Evaluating climate change impacts on reef environments via multibeam echosounder and Acoustic Doppler Current profiler technology.

Crucial to the Earth's oceans, ocean currents dynamically react to various factors, including rotation, wind patterns, temperature fluctuations, alterations in salinity and the gravitational pull of the moon. Climate change impacts coastal ecosystems, emphasizing the need for understanding these currents. This study explores multibeam echosounder (MBES), specifically R2-Sonic 2020 instrument, offering detailed seabed information. Investigating coral reefs, rocky reefs and artificial reefs aimed to map seafloor currents movement and their climate change responses. MBES data viz. Bathymetry and backscatter were classified and acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) ground data were validated using random forest regression. Results indicated high precision in currents speed measurement i.e. coral reefs with 0.96, artificial reefs with 0.94 and rocky reefs with 0.97. Currents direction accuracy was notable in coral reefs with 0.85, slightly lower in rocky reefs with 0.72 and artificial reefs with 0.60. Random forest identified sediment and backscatter as key for speed prediction while direction relies on bathymetry, slope and aspect. The study emphasizes integrating sediment size, backscatter, bathymetry and ADCP data for seafloor current analysis. This multibeam data on sediments and currents support better marine spatial planning and determine biodiversity patterns planning in the reef area.

Survey dataset on socioeconomic status and artificial reef fishing activity on Terengganu coastal water.

An artificial reef (AR) programme is being undertaken by the local fisheries authority in Terengganu, Malaysia, in an effort to mitigate the depletion of fish stocks in the coastal zone. This program is intended to protect inshore fishery habitats from trawls to increase fishery resources and improve the economic conditions of artisanal fishing communities. This article aims to present data on fishers' demographic characteristics and artificial reef fishing activity on Terengganu coastal water. Primary data were collected using stratified sampling that involved 430 respondents from four fishing communities in Terengganu, namely Setiu, Marang, Dungun and Kemaman. The dataset was obtained through a self-structured questionnaire. Data analysis and summary are presented using tables and figures. The findings provide valuable feedback on the socio-economic impact and economic value of artificial reefs to the fishermen and can be useful for policymakers to prevent the over-exploitation of fishery resources in Malaysian marine territories.