INTRODUCTION

In Malaysia, our capability and readiness towards climate change especially in our marine ecosystems are limited. Major drivers of these changes are ocean warming, acidification and sea level rise, and these drivers interact in complex ways. This research program is designed to address the knowledge gaps in a multiple-drivers research, to assess the potential risk and impact of increasing global temperature and to provide solutions towards sustainability of our vital marine ecosystems and services under the warming ocean.

A systematic framework at regional- and local-scales is proposed, with ocean-based measures of key impact areas including air-sea interaction and ocean dynamics, ocean productivity, coral resilience and ocean acidification, bioresources adaptation, sea-level rise and ocean literacy are designed to help steering the research direction and implementation process.

Impact

Climate change information and data are the most lacking element. Our dedicated work on data integration and scientific database for climate change will promote data gathering, observation and monitoring relating to climate change risk and impact, as well as projection, assessment, and research. Sufficient data is essential aspect to allow more climate change studies in the future. We believe that the outcome of this comprehensive study will become an associated decision support tools that will empower and support vulnerable coastal sectors to accelerate adaptive decision-making and feed into key governance mechanisms such as the Marine Strategy Framework, Marine Spatial Planning, and local, national and regional adaptation planning

Long Term Research Grant Project (LRGS)

This project was design based on the few important development in climate change interest at global level. Late last year (2019), a special report on global warming of 1.5°C on ocean and cryosphere was issued by IPCC, reporting the expected changes with the ongoing warming. The report assessed new knowledge on the risks these changes bring to ecosystem, people, adaptation and future danger. Nonetheless, this report is far from complete and the lack of information and knowledge at regional and local level is alarming.

Framework

The framework of this research program will focus on 4 main project which act as a pillar that are aligned with the global ocean climate change vital issues. These includes ocean dynamics and air-sea interactions, coral resilience and acidification, bioresources adaptation, ocean productivity and Harmful algae bloom, and sea level rise.

Strong support of research infrastructure and facilities will be the main element for such a big program. RV Discovery will be the main research vessels for scientific survey and equipment deployment for data collection in offshore area. The use of oceanographic buoy and capability of conducting glider facilities will enhance our continuous and long-term data collection. Our work on numerical modelling will be supported by High Performance computing (HPC) in UMT that capable on large scale regional simulation. Meanwhile, numbers of international standard lab will support various experiments work, these includes Marine Pollution and Geochemistry Laboratory (ISO Cert.), Climate Change Adaptation Lab (1st in Malaysia) and Coral restoration Lab and hatchery.