blooms on seagrasses in the tropical meadow.

In Malaysia, multiple land use by humans has opened the way to substantial loss of wetland ecosystem, and shrinkage of the populations, habitat and food bases of avian species. However, the study of the avian population especially terrestrial birds becomes eminent to understand the complexity of wetlands ecosystem structure, and also develop appropriate management with robust monitoring tools to ensure their ecological sustainability. The study aimed to determine the eco-climatic factors that influenced the occurrence of terrestrial birds and to develop their habitat suitability models in Paya Indah wetlands (PIW) and Putrajaya wetlands (PW), Malaysia. The distance sampling point count technique using stratified random design was employed to survey (from November 2016 to January 2019) and choose 57 and 54 point stations around 14 and 24 lakes of PIW and PW respectively. An automatic linear modelling algorithm and geographic information systems were employed to compute the importance ratios of seventeen eco-climatic factors (hydrology, 9; climatic, 5; waterscape, 1 and landscape, 2). The result showed that some of the observed terrestrial birds individual and estimated indices were significant. The model showed that more than 50% of the land mass were moderately suitable in Paya Indah wetland while 35.22 % were suitable in Putrajaya wetland. Thus, the models’ adoption as management tools would help in the sustenance of the wetlands’ habitat quality and management effectiveness of the terrestrial bird species.

The governments of the six Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have expressed their commitment to protecting marine ecosystems and improving management systems. Achieving the above commitment requires detailed baseline information on the spatial distribution and extent of the marine resources, such as seagrass meadows, coral reef, mangrove forests and seaweed beds, as well as the ability to successfully interpret and understand these data. This study examined a combination of Landsat image enhancement technique and pixel-based regional growing tools to create a map of marine and human habitats with five classes-of-interest: seagrass, land, coral and coral rubble, subsurface sand/mud, land, and human habitats for twelve islands of eastern Sabah of East Malaysia (extending from 4° 42′ N, 118° 31ʹ E to 4° 12ʹ N, 118° 50ʹ E), located in the south-eastern boundary of Palawan/North Borneo Ecoregion (extending from 14° 31ʹ N, 116° 52ʹ E to 0° 0.04ʹ N, 122° 12ʹ E) of the CTI implementation area. Using this method, an overall accuracy of >75% was achieved for mapping of those class-of-interest types. The estimated seagrass areal coverage is 274 ha, of which 158 ha (58% of the total area) occurred in relatively shallow water areas. Using Google Earth data, seaweed culture sites with a total area of 7114 ha were observed around 7 of the 12 islands. The mapping approach and the results of the study will be of immense benefit to natural resource management of the study area through enabling conservation agencies to prioritize seagrass, coral, seaweed or marine conservation sites and to document local threats to those habitats.

Seagrass mapping and monitoring using remote sensing has been established using various imageries and mapping methods, ranging from complex optical modeling to manual interpretations. Few attempts have been made to find relations between spatiotemporal changes within seagrass habitats and their surrounding environment in the mapping efforts. In this study, issues of spatiotemporal changes in seagrass habitat including water quality, and causes and processes of seagrass degradation were addressed through assessing the ability of integrated manual enhancement and seed pixel growing techniques on multi-date Landsat images for mapping and monitoring seagrass resources. This integrated approach was tested on a total of forty-nine Landsat 5, 7 and 8 images of the seagrass meadow spatial distribution and cover change analysis for Punag-Sari estuary (Lawas), Pengkalan Nangka (Kelantan) lagoon, and Paka (Terengganu) lagoon of Malaysia. The resulted maps demonstrated the ability of Landsat images for producing spatially extensive maps and allowed quantitative estimation of seagrass coverage, accretion/erosion, and describe changes in noticeable areas. The findings indicated that a noticeable loss of seagrass habitats at varying magnitude occurred between 2000 and 2014 for Punang-Sari, between 1998 and 2014 for Pegkalan Nangka, and between 1988 and 2014 for Paka. The natural event mainly sand shifting was the main cause of seagrass habitat loss for Punang-Sari Lawas. Coastline change was identified as the most significant factor that caused seagrass spatial cover loss of the Pengkalan Nangka lagoon. The seagrass meadows of Pengkalan Nangka and Paka were greatly affected by natural events including floods, and local human-induced interferences such as dredging, and sand mining. The mapping approach and the map products presented in this paper will be a useful information source for the coastal management agencies involved in monitoring and management programs.

