Sains Malaysiana 43(8)(2014): 1127–1131

Reassessment of Physico-Chemical Water Quality in Setiu Wetland, Malaysia

(Penilaian Semula Kualiti Air Fiziko-Kimia di Tanah Bencah Setiu, Malaysia)

S. SURATMAN^1,2*, A.N.A.R. HUSSEIN¹, M.T. LATIF³ & K. WESTON⁴

¹Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

²Environmental Research Group, Department of Chemical Sciences

Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

³School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, D.E. Malaysia

⁴Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft

Suffolk NR33 0HT, United Kingdom

Received: 28 August 2013/Accepted: 5 December 2013

ABSTRACT

Setiu Wetland is located in the southern part of South China Sea, Malaysia. This wetland has diverse ecosystems that represent a vast array of biological diversity and abundance in utilizable natural resources. However, there are large scales of aquaculture activities within and nearby the wetland which could threaten the ecosystems of this area. Thus, the main goal of the study was to assess the impact of these activities through the measurement of physico-chemical water quality parameters and then compare this to a previous study carried out in the same study area. The parameters (salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids) were monitored monthly at the surface water from July to October 2008. The results showed that the impact of aquaculture activities on the water quality in the area with dissolved oxygen and total suspended solids concentrations were considerably lower than those observed previously. With respect to the Malaysian Marine Water Quality Criteria and Standard, most of the level of parameters measured remained Class 1, suggesting the physico-chemical environment were in line with sustainable conservation of the marine protected areas and marine parks of this wetland area.

Keywords: Aquaculture activities; physico-chemical water quality; Setiu Wetland; South China Sea (Malaysia); surface water

ABSTRAK

Tanah Bencah Setiu terletak di bahagian selatan Laut China Selatan, Malaysia. Tanah bencah ini mempunyai pelbagai ekosistem yang mewakili biodiversiti biologi dan banyak sumber semula jadi yang boleh digunakan. Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat aktiviti akuakultur yang berskala besar di dalamnya dan berhampiran dengan tanah bencah tersebut yang boleh mengancam ekosistem kawasan ini. Maka, tujuan utama kajian ini dijalankan adalah untuk menilai kesan daripada aktiviti ini melalui pengukuran parameter fiziko-kimia kualiti air dan membandingkannya dengan kajian terdahulu yang pernah dijalankan di kawasan yang sama. Parameter (saliniti, suhu, pH, keterlarutan oksigen, kehendak biokimia oksigen dan jumlah pepejal terampai) untuk permukaan air di pantau setiap bulan dari bulan Julai hingga Oktober 2008. Keputusan menunjukkan kesan aktiviti akuakultur terhadap kualiti air di kawasan kajian dengan kepekatan keterlarutan oksigen dan jumlah pepejal terampai adalah rendah jika dibandingkan dengan kajian lepas. Merujuk kepada Piawai dan Kriteria Kualiti Air Marin Malaysia, kebanyakan paras parameter yang diukur adalah dalam Kelas 1 yang menunjukkan persekitaran fiziko-kimia adalah selari dengan pemuliharaan mampan kawasan terkawal marin dan taman marin untuk kawasan tanah bencah.

Kata kunci: Aktiviti akuakultur; fiziko-kimia kualiti air; Laut China Selatan (Malaysia); permukaan air; Tanah Bencah Setiu

REFERENCES

Ackefors, H. & Enell, E. 1990. Discharge of nutrients from Swedish fish farming to adjacent sea areas. Ambio 19: 28-35.

Alongi, D.M., McKinnon, A.D., Brinkman, R., Trott, L.A., Undu, M.C., Muawanah & Rachmansyah 2009. The fate of organic matter derived from small-scale fish cage aquaculture in coastal waters of Sulawesi and Sumatra, Indonesia. Aquaculture 295: 60-75.

APHA. 1998. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 20th ed. New York: American Public Health Association p. 1067.

