COLONISATION OF GASTROPOD SPECIES ON ARTIFICIAL COASTAL STRUCTURES IN PENANG ISLAND, MALAYSIA

Intertidal organisms, especially marine gastropods, endure harsh marine conditions daily. In tropical regions marked by heat and desiccation, the absence of complexities in Artificial Coastal Structures (ACS) undermines biodiversity and exposes gastropods to thermal risks despite their adaptive thermoregulating strategies. Several ecological engineering approaches employing biomimicry have been conducted. However, studies in tropical regions remain underexplored. To address this, we investigated the habitat panels’ performance by incorporating complexities mimicking natural habitats (e.g., grooves and crevices) on whether they promoted gastropod diversity and preferred eco-concrete (produced using a concrete blend composed of recycled materials) as the constructed material. 20 panels with five replicates per treatment: (1) Complex Portland cement habitat panels, (2) blank Portland cement panels (as control), (3) eco-concrete habitat panels, and (4) blank eco-concrete panels were installed onto a seawall at The Light Waterfront (TLW), Penang. Statistical analysis using repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated that the complex habitat panels had a significantly higher gastropod diversity compared to blank panels (Wilk’s Lambda = 0.29, F (3, 8) = 6, p = 0.01), offering niche spaces. Whilst material differences between Portland cement concrete and eco-concrete did not significantly affect gastropod diversity, ACS construction utilising recycled materials has been proven beneficial for the environment.