Distribution Pattern of Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients and Phytoplankton Diversity in River Estuary, Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

Nutrients are influenced by anthropogenic activities and consequently change the diversity and density of phytoplankton. The spatial distribution of dissolved inorganic nutrients and phytoplankton diversity and density were determined in river estuary, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Samples of water and phytoplankton were collected from six locations of river estuary during the month of May 2019 to October 2019. The highest abundances of 86% diatoms were determined during the study period. This was followed by 13% and 1% of dinoflagellates and Cyanobacteria respectively. The most dominance species of Skeletonema costatum, with density of 1186.69 × 10 3 cells/L and Thalassiosira sp.

Prevalence of coral diseases in the coastal waters of Kota Kinabalu: The potential of microbial and environmental agents

“…Additionally, several bleaching events have been reported on Malaysian islands (Tan and Heron, 2011), including Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Aw and Muhammad Ali, 2012). Furthermore, land development, aquaculture and agricultural practices have led to nutrient eutrophication in Kota Kinabalu estuary, which could potentially harm the nearby coral reef ecosystems (Jakobsen et al, 2007;Sakari et al, 2012;Al Azad et al, 2022). All these factors, both natural and anthropogenic, contribute to the declining health of Malaysian coral reefs, resulting in a higher prevalence of coral diseases and signs of compromised health.…”