FAKULTI SAINS DAN SEKITARAN MARIN

WHY TROPICAL ECOSYSTEMS?

Tropical ecosystems are ecologically rich, and the tropics are considered an exclusive reservoir of much of the world's biodiversity (Sodhi et al., 2010). However, many countries in this region (including Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) experience high levels of resource exploitation alongside rising populations and ongoing poverty, and there is increasing pressure placed on marine fisheries and the extraction of natural resources (Nasuchon and Charles, 2010).