Mangrove spiders are poorly studied in Malaysia. Available data have been primarily limited to the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. In the present work, we report the first record of a spider species for Peninsular Malaysia, the Orb-weaver spider Eriovixia poonaensis (Tikader & Bal, 1981), from Setiu Wetlands in Terengganu state, on the east coast of the peninsula.
Abdulmula Abdumagid Alhadi Hamza(8-2021)

Data on the microplastic abundance in sea turtle nesting beaches of Southeast Asia are limited. We sampled four sea turtle nesting beaches in the northern and southern coastal areas of Terengganu, Malaysia between October and November 2018, to investigate microplastic abundance, shape, and colour at both high tide swash zone and dry dunes. Using optical observation, we isolated 2,489 microplastic items, belong to four types: Fibres, fragments, foam, and films. We found more microplastics at the high tide swash zone (58%) compared to the dune zone. Fibres were the most common shape (96.18%). Of the nine recognised colours found, black was the most abundant (35.64%) followed by transparent (24.53%). Of the sites investigated, those on the northern beaches had a higher abundance of microplastics. The causes of this difference were discussed. This study provides baseline data on microplastic contamination in Terengganu turtle nesting beaches. It highlights the need for further research to identify the effects on sea turtle nesting in this region
Abdulmaula Hamza(9-2020)

ABSTRACT: Marine turtles have been traditionally considered model organisms to study sex-biased behaviour and dispersal. Although female philopatry has been identified in the loggerhead turtle, with adult females returning to specific locations to nest, studies on the philopatry and breeding migrations of males remain limited. In this study we analysed 152 hatchlings using 15 microsatellite markers. Each individual came from a different nest from samples taken at 8 nesting grounds in the Mediterranean. Our results revealed the existence of 5 genetically differentiated units, mostly due to restricted gene flow for both sexes. This supports existing satellite tracking studies that suggest that mating occurs close to nesting grounds in this region. The 5 management units identified within the Mediterranean included nesting grounds from (1) Libya and Cyprus, (2) Israel, (3) Lebanon, (4) Turkey and (5) Greece. The genetic similarity between distant nesting areas (i.e. Libya and Cyprus) suggests the presence of a more complex pattern of breeding behaviour. Three possible hypotheses, that remain to be tested in future studies, could explain this result: (1) mating might take place in common foraging grounds; (2) mating could occur en route while migrating to/from the breeding grounds; or (3) recent colonisation events could connect the 2 nesting grounds. Overall, our work suggests that widespread male-mediated gene flow between loggerhead nesting grounds is likely to have been previously overstated although opportunistic breeding patterns might connect some widely separated areas.
Abdulmula Abdumagid Alhadi Hamza(1-2022)