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PHANG et al (2007)
STATUS OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA &
THREAT ASSESSMENT OF PLANT SPECIES IN MALAYSIA
SEAWEED DIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA
S. M. Phang, C. L. Wong, P. E. Lim, J. L. S. Ooi, S. Y. Gan, Melor Ismail,
H. Y. Yeong & Emienour Muzalina Mustafa
ABSTRACT
Malaysia has an extensive coastline totaling 3432 km with 418,000 km 2 of continental shelf.
Numerous islands form clusters along the coastlines. Rocky shores and sandy bays alternate
with mudflats, while coral reefs fringe most islands. All these harbour niches for the variety of
seaweed species found in Malaysian waters. The first checklist of the marine benthic algae in
Malaysia was published in 1991 by Phang and Wee, together with a historical account of
phycological research in this region. In 1998 Phang updated the checklist, including the first
Malaysian new species (Sargassum stolonifolium Phang et Yoshida) published in the ‘Seaweeds
Resources of the World’ by Critchley and Ohno. The present tally includes 386 taxa comprising
Chlorophyta (13 families, 102 taxa), Rhodophyta (27 families, 182 taxa), Phaeophyta (8
families, 85 taxa) and Cyanophyta (8 families, 17 taxa). Many of the seaweeds have potential
for commercialisation based on a variety of products and uses. The seaweed resources have
to be protected against biodiversity losses due to habitat destruction, pollution, over-harvesting
and biopiracy. The inventory of Malaysian seaweeds must continue together with more focused
ecological studies. Biomass assessments of natural seaweed areas, productivity determination
and phenological studies of important species, should be encouraged. Only then can the
status of the seaweed flora of Malaysia be assessed and threatened species and habitats
identified.
INTRODUCTION
Malaysia lies within the Indo-Malay-Philippine archipelago, which is part of the Indo-West
Pacific region. With its extensive coastline totaling 4675 km with 418 000 km 2 of continental
shelf, there exists high marine biodiversity as well as bioproductivity. Of the marine
bioresources, the marine algae find niches in the various marine habitats (Phang, 1998). Algae
are non-flowering photosynthetic organisms ranging from the microscopic phytoplankton to
the macroscopic marine algae or seaweeds. In the present classification system, members of
the Algae Kingdom are separately placed into three different phyla. The prokaryotic bluegreen
algae belong to the Prokaryota; the unicellular eukaryotic algae are placed in the Protista;
while the macroscopic eukaryotic algae are placed in the Plantae. The seaweeds are thus part
of the Plantae and may be grouped into three divisions namely the Chlorophyta (green
Institute of Biological Sciences & University of Malaya Maritime Research Centre, University Malaya, 50603 Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia; Tel: 03-79674610, Fax: 03-79674699; phang@um.edu.my
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