Part 7/7: What Should We Do?

Part 6/7: What's Threatening Them?

Part 5/7: Olive Ridley Turtles

Part 4/7: Green Turtles

Turtles: Guardians of the Ocean

HotScience | Petrosains

Did you know there are land and marine turtles? Tortoises are land turtles and due to its bulky shape, it can’t swim.  Unlike tortoises, marine turtles e.g. leatherback turtles, are able to swim without any difficulty due to its aerodynamic shape. The other feature that enables a marine turtle to swim is the presence of flippers. Both are reptiles. 

Meet the Hawksbill Turtle

Marine turtles are well-adapted to life in the marine environment and live in tropical and subtropical ocean waters throughout the world.  The main marine turtles that are found in the seas and coastal areas of Malaysia are:
•    Green turtles
•    Leatherback turtles
•    Hawksbill turtles
•    Olive Ridley turtles

Dr. Juanita Joseph - SEATRU Project Leader facilitating the public engagement session at Petrosains.

Why is it important to protect and conserve marine turtles? 
The main goal of marine turtle conservation is to prevent the different species from becoming extinct.  This is done through many different methods, including legislation and international agreements.  Marine turtles are also the important link to two ecosystems – beaches and oceans.  In terms as a source for food and food-related activities, we will be in a lot of trouble if something happens to both the turtles and the ecosystems. 

Starting young, a visitor making her first pledge to conserve turtles.

How do turtles contribute to the environment and our livelihood?

1.    Beaches and dune systems do not have many nutrients on it. When marine turtles use beaches and the lower dunes to nest and lay their eggs, eggs that are not hatched and hatchlings that do not make it out of the nest becomes good sources of nutrients for the dune vegetation. Even the left-over egg shells from hatched eggs provide nutrients.

2.    Dune plants use the nutrients from turtle eggs to grow and become stronger.  Healthy vegetation and strong root systems hold the sand in the dunes and protect the beach from erosion.
3.    Marine turtles eat jellyfish and prevent large “blooms” of jellyfish to cause havoc on fisheries, recreation and other maritime activities throughout the oceans.
4.    Research has shown that sea grass beds grazed by green turtles are more productive than those that aren’t. Hawksbill turtles eat sponges, preventing them from out-competing slow-growing corals. Both of these grazing activities maintain species diversity and the natural balance of fragile marine ecosystems.
5.    Marine turtles are an important attraction for marine tourism, a major source of income for many countries.

Identifying turtles through Photo ID technique.

This was found in the stomach of a shark. Can you guess what it is?

Trivia!
1.    Carapace is the top domed part of a turtle's shell and the bottom part is called the plastron.
2.    The carapace consists of approximately 50 bones.
3.    The largest is the Leatherback sea turtle which can reach up to 30 metre in length.
4.    A group of turtles is called a bale.
5.    Turtles have a sharp beak for eating.

Dr. Juanita Joseph in action at HotScience @ Petrosains.

'Saya berjanji' - visitors making pledges to protect turtles.

This article is written in conjunction with Petrosains' Public Engagement Session on 1-3 December 2012 with scientists from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, led by Assoc. Prof. Liew Hock Chark (Founder of Sea Turtle Research Unit - SEATRU) and Dr. Juanita Joseph (Project Leader of SEATRU).

 

 

 

The Under Appreciated Mangroves

Kuala Gula (Perak), Umbai Baru (Malacca), Pasir Penambang (Selangor) – These are some of the popular places where Malaysians travel to for a taste of fresh and scrumptious seafood delicacies. My parents are among those food enthusiasts who are willing to travel far and wide for food.  Me? As long as crabs and shrimps are around, I am all set!

By megawatts86 (originally posted to Flickr as More Chilli Crab) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

No matter where you go - Perak, Johor or even Sabah –the restaurants are mostly located by the shores, some even ‘float’! As you enjoy your hand-picked crabs, shrimps, clams and fishes, you can see fishermen maneuvering their boats- some are heading back to shore, while others are heading out to the vast sea. The one thing that these places have in common (other than the freshly caught fishes) is the mangrove.

Even for nature aficionados, the mangrove is the quite under-appreciated. Most of us, myself including, are biased to things that are beautiful and postcard-perfect – such as scenes of sunset at the beach, soaring mountain peaks, lush rainforests, and fields of flowers. Although I have been to the less photogenic mangrove forests a few times, the mangrove never caught my eyes – being just rather plain blanket of trees and roots anchored on wetlands.

