Prelimenary Results of Long-term Seagrass Monitoring and Dugong Feeding Trail Observations at Permamanent Sampling Stations in Lawas, Sarawak of East Malaysia

Long-term monitoring on seagrass and dugong feeding trail at permanant sampling stations in Lawas, Sarawak was initiated in 2017. Fixed-wing single rotor Skywalker 2015 drone was used to map the distribution of seagrass beds... [ view full abstract ]

Long-term monitoring on seagrass and dugong feeding trail at permanant sampling stations in Lawas, Sarawak was initiated in 2017. Fixed-wing single rotor Skywalker 2015 drone was used to map the distribution of seagrass beds along intertidal areas of 30 km stretches of beaches in Lawas, Sarawak of East Malaysia in January 2017 and February 2018. The survey area is divided into six flight mission survey sectors ranging 1.2 km² to 2 km² from Kebab Putus-Sari Damit to Bangkulit. The presence of dugong’s feeding trail within the permanent sampling station were observed and recorded. The median percentage of seagrasses coverage in 2017 and 2018 was 50% and 10% respectively. Halophila pinifolia was the dominant species which recorded at 23 out 26 stations in 2017, while in 2018 the species occurred in 20 stations. Cymodocea rotundata and Halophila ovalis were two species recorded in the permanent stations but the median percentage of the coverage for both species in the was less than 3% for the both years.  Dugong feeding trails were observed at 6 stations in 2017 and 3 stations in 2018.  Ninety percent of those feeding trails observed between Punang to Pantai Bangat area.