The data gaps in the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) Scan Line Corrector (SLC)-off imagery as a result of SLC failure are well recognized. The degradation introduced by their use in scientific applications is concerning to Landsat users. SLC-off data gaps cause problems in many applications of ETM+ images, but no literature reported the problem in seagrass mapping. To investigate the impact of SLC-off data loss on the seagrass information extraction, two types of data were compared: (a) data with interpolation after the SLC anomaly, termed the “Interpolation ON (ION)”, and (b) the data without interpolation, termed the “Interpolation OFF (IOFF)” image, for the Sungai Pulai estuary seagrass meadows of Malaysia. Additionally, the random shifting of SLC-off stripes was tested by swipe analysis of SLC-off image pairs. Overall, the SLC-off scene analysis suggests that a gradual increase of data gaps from the central part toward the edge may cause a cumulative error of 2 % based on an object’s distance from the nadir path. The random shifting of SLC-off stripes may be completely invisible if a single SLC-off stripe passes over a targeted small seagrass meadow such as the Tanjung Adang Laut shoal, which has a spatial extent of 11.07 ha. The data gaps eventually lead to misinterpretations and produce erroneous seagrass distribution maps. The co-existence of SLC-off stripes and their random shifting phenomenon have caused non-overlapping regions between SLC-off scenes acquired on different dates. Future research should develop suitable methods for gap-filling and resolve aquatic remote sensing mapping issues by using knowledge from the present research.

Methods to predict and fill Landsat 7 Scan Line Corrector SLC-off data gaps are diverse and their usability is case specific. An appropriate gap-filling method that can be used for seagrass mapping applications has not been proposed previously. This study compared gap-filling methods for filling SLC-off data gaps with images acquired from different dates at similar mean sea-level tide heights, covering the Sungai Pulai estuary area inhabited by seagrass meadows in southern Peninsular Malaysia. To assess the geometric and radiometric fidelity of the recovered pixels, three potential gap-filling methods were examined: a geostatistical neighbourhood similar pixel interpolator GNSPI; b weighted linear regression WLR algorithm integrated with the Laplacian prior regularization method; and c the local linear histogram matching method. These three methods were applied to simulated and original SLC-off images. Statistical measures for the recovered images showed that GNSPI can predict data gaps over the seagrass, non-seagrass/water body, and mudflat site classes with greater accuracy than the other two methods. For optimal performance of the GNSPI algorithm, cloud and shadow in the primary and auxiliary images had to be removed by cloud removal methods prior to filling data gaps. The gap-filled imagery assessed in this study produced reliable seagrass distribution maps and should help with the detection of spatiotemporal changes of seagrasses from multi-temporal Landsat imagery. The proposed gap-filling method can thus improve the usefulness of Landsat 7 ETM+ SLC-off images in seagrass applications.

This review evaluates various methods employed to produce seagrass habitat maps using optical and acoustic remote-sensing (RS) techniques coupled with in situ sampling to highlight recent advances and to define areas where potential future research should be focused in the application of RS technologies. A critical review of 195 studies revealed that, in the past four decades, advances in the application of RS methods, notably using Landsat imagery, are identified for seagrass detection, assessment of areal coverage, distribution and abundance mapping, and the detection of extent and biomass changes, as illustrated in peer-reviewed literature. Rapid technological and methodological advances have occurred in the acquisition and interpretation of optical and acoustic data for the mapping of seagrass habitats. The methods have been tested to segment, classify, and combine RS data with biological field or ground truth sample data. There is no single technology or approach that is suitable for and capable of measuring all seagrass parameters (presence/absence, cover, species, and biomass) and assessing change. Integration of field, imagery, and mapping approaches is therefore required. Further research is required for continued improvements in understanding of theoretical and methodological aspects of seagrass RS.

