eISSN: 2672-7226 © Penerbit UMT Journal of Sustainability Science and Management Volume 17 Number 11, November 2022: 3-11 A BRIEF SURVEY OF CORAL SPECIES COMPOSITION IN PULAU TINGGI, JOHOR, MALAYSIA NUR NAZIRA FAZIANI MD ZAHIDI 1,2 , FIKRI AKMAL KHODZORI 3* , MD-ZAIRI ZAINAL 4 , MUHAMMAD ABU BAKAR ABDUL-LATIFF 1,2 AND NOR ATIQAH NORAZLIMI 1,2 * 1 Environmental Management and Conservation Research Unit (eNCORe), Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (Pagoh Campus), 84600 Muar, Johor, Malaysia. 2 Department of Technology and Natural Resources, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (Pagoh Campus), Pagoh Higher Education Hub, KM 1, Jalan Panchor, 84600 Muar, Johor, Malaysia. 3 Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sabah Port Bypass, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. 4 Shaz Resort Pulau Tinggi Sdn. Bhd., Lot 44, Kampung Penaga, Pulau Tinggi, 86800 Mersing, Johor, Malaysia. *Corresponding authors: mfakmal@ums.edu.my, atiqah@uthm.edu.my Submitted fnal draft: 25 July 2022 Accepted: 4 August 2022 Introduction Coral reefs are important as a food source and potential use for future medicine. The healthy coral reef provides livelihoods for poor local communities, ecotourism, and recreational opportunities. They protect our shores from high waves and coastal erosion. Coral reefs in Malaysia cover approximately 4,000 km 2 areas (Burke et al., 2011) and contain an estimated 501 hermatypic coral species (Waheed, 2016) which is equivalent to more than 60% of the world’s described hermatypic corals (Veron et al., 2011). However, over 40% are exposed to numerous anthropogenic threats (Burke et al., 2011) with sedimentation being a major threat affecting reefs on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia (Safuan et al., 2018; Akmal et al., 2018). On the east coast of the peninsular, extensive coastal development activities may contribute to the accumulated negative impacts on coral reefs (Toda et al., 2007; Shahbudin et al., 2017; Akmal et al., 2019). Pulau Tinggi, situated on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia is one of the Marine Parks under the state of Johor. It comprises a few smaller uninhabited islands, namely Pulau Ibul, Pulau Apil, Pulau Mentigi, Pulau Nanga, Pulau Penyembang, Pulau Simbang and Pulau Lanting. It is also relatively close to the mainland, located about 10.5 nautical miles off the southeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Consequently, coral reefs in Pulau Tinggi have also been subjected to pressure imposed by sedimentation due to land clearing for coastal development activities along the shoreline of the Peninsular (Harborne et al., 2000; Lee & Mohamed, 2011). In terms of hard coral diversity surrounding this Marine Park, an earlier coral survey recorded 155 scleractinian coral species within reefs around Pulau Dayang, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Simbang and Batu Tikus (Harborne et al., 2000). Meanwhile, a study conducted by Azman et al. (2012) recorded 75 coral species with Acropora and Porites being dominant Abstract: Updating the status of coral species composition is important for long-term reef ecosystem management. The present study aims to determine the species composition of scleractinian hard and soft corals in the shallow water areas of Pulau Tinggi, Johor. About 1,494 coral colonies were surveyed at two selected reef sites: Kampung Pasir Panjang (Site A) and Kampung Sebirah Kecil (Site B). With images of close-up coral corallites, 41 species belonging to 24 genera and 10 families of corals were identifed with genera Goniastrea, Porites and Montipora predominantly found in the study area. Overall, the data presented in this study helps to update the current species composition of corals in the marine protected area of Pulau Tinggi. Keywords: Marine ecosystem, hermatypic coral, species diversity, offshore island, Marine Park, Peninsular Malaysia, Seribuat archipelago, South China Sea. http://doi.org/10.46754/jssm.2022.11.002