Arulampalam, P., Yusoff, F.M., Shariff, M., Law, A.T. & Rao, P.S.S. 1998. Water quality and bacterial populations in a tropical marine cage culture farm. Aquaculture Research 29: 617-624.

David, C.P.C., Sta Maria, Y.Y., Siringan, F.P., Reotita, J.M., Zamora, P.B., Villanoy, C.L., Sombrito, E.Z. & Azanza, R.V. 2009. Coastal pollution due to increasing nutrient flux in aquaculture sites. Environmental Geology 58: 447-454.

Demirak, A., Balci, A. & Tufekci, M. 2006. Environmental impact of the marine aquaculture in Gulluk Bay, Turkey. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 123: 1-12.

DOE 2010. Malaysia Marine Water Quality Criteria and Standard. Available at: http://www.doe.gov.my/malaysia-interim-marine- water quality-standard. Accessed in September 2011.

Eng, C.T., Paw, J.N. & Guarin, F.Y. 1989. The environmental impact of aquaculture and the effects of pollution on coastal aquaculture development in Southeast Asia. Marine Pollution Bulletin 20: 335-343.

Hargrave, B.T., Duplisea, D.E., Pfeiffer, E. & Wildfish, D.J. 1993. Seasonal changes in benthic fluxes of dissolved oxygen and ammonium associated with marine cultured Atlantic salmon. Marine Ecology Progress Series 96: 249-257.

Kelly, L.A., Stellwagen, J. & Bergheim, A. 1996. Waste loadings from a fresh-water Atlantic salmon farm in Scotland. Water Research Bulletin 3: 1017-1025.

Madihah, J.S., Md, R.U.N. & Md, A.H. 2008. Distribution of phytoplankton community in relation to environmental parameters in cage culture area of Sepanggar Bay, Sabah, Malaysia. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 80: 251-260.

Neofitou, N. & Klaoudatos, S. 2008. Effect of fish farming on the water column nutrient concentration in a semi-enclosed gulf of the Eastern Mediterranean. Aquaculture Research 39: 482-490.

Paez-Osuna, F. 2001. The environmental impact of shrimp aquaculture: Causes, effects and mitigating alternatives. Environmental Management 8: 131-140.

Riley, J.P. & Chester, R. 1971. Introduction to Marine Chemistry. United States: Academic Press. p. 423.

Salazar, F.J. & Saldana, R.C. 2007. Characterization of manures from fish cage farming in Chile. Bioresource Technology 98: 3322-3327.

Suratman, S., Awang, M., Loh, A.L. & Mohd Tahir, N. 2009. Water quality index study in Paka River basin, Terengganu (in Malay). Sains Malaysiana 38: 125-131.

Suratman, S., Mohd Tahir, N., Jusoh, S.R. & Ariffin, M.M. 2005. Assessment of anthropogenic effects on water quality in Setiu Wetland, Terengganu (in Malay). Sains Malaysiana 34: 87-92.

Tacon, A.G.J., Phillips, M.J. & Barg, U.C. 1995. Aquaculture feeds and the environment: The Asian experience. Water Science and Technology 34: 41-59.

Tovar, A., Moreno, C., Manuel-Vez, M.P. & Garcia-Vargas, M. 2000. Environmental implications of intensive marine aquaculture in earthen ponds. Marine Pollution Bulletin 40: 981-988.

Troell, M. & Berg, H. 1997. Cage fish farming in the tropical Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe: Impact and biogeochemical changes in sediment. Aquaculture Research 28: 527-544.

Trott, L.A. & Alongi, D.M. 2000. The impact of shrimp pond effluent on water quality and phytoplankton biomass in a tropical mangrove estuary. Marine Pollution Bulletin 40: 947-951.

WWF. 2008. Sustainable Management of Setiu Wetlands. Available at: http://www.wwf.org.my. Accessed in February 2008.

*Corresponding author; email: miman@umt.edu.my