The mud lobster, genus Thalassina is the least studied taxon compared to other mud crabs within Thalassinidae family. Burrowing thalassinid populations are considered to be an effective means of bioturbation, affecting the macro- and micronutrient properties in the substrates they occur in through nutrient redistribution. This study assessed the combined effects of fresh mud excavation and old mud deposition on soil turnover and vertical marconutrients including NH4–N, NO3–N, P, K, S, Na, Ca, and Mg and micronutrients including Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn distributions in a Malaysian mangrove, Sibuti Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak. The mud lobster Thalassina anomala (Decapoda: Thalassinidae) inhabits and builds mounds both seafront and inland mangroves. Their burrowing activities increased NH4–N, NO3–N, P, and Na concentrations in fresh mud and Fe, Cu and Zn concentrations in the old mud. The nutrient concentrations in excavated soils were greatly affected by habitat type, and depth. Burrowing processes can effectively turnover subsurface soil to the surface, which acidifies strongly upon oxidation. Higher S content in mud lobster soil together with low pH revealed mud lobsters play a strong role in the development of acidity in the study areas. These processes could stimulate formation of acid sulphate soil in the mangroves. Therefore, bioturbation not only affects soil physical and chemical properties but also ecological functions of mangroves, and needs proper attention during restoration and reclamation programs of mangrove forests.

This study determined the density and diversity of water and terrestrial dependent avian species in man-made Putrajaya wetlands, Peninsular Malaysia using the distant point count techniques. A total sum of 36,544 bird’s individuals (25water bird and 75 terrestrial bird species) was identified from November 2016 to July 2018. The overall bird’s density is 1.17 ± 0.04 birds’ ha−1 at 95.00% confidence limit. The terrestrial bird species (TBS) had a higher density (1.35 ± 0.04 birds’ ha−1), while the water bird species (WBS) had a lower density (0.98 ± 0.16 birds’ ha−1). For WBS, Nycticorax nycticorax and Casmero diusalbus recorded the highest (5.31 ± 3.27 birds’ ha1) and least (0.13 ± 0.15 birds’ ha−1) densities respectively. Also, Columba livia and Arachnothera flavigaster recorded the highest (7.15 ± 1.77 birds’ ha−1) and least (0.07±0.02 birds’ ha−1) densities respectively in TBS. The TBS had higher Shannon– Wiener species diversity index (N1 = 5.67), Margalef’s species richness index (R1 = 15.06) and Pielou’s J species evenness index (E = 1.29) in contrast to the WBS (N1 = 3.71; R1 = 4.58 and E = 1.18). The study revealed the potentials of the man-made Putrajaya wetlands to harbour diverse avian species. This implied the needs to conserve this enclave in order to increase the population, perpetuity and sustainability of the avian species.

This paper summarises the current state of knowledge on the landscape of protected areas in Nigeria and elucidates on the status, drivers, effects and solutions to host communities’ dependence on the protected areas towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 15.9 and Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 in Nigeria. The present land coverage (15.15%) of Nigeria’s protected areas is highly degraded and far away from the target 4 of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2016 – 2020). This is connected to the fact that protected areas constitute the largest food base for host communities’ survival in Nigeria. Even, despite the rural-urban drift in search of a white-collar job, a larger percentage of Nigeria’s populations are still situated in the rural areas. The participation of the local communities in biodiversity conservation, their wellbeing, culture and livelihood have always been a subject of interest to the stakeholders (local communities, park management, and conservationist) in protected area management due to the role in the sustainability of forest resources. However, three drivers of host communities’ dependence on protected areas in Nigeria were identified – socio-cultural, economic and institutional drivers. The option of human displacement from the protected areas had not yielded any positive result over the years. In conclusion, buffer zone policies have to be formulated and inculcated by affected protected areas authorities into their management framework. Also, adoption of community-based participatory forest management, initiation of forest enrichment programmes in degraded protected areas and harvesting of Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs) should be encouraged to play diverse contributory roles in the improvement of rural livelihoods.