By kakna's world (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kakna/6985181102/) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

At HotScience, Petrosains’ bustling area in its lobby that communicates current and relevant science, I was quite surprised to see the variety of products developed by researchers from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) that are made from mangrove trees. Apparently, the most ‘utilized’ mangrove tree is Nypa fruticans or simply known as Nipah. The leaflets are woven onto hats, mats and rooftops, while the sap collected from the flower stalk is made into drinks, ice-cream, soft candy and pudding. In addition to that, mangrove barks make the best quality charcoal and most cosmetic companies from Japan and South Korea import mangrove-based charcoal to be developed into cosmetic products such as facial wash. 

Mangroves, due to its muddy and swampy nature, at times can be quite stinky and unpleasant looking, and home to some fearful crocodiles and snakes, which do not help gather much support for mangrove preservation.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations claims that mangrove extinction is at an incredibly high rate, with Malaysia having lost approximately 16% of its total mangrove forest between 1980 until 2005. Mangroves are important breeding grounds for many animals such as crabs, shrimps, and fishes, but in Malaysia, mangroves are mostly being cleared away to make way for man-made shrimp farms.
If this major loss of mangrove continues, soon enough, we might not be able to enjoy our seafood as much as we have today – and as a crab fan, I would be happier to have the crustaceans abundant in Malaysian shores.

Fiddler crab burrows under mangrove roots.

 Yes, it is difficult (for some) to care or nurture some kind of feelings towards mangrove (or plants in general). They do not show facial expressions as other mammals or even respond to you when you talk to them, but they are called living creatures for a reason. So, let us be more appreciative towards mangroves and nurture ourselves into loving them!

Join Petrosains in “Our Earth, Our Home” Weekend Special on 23^rd -  24^th March 2013. Join us for fun activities throughout the science centre. Our artistic face-painters  and energetic science buskers will be around to ensure that you have great fun too!

On 23^rd March 2013 there will be a special performance entitled, “Inspirasi Haiwan” at 11.30am and 2.30pm. This performance is about dance movement inspired by animals which will incorporate beautiful music and choreography as interpreted by ASWARA (National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage).

Shared by Iman, Communications Intern at Petrosains

Si Belangkas Lapar! 8/8

Misteri Darah Biru! 7/8

Belangkas Melihat Dunia! 6/8

Kitar Hidup Si Belangkas! 5/8

Mencari Telur Si Belangkas! 4/8

Jenis-jenis Belangkas! 3/8

Kampung Si Belangkas! 2/8

Cerita Si Belangkas! 1/8

Argh! Everyday Monsters! - Getting Up Close with the Horseshoe Crab

At first sight, the 'Horseshoe Crab' or 'Belangkas' in Bahasa Melayu looked like a foreign, out-of-this-world creature. If I happened to see the crab crawling near me, I would definitely run away - just as I would get freaked out seeing a cockroach in the corner of the room! Apparently, I am not a fan of creatures with more than 2 pairs of legs... and this particular creature has five!

So when I first heard that Petrosains has on display some horseshoe crabs at HotScience (the public science engagement space at their lobby at 4th floor Suria KLCC), I saw it as a chance to see the amazing but hideous creature up close and well, 'safely'.

As I walked into HotScience, I was 'greeted' by two enormous horseshoe crabs, the size of a large frying pan. Surprisingly I was mesmerized by the look of it. Unconsciously I walked straight to the two crabs, being brave by the fact that they are contained in a glass box.

   

The horseshoe crabs in the glass container - definitely a sight!

I had such an interesting day with the scientists from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (who were responsible for bringing the crabs to Petrosains!). Personally I think this is a wonderful effort by Petrosains in getting our local scientists to engage with the public. There are so many things that they shared with the visitors during the session. Knowing that they had been handling, sampling, researching and learning about horseshoe crabs for years was a revelation; the work of a scientist is definitely not contained only in labs.

I know there are many other scientists out there with so many interesting and mind-blowing work, I think they should take this kind of initiative in making their hard-work visible into something more engaging and meaningful to the public. From the way I see it, it was also a learning experience for the scientists. They had to attend to numerous unexpected questions and some had to even learn to communicate with visitors from all around the world.   



By my experience of observing and cowardly touching the 'alive' horseshoe crabs that day, I have come to learn that they are not as hideous, scary and dangerous as they appear to be.

I was told that there are four types of horseshoe crabs and amazingly, three out of the four can be found right here along the coasts of Malaysia.  The horseshoe crabs are also said very romantic for they are always found in pairs. Once they have met, they took the vow 'until death do us part' dead serious.

If I were to compare them to other sea creatures, I would say they are as gentle and as harmless as a starfish. And unlike the fast-swimming sailfish, horseshoe crabs are slow movers.  So if you happen to encounter this sea creature while strolling along the beach with your family and friends, don't be alarmed by their appearance. Instead, take the time to admire its graceful beauty and appreciate the diversity of nature that we have in Malaysia.  



Visitors get a chance to handle (with care) the horseshoe crabs.

    

Shared by Iman, Communications Intern at Petrosains