Exploration team with Mycology and marine life educators and enthusiasts.
(Photos by Wong Wei Fong & Kent Leong)
Introduction
Pulau Sibu is an island located off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Part of the Johor Marine Park, it is known for its tropical beaches, diving, snorkelling, and hiking.
From 1 to 3 May 2026, the MNS Selangor Branch Mycology Group and the coastal marine educators from The Beach School teamed up for an exciting exploratory visit to the island. The aim was to look more closely at the marine life and fungal diversity that thrive in this unique coastal environment.
Pulau Sibu has already been recognised for its rich diversity of fungi (Aqilah et al., 2019), as well as its marine life, including the endangered dugong and important seagrass feeding grounds nearby (Wei-Khang et al., 2021). Because of this, the Mycology Group and The Beach School took the initiative to explore the island’s potential for future public nature conservation events that could support the educational goals of both organisations.
Event Highlights
Some fungi react to ultraviolet light by glowing or displaying biofluorescence. In recent years, this has become an increasingly popular way for mycologists, citizen scientists, and fungi enthusiasts to observe and document certain species.
Interestingly, many marine organisms can also display biofluorescence. Marine scientists are continuing to learn more about this phenomenon, including the diversity and function of fluorescent molecules in marine animals (Poding et al., 2024). Recent research has also documented fluorescence in Bornean terrestrial and freshwater crabs (Platania et al., 2025), showing how much there is still to discover in this field.
During the Pulau Sibu visit, participants had the opportunity to witness and photograph this striking phenomenon during a low-tide coastal walk. Using macro photography techniques commonly applied to fungi, the team documented small marine organisms, corals, crabs, fish, and other coastal life in close detail.
This citizen science effort is believed to be among the first local documentation of its kind in Malaysia, bringing together fungal exploration, marine education, macro photography, and public conservation awareness.
The experience was made possible through the shared passion of the Mycology Group and The Beach School, both of which are dedicated to helping people slow down, look closer, and appreciate the fragile life forms found in Malaysia’s natural environments.
Exploration team with Mycology and marine life educators and enthusiasts.
First row: Loon Yit Hong, co-founder of the Mycology Group, and Kent Leong, founder of The Beach School.
& (Right) Kent Leong (founder of The Beach School) (Photo by Loon Yit Hong)
Macro photographs captured using fungi photography techniques, showcasing the beauty of coastal marine life during low tide.
(Photos by Wong Wei Fong & Loon Yit Hong)
The fascinating world of clownfish and their symbiotic relationship with anemones.
(Photo by Loon Yit Hong)
A brain coral fluorescing blue under UV light.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
A staghorn coral fluorescing blue under UV light.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
Green button polyps fluorescing blue under UV light.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
Brain corals fluorescing green and blue under UV light.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
Devil’s hand leather corals that did not show visible biofluorescence under UV light.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
An unidentified marine organism fluorescing red under UV light.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
A giant clam fluorescing red under UV light.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
A poisonous red egg crab.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
A swimmer crab and a climber crab.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
A purple climber crab and a ferocious reef crab.
(Photos by Yee Chun Wah & Loon Yit Hong)
A small yellow fish among thimble jellies.
(Photos by Jacqueline Low Siew Leng & Loon Yit Hong)
A unicorn leatherjacket fish and a damsel fish.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
Neonothopanus nambi, a bioluminescent fungus found along the island’s hiking trail.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)A bracket fungus found along the island’s hiking trail.
(Photos by Loon Yit Hong)
Mycena sect. Rubromarginatae, a bioluminescent fungus found along the hiking trail of Gunung Lambak, Kluang. Gunung Lambak is a charming stop on the way to the jetty for Pulau Sibu.
(Photo by Loon Yit Hong)
Coprinellus cf. disseminatus, an inkcap fungus found along the hiking trail of Gunung Lambak, Kluang.
(Photo by Loon Yit Hong)
Lentaria sp. found along the hiking trail of Gunung Lambak, Kluang.
(Photo by Loon Yit Hong)
Pisolithus sp., showing red bruising, found along the hiking trail of Gunung Lambak, Kluang.
(Photo by Loon Yit Hong)
Reference
Aqilah Mohammad, Lee Shyen Yee & Najwa Sawawi (2019). Macrofungi of Pulau Sibu, Johor : A preliminary study. Malayan Nature Journal, 71(3), 381 – 390.
Lars H. Poding, Peter Jägers, Stefan Herlitze & Mareike Huhn (2024). Diversity and function of fluorescent molecules in marine animals. Biol. Rev., pp. 000–000. doi: 10.1111/brv.13072.
Platania Leonardo, Vega Marta, Zakaria Bob, & Vannini Andrea (2025). First Evidence of Fluorescence in Bornean Terrestrial and Freshwater Crabs. Biotropica. 57. 70014. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70014.
Wei-Khang Harris Heng, Jillian LS Ooi, Affendi Yang Amri & Abdul Adzis Kee Alfian (2021). Dugong feeding grounds and spatial feeding patterns in subtidal seagrass: A case study at Sibu Archipelago, Malaysia. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science. 264(100):107670. DOI:10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107670.
Acknowledgement
Loon Yit Hong (MNSSB Mycology Co-Founder)Jacqueline Low Siew Leng (