Background: The levels of sugars, ascorbic acid, total phenolic content (TPC) and total antioxidant activity (TAA) were determined in fruit juices from seven passion fruit (Passiflora spp.) cultivars: P. edulis cultivars Purple, Frederick, Yellow, Pink, P. edulis f. flavicarpa, P. maliformis and P. quadrangularis (we also tested this cultivar's mesocarp). Results: Purple and Yellow P. edulis had significantly higher total sugar, 142.85 ± 0.17 g kg−1 and 139.69 ± 0.12 g kg−1, respectively, than other cultivars. Glucose and fructose content were higher in juice from vine-ripened fruits of Purple, Frederick and Yellow P. edulis, P. quadrangularis and P. maliformis. Sucrose content was significantly higher in juice of non-vine-ripened fruits of P. edulis (Pink) and P. edulis f. flavicarpa. Ascorbic acid, TPC and TAA were significantly higher in vine-ripened Purple and Yellow P. edulis; ranges were 0.22–0.33 g kg−1, 342.80–382.00 mg gallic acid equivalent L−1 and 409.13–586.70 µmol Trolox L−1, respectively. Based on principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis, the main variables – °Brix, total sugar, glucose, fructose, ascorbic acid, TPC and TAA – formed the characteristics for the group comprising Purple and Yellow P. edulis. Conclusions: Glucose, fructose, sucrose, ascorbic acid, TAA and TPC were quantified in passion fruit juices. Variation of the above variables in juices of Passiflora depends on the cultivar and ripeness.

The freshwater fish, Probarbus jullieni (Sauvage), locally referred to as "Temoleh", is a high-valued freshwater fish in Malaysia and has both cultural and conservational significance. It is widely distributed in the North-east Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. During the recent past, the natural stocks of P. jullieni have been decreased severely due to habitat degradation and man-induced hazards in aquatic ecosystem. Despite the vast research that has been conducted on various carp species, little attention has been given to P. jullieni. This study reviewed the published information on the status, distribution, reproduction and biodiversity of this commercially important fish species. The findings would greatly be helpful towards the species conservation and aquaculture development of the highly endangered P. jullieni.

Proceedings of the Horiba International Conference "New Direction of Ocean Research in the Western Pacific" : Past, Present and Future of UNESCO/IOC/WESTPAC Activity for 50 years and the JSPS Project "Coastal Marine Science", Section II: Historical Review of Coastal Research in Southeast Asia

Proceedings of the Horiba International Conference "New Direction of Ocean Research in the Western Pacific" : Past, Present and Future of UNESCO/IOC/WESTPAC Activity for 50 years and the JSPS Project "Coastal Marine Science", Section I: Research Articles/Biodiversity

This study was carried out to analyze the analytic chemical composition and minerals content of yellow velvetleaf (Limnocharis flava L. Buchenau) edible parts collected from waterways at Sebauh, Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia in early July 2008 using standard method of food analysis. The edible parts of L. flava high in total carbohydrate by difference (14.56±0.14%) and gross calorific value (343.26±9.75 kJ/100 g), but low in moisture (79.34±0.15%), ash (0.79±0.03%) and crude protein content (0.28±0.01%) in dry weight basis. However, the crude fat (1.22±0.01%) and crude fiber content (3.81±0.04%) were within the range of Malaysian leafy vegetables. The high concentration of K (4202.50±292.37 mg/100 g), Ca (770.87±105.26 mg/100 g, Cu (8.31±1.83 mg/100 g), Mg (228.10±15.26 mg/100 g) and Zn (0.66±0.05 mg/100 g) were found in edible parts of L. flava. The concentration of Na (107.72±17.15 mg/100 g) was much higher when compared to the recommended dietary allowances. Thus, the edible parts of L. flava provide good sources of minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and copper. However, nutritive value analyzed should not be the exclusive criteria for judging the consumptive significance of the edible parts. Besides, others factors such as palatability should also be taken into consideration.

Halodule species is widely distributed along the south and east coasts of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. Five locations were selected for the study based on different habitat characteristics; sub-tidal shoal (Merambong-2 sites; Tg. Adang Laut-2 sites), coastal lagoon (Merchang-2 sites), inter-tidal beach front (Lawas-l site) and reef atoll lagoon (Pulau Layang-Layang-l site). Samplings and collections of Halodule plants were conducted from August 2002 until May 2004. The result of the study found that Halodule species are found at depth.of -1.5 to-2.7 m in various habitats with substrates from sandy, coralline sand, calcareous sandy-mud, sandy-mud to muddy substrates and can survive in a wide range of salinity, 18-34 psu. They adapt in th,e different environmental conditions through changes in morphology. Water depth (associated with ambient light), sediment type and sediment depth have an influence on the morphology of vegetative components e.g. leaf length, leaf width, erect stem length and rhizome growth pattern. Leaf tip morphology was not affected by habitat types and the environmental characteristics. Leaf tips for H. uninervis are similar in morphology between young and mature leaves. Leaf tips for H. pinifolia varied with an obvious differences between young and mature leaf tips.

A small-culture system for growing of Halophila ovalis was developed. Plugs of explants were successfuly grown in the native substrate and under the light regime of ~200 imol m-2 s-1. The culturing of H. ovalis in the laboratory permitted observations on (i) the sustain growth and the development of the population, (ii) the reproductive biology (flowering and fruiting) and (iii) the pattern of seedling development from seeds to mature plants. Plants increased in density via vegetative propagation and sexual reproduction. Plants produced male, female flowers and fruits. The presence of viable seeds and seedlings demonstrated the successful pollination and sexual reproduction of H. ovalis in culture. The morphology of progressive development of H. ovalis seedlings to juvenile or young plants for H. ovalis in culture is described.

Seagrasses are the only flowering plants (monocotyledonous Angiosperms) that have adapted themselves to living in marine and estuarine habitats, and are submerged most of the time. They are rooted in sediments on the sea bottom, with shoots appearing above the substrate. Seagrasses occurred at 78 sites scattered in the west and east coasts of Peninsular Malaysia and in Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia. They are usually found along the coasts growing in association with shallow inter-tidal, mangroves, coral reefs, semi-enclosed lagoons and shoals. In these habitats, seagrass beds or meadows have distinct species assemblage completely adapted to the submerged life. There are fourteen major species of seagrasses recorded in Malaysia: Enhalus acoroides, Halophila beccarii, H. decipiens, H. ovalis, H. minor, H. spinulosa, Halodule pinifolia, H. uninervis, Cymodocea rotundata, C. serrulata, Thalassia hemprichii, Syringodium isoetifolium, Ruppia maritima and Thalassodendron ciliatum. Although seagrasses make up only a small portion of the marine ecosystem, the physical settings and their interactive community within and from outside account for their high diversity and ensure survival of an assortment of vertebrates (fish), invertebrates (shrimps, starfish, sea cucumbers, bivalves, gastropods), and seaweeds. Seagrass form the food and habitats for the vulnerable dugongs or sea cows (Dugong dugon), seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) and endangered green turtles (Chelonia mydas), and for other fish, and also a feeding ground for seasonal migratory birds, Egretta garzetta. Seagrasses provide conditions for the growth and abundance of invertebrates and fish that many local coastal communities collect and catch for their livelihood. Seagrass ecosystems are sources of food and yet they are continually threatened by human activities, causing their degradation and possible habitat loss. The purpose of this review is to give information on the significant linkages of seagrasses with the coastal inhabitants and to suggest recommendations for the protection and conservation of this important ecosystem and the associated resources.