Conservation and restoration of red seaweed eucheumatoids in Malaysia: A community insight

Red eucheumatoid seaweeds are vital for the livelihoods of coastal communities and the health of tropical marine ecosystems. Due to the impacts of climate change and poor coastal management, eucheumatoids are vulnerable, therefore, conservation initiatives are urgently needed. To understand how communities perceive the importance of conserving wild eucheumatoids, 115 participants were interviewed, consisting of seaweed-related stakeholders (SRS) and non-SRS (non-SRS). The results showed that the SRS wanted to see greater protection of seaweeds, but that it should be focused on cultivated species. Conversely, the non-SRS group placed a lower priority on seaweed protection compared to other marine organisms, but agreed to the importance of protecting wild seaweeds. Both groups had positive attitude toward seaweed conservation and restoration, but had only moderate practical experience of conservation measures and challenges. These results highlighted the need for greater efforts to improve community awareness of seaweed conservation. This would include encouraging societal recognition of wild seaweeds and their importance by linking this to economic benefits, plus the inclusion of seaweeds in the national biodiversity conservation framework. This study provides baseline information to identify knowledge gaps within the community and to explore effective seaweed conservation efforts in Malaysia.