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WORLD ATLAS OF CORAL REEFS
Malaysia, Singapore and
Brunei Darussalam
MAPS 10b and c
MalaySid
is a large country split into two land
areas: Peninsular Malaysia and east Malaysia.
The latter, comprising the states of Sarawak and
Sabah, is located along the northern and western edge of
the island of Borneo. All of these areas are located on the
Sunda Shelf, although the edge of this continental shelf
comes relatively close to the land around Sabah.
Although Peninsular Malaysia has a relatively high
relief its coastline, particularly in the south and west, is
dominated by low-lying land and mangroves or former
mangrove areas. Offshore a number of small islands are
important for reef development. These include the Pulau
Langkawi group in the northwest. Pulau Semblian in the
west, and the Pulau Tioman and Pulau Redang groups in
the east. East Malaysia also has a very high relief, although
in the west there is a generally wide coastal strip with
extensive wetlands and mangrove development. Further
east, and particularly in Sabah, the coastline is more
complex and indented, with a generally narrow coastal strip.
Again, a number of offshore island groups are important
for reef development, particularly around Sabah.
The region's climate is largely determined by the
opposing monsoon systems. During the Northeast
Monsoon (November-March) winds are driven from the
northeast bearing moist air and typically driving higher
rainfalls, as well as high seas, particularly on the north
and east coasts of Sabah. During the Southeast Monsoon
(May-September), typically drier air flows from the
southwest. In the Strait of Malacca there is a permanent
current flowing to the northwest, while surface currents
are more variable over much of the rest of the region,
largely following patterns of wind circulation.
There is relatively little reef development along the
mainland coast of Peninsular Malaysia, but reefs occur
around all the offshore islands. Conditions for reef
development are generally poor in the Strait of Malacca,
however there are small low diversity reefs on the mainland close to Port Dickson. There are also reported to be
some minor mainland fringing communities on the east
coast between Kuala Terengganu and Chukai.
Reef development is highly restricted off the coast
of Sarawak, although there are some reefs around the
offshore islands of Pulau Talang and Pulau Satar. The
most extensive reef development in the country is in the
waters around Sabah. which is the region with the highest
diversity and optimal conditions for reef development.
This is close to the global center of coral reef diversity.
Around the southeast coast there are extensive fringing
A feather star on the reef slope in one of east (Malaysia s marine parks.
WORLD ATLAS OF CORAL REEFS
Malaysia, Singapore and
Brunei Darussalam
MAPS 10b and c
MalaySid
is a large country split into two land
areas: Peninsular Malaysia and east Malaysia.
The latter, comprising the states of Sarawak and
Sabah, is located along the northern and western edge of
the island of Borneo. All of these areas are located on the
Sunda Shelf, although the edge of this continental shelf
comes relatively close to the land around Sabah.
Although Peninsular Malaysia has a relatively high
relief its coastline, particularly in the south and west, is
dominated by low-lying land and mangroves or former
mangrove areas. Offshore a number of small islands are
important for reef development. These include the Pulau
Langkawi group in the northwest. Pulau Semblian in the
west, and the Pulau Tioman and Pulau Redang groups in
the east. East Malaysia also has a very high relief, although
in the west there is a generally wide coastal strip with
extensive wetlands and mangrove development. Further
east, and particularly in Sabah, the coastline is more
complex and indented, with a generally narrow coastal strip.
Again, a number of offshore island groups are important
for reef development, particularly around Sabah.
The region's climate is largely determined by the
opposing monsoon systems. During the Northeast
Monsoon (November-March) winds are driven from the
northeast bearing moist air and typically driving higher
rainfalls, as well as high seas, particularly on the north
and east coasts of Sabah. During the Southeast Monsoon
(May-September), typically drier air flows from the
southwest. In the Strait of Malacca there is a permanent
current flowing to the northwest, while surface currents
are more variable over much of the rest of the region,
largely following patterns of wind circulation.
There is relatively little reef development along the
mainland coast of Peninsular Malaysia, but reefs occur
around all the offshore islands. Conditions for reef
development are generally poor in the Strait of Malacca,
however there are small low diversity reefs on the mainland close to Port Dickson. There are also reported to be
some minor mainland fringing communities on the east
coast between Kuala Terengganu and Chukai.
Reef development is highly restricted off the coast
of Sarawak, although there are some reefs around the
offshore islands of Pulau Talang and Pulau Satar. The
most extensive reef development in the country is in the
waters around Sabah. which is the region with the highest
diversity and optimal conditions for reef development.
This is close to the global center of coral reef diversity.
Around the southeast coast there are extensive fringing
A feather star on the reef slope in one of east (Malaysia s marine parks.