OceanX Makes Waves in Malaysia with Groundbreaking Marine Mission

• Global ocean exploration nonprofit, OceanX, studied waters off Malaysia’s East Coast, making several key discoveries in the process.
• The mission, which included dozens of Malaysian scientists, was undertaken aboard the OceanXplorer, one of the world’s most advanced exploration, research and media vessels.

Global ocean exploration nonprofit, OceanX, recently concluded a 16-day mission to evaluate the marine ecology and coastal ecosystem dynamics in the waters off Pahang, Malaysia. The OceanX Malaysia Mission 2024 commenced in Pahang aboard the OceanXplorer – one of the world’s most advanced exploration, scientific research and media production vessels – before sailing around Tioman Island and the South China Sea.

The mission was conducted in partnership with the Pahang State and research partners from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), with support from the Government of Malaysia and the Malaysia Ocean Research Alliance (MORA), and undertook comprehensive oceanography studies off Pahang waters, in addition to coral reefs surveys. This pioneering effort will play a key role in helping researchers track long-term changes to the reefs and its surrounding ecosystems.

[From left to right] – Mattie Rodrigue, Science Program Director of OceanX, Mark Dalio, the Founder and Co-CEO of OceanX, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maizah Mohd Abdullah, Chief Scientist from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT).

Fellow scientists from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) collecting and cataloguing samples from a recent mission.

A Mission of Firsts

OceanX’s mission involved dozens of Malaysian scientists and was planned in three distinct phases. In Phase One, the mission explored more than 350 square kilometers areas of the ocean. This was followed by megafauna survey that spanned over 1,000 miles to observe and catalogue local dolphin groups and other megafauna. Phase Two saw Malaysian scientists map the nearshore reefs at high resolution with multibeam sonar and conduct several remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and SCUBA dives to survey habitat composition of various reef areas. These nearshore reefs have rich marine biodiversity and are critical nursery grounds for marine life.
Phase Three sent researchers to the front lines of a recent massive coral bleaching event at Tioman Island Marine Park, where SCUBA visual survey methods were used to determine the current coral health status. Researchers utilized a powerful analytical tool, the ReefCloud AI program, to aid coral reef research and conservation by automating the analysis of vast amounts of reef imagery, making it faster and more accurate to monitor reef health and biodiversity.

SCUBA visual survey methods

ReefCloud AI allowed researchers to track in real-time, changes in coral cover, species composition, and signs of degradation, providing critical data for timely conservation intervention and adaptive management strategies, especially in the face of climate change and human impact.

During this Phase, the ROV was also deployed to explore mesophotic habitats, more than 30 meters deep, around Pulau Tioman. For the first time Malaysian researchers managed to do a detailed mesophotic biodiversity assessment in Pahang waters with the help of the cutting-edge technology available on the OceanXplorer. These habitats play a vital role in supporting fish species that are both economically and ecologically significant to the region.

As part of OceanX’s mission, 16 stations were officially established for the long-term monitoring program for future ocean research, including ocean acidification and isoscape studies for Malaysia.

“The OceanXplorer is the most advanced exploration, research and media vessel ever built. With the help of the technology aboard, we’ve collected data to help us understand the hydrodynamic conditions of the region pre-monsoon,” shared Mattie Rodrigue, Science Program Director of OceanX. “These are being used to ground truth existing ocean and monitoring models by UMT, who we are working very closely with.”

OceanXplorer Submersible in water

“UMT’s partnership with OceanX was eye-opening and provided our scientists with opportunities to embark on several pioneering research milestones,” added the lead scientist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maizah Mohd Abdullah, from UMT. “We collected data in innovative ways, revealing new insights. Our next agenda after the mission is to analyse the data and communicate the findings with the state government of Pahang and other stakeholders, ensuring that the benefits are shared with all relevant parties in support of marine conservation and climate change mitigation efforts. We want to extend our sincere gratitude to the Pahang Biodiversity Council and the State Government for their invaluable support and assistance”.

In addition to OceanX’s research at sea, OceanX Education is on a mission to inspire and nurture the next generation of passionate ocean leaders, problem solvers, advocates, and storytellers to learn about and engage with the ocean. OceanX hosted several education tours on the OceanXplorer in Port Klang, reaching more than 200 students and educators. The tours aimed to provide local students with an opportunity to visit the vessel and experience the capabilities of the OceanXplorer up close, and better understand potential ocean-related career paths. “The OceanX Malaysia Mission aimed to bridge young marine enthusiasts to opportunities for sea exploration with the OceanXplorer’s advanced technology in marine research,” said Mark Dalio, Founder & Co-CEO of OceanX. “We engaged in capacity building through providing students a behind-the-scenes look at OceanXplorer’s cutting-edge capabilities, life on the research vessel, and our advanced media and engineering capabilities, in hopes of inspiring youths and further honing their interests in marine conservation.”

OceanX plans to take on numerous projects throughout Southeast Asia for several years and is currently in active discussions and collaboration with governments throughout the region to organise expeditions. For further information, and for the latest mission updates, please visit www.oceanx.org.