Climate Change and El Nino Phenomenon Heat Up Malaysian Waters

Malaysia has recorded intense peaks of temperature due to a heatwave in the Southeast Asia region in 2024. The heatwave sweeping across the nation had a significant impact on human health, resulting in a concerning rise in heat-related illnesses. By April 2024, a total of 45 cases of heat-related illnesses, including two fatalities from heatstroke, have been reported. Alongside the health risks, significant impacts were also observed through the Malaysian waters, including a series of algae blooms and mass coral bleaching affecting the country.

These events, once considered rare occurrences, are becoming more frequent and severe, largely due to the changing climate and rising sea temperatures. These issues are not just ecological concerns but have also begun to affect the economic activities tied to the marine environment, such as aquaculture, specifically at the Peninsular Malaysia, which put pressure on Malaysia’s coastal economies.

The first instance of an algal bloom became evident and was reported in April 2023, with non-toxic red tide detected off the coast of Penang. Algal blooms are complex events where algae populations explode, often in response to changes in water temperature, salinity, or nutrient levels. In this case, the cause of the bloom occurrence was attributed to the prolonged hot weather, which raised sea temperatures significantly. This was followed by sudden substantial rainfall, which  flushed large amounts of nutrients into the sea, creating favourable conditions for algae to grow rapidly.

Yet, the investigators have warned that if blooms happen frequently, this could be the consequence of climate change, as rising sea temperature and acidity reduce the water ability to hold oxygen. This event marked the beginning of a series of algal blooms and widespread coral bleaching that followed in the subsequent year. Several additional algal bloom incidents were recorded, resulting in thousands of fish deaths in Teluk Bahang, Penang, which are attributed to toxic blooms that overwhelmed local marine life. The economic ramifications of such events are considerable, as aquaculture operators face severe losses, which ripple through the local economy and impact not just businesses but also employment and food security.

Health authorities also issued warnings against consuming mussels from Port Dickson after eight cases of food poisoning were reported. Similarly, in Melaka, the collection of mussels and clams was banned due to the presence of harmful algal species. This occurrence of incidence was coined to the water heating up along the Malaysian waters, where water temperature fluctuations and nutrient overloads create perfect conditions for harmful algae to bloom. Such outbreaks of harmful algal species have serious public health and economic implications, particularly for those reliant on marine resources.

Following to this algal bloom incidence, coral reef mass bleaching events ravaged Malaysian waters between April and June 2024. Coral bleaching, a phenomenon that occurs when corals expel their symbiotic algae due to heat stress, is one of the most visible and devastating effects of climate change. More than 50% of coral reefs in several marine parks are affected due to the mass coral bleaching. This alarming statistic highlights the severity of ocean warming and its impacts on vital marine ecosystems.

Corals are highly sensitive to temperature changes, where even slight increases in water temperature can lead to bleaching, which weakens the coral’s ability to survive and thrive. If temperatures remain elevated for prolonged periods, corals may die, leading to the degradation of the reef ecosystem and the loss of biodiversity. The 2024 coral bleaching event further underscored the vulnerability of Malaysia’s coral reefs, which are already stressed by pollution, overfishing, and other human activities.

Coupled with the El Nino phenomena, mass coral bleaching was predicted earlier, as 54 countries and territories reported widespread mass bleaching at their reefs between February 2023 and April 2024. Despite efforts to monitor and reduce human activities on coral reef ecosystems, massive coral bleaching is an irreversible effect of ocean warming. This is because the bleaching period this time has exceeded the period of one month, emphasizing the severity events caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

The cause of this occurrence of algae bloom incidence and the massive coral bleaching is linked to the increase of water temperature due to the unusual hot weather. Given that unusual increase of sea surface temperature, it sheds light on the two factors. Firstly, it is due to the rapid changes due to the intense of climate change and secondly, it is due to the El Nino weather phenomenon. The intensity of climate change is legit with the recent record of the world that just registered its first 12-month period with an average temperature over 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, where this believed could be also a tipping point of mass coral death. The ongoing Global Environment Facility (GEF) research on coral reefs in Kemaman Port undertaken by MIMA timely addresses this urgent challenge. By monitoring the health of coral ecosystems and analysing the impacts of El Nino, MIMA’s research is crucial in understanding the long-term effects of climate change on Malaysia’s marine biodiversity.

The El Nino phenomenon is known as the warming of water surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. In particular, the tropical region will experience unusually dry conditions, caused by cloudy conditions and thunderstorm activity shifting from the western Pacific to the central and eastern Pacific. In 2024, the El Nino is predicted to be more intense, where our country is no exception and records the daily maximum temperature to be higher in most places. The intensity of this phenomenon is exacerbated by the effects of climate change due to erratic weather, sea warming, and diminishing fish stocks that simultaneously affect the waters and their biological aspects

This shed light on the importance to Malaysia, as a maritime country that depends on marine resources for its local economy, need to be aware and take precautions to reduce the effects of global temperature rise. Malaysia is actively advancing its renewable energy (RE) goals by targeting 31% of installed capacity by 2025, 40% by 2035, and 70% by 2050, up from the current 25%. In the maritime industry, various proactive measures are being implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in several ports in Malaysia, but additional measures  to address marine resources management should also be considered. Nonetheless, the crucial point is there is need of engagement and cooperation between all levels of government, scientist, and the people to achieve the aims of such practices.

It is therefore crucial to pay attention to increasing monitoring efforts, development and use of early warning systems, practical and holistic mitigation strategies to protect aquatic resources and communities, especially when it comes to aquaculture and marine related tourism in Malaysian waters. As an additional measure, proactive follow-up actions need to be taken as soon as dangerous algae outbreaks and coral bleaching activities are identified, especially in Malaysian waters and neighboring countries.

Overall, the heatwave that gripped the nation last year in 2024 serves as a serious reminder of the rapid changes occurring due to unprecedented human activities. The escalating impacts of heatwaves, algal blooms, and mass coral bleaching in Malaysia underscore the urgent need for coordinated efforts to combat climate change and its effects on marine ecosystems. Protecting Malaysia’s marine ecosystems requires proactive and concerted actions, with the government, scientists, and communities working together as key players to ensure the sustainability of these ecosystems and safeguard the economic livelihoods of Malaysians.