From January 15th to 19th, 2023, Assistant Professor Dr. Wong Kuo Hong of Kanazawa University, Japan, visited UNIMAS for a collaborative research and Teaching & Learning (T&L) endeavour with the Aquatic Resource Science and Management Programme team from the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology (FRST) UNIMAS. The primary focus of the study was on trace metals, organic carbon (specifically Blue Carbon), and the response of plankton to metal stress in the coastal estuarine area.
As part of the collaboration, a mini-expedition took place in the Sungai Samunsam mangrove-Telok Serabang coastal area, led by Dr. Farah Akmal Idrus. This expedition saw the participation of Assistant Professor Dr. Wong Kuo Hong and two exchange students from Kanazawa University, Japan, namely Mr. Akihiro Takamura and Mr. Keisuke Nishitani. Additionally, three final-year students from the Aquatic Resource Science and Management Program—Mr. Yeoh Yong Sheng, Ms. Kong Ying Jie, and Ms. Seng Pan—also actively engaged in the expedition. Furthermore, a postgraduate student, Ms. Hazeeqah Filzah Binti Kassim, was involved in the endeavour. The expedition team was further complemented by the presence of three Aquatic Science lecturers, namely Dr. Fazimah Aziz, Associate Prof. Dr. Siti Akmar Khadijah Ab. Rahim, and Dr. Fatimah A’tirah Mohamed. Other contributors included an Assistant Science Officer, Mr. Harris Norman, and a Laboratory Assistant, Mr. Richard Toh.
The outcomes of this expedition were presented during the Final Year Project Presentation and at the 2nd Southeast Asia Marine Metals Seminar on June 8th and June 17th, 2023. During the seminar, our students, Mr. Yeoh Yong Sheng and Ms. Kong Ying Jie, were afforded the opportunity to discuss the findings of the Samunsam study in an international online seminar. They actively participated in sessions featuring insights and experiences shared by experts from various fields across Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Moreover, a research manuscript stemming from this work has been written and subsequently submitted to a journal for potential publication.
Edited by: Nurul Huzaimah Hussien for UNIMAS Corporate
