Marine Sediment Characteristics of Pulau Layang Layang Malaysia
Mohd Azamuddin Mohd Hassan (a), Ejria Saleh* (a,b), Muhammad Ali Syed Hussein (a,b), Chen Cheng Ann, (a)Ooi Tian Run (a)

(a) Borneo Marine Research Institute Universiti Malaysia Sabah
(b) Small Island Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Abstract

Pulau Layang Layang is part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It is approximately 180 nautical miles from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The marine sediment characteristics and ecosystems harbour a diverse range of marine life and play a vital role in island biodiversity. The marine sediment can be classified into various categories based on the sediment sources. The objectives of this study are to obtain the grain size of the sediment and to interpret the depositional processes in Pulau Layang Layang. The sediment samples were collected in June 2022 from 8 locations around the island and underwent laboratory particle size analysis (PSA) at Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. The sediment samples of approximate 100 g were dried in an oven at 60 degree C for 48 hours before the sieving process. The particle size data of the samples were further analyzed using Gradistat software for mean, shorting, skewness and kurtosis. The dominant size of seabed sediment varies for each station but the dominant grain size ranging from 63 micrometer to 500 micrometer. Grain size results indicate that the mean, standard deviation sorting, skewness and kurtosis values for the sediment samples both inside and outside of the Layang Layang Lagoon range from negative 0.421 to 4.717 very coarse silt grained to Very coarse grained sand 0.852 to 2.096 indicating Moderately Sorted to Very Poorly Sorted sand negative 0.442 to 0.373 very Coarse Skewed to Very Fine Skewed and 0.682 to 1.411 platykurtic to leptokurtic, respectively. Most samples are poorly sorted and categorized as medium sand with slight gravel. This study contributes to our understanding of the marine sediment dynamics in Pulau Layang Layang and its role in supporting the local marine ecosystem. The findings may have implications for both ecological conservation and broader environmental management efforts in the South China Sea region.

Keywords: Marine sediments Pulau Layang Layang South China Sea grain size distribution ecosystem dynamics

Topic: Marine Resources, and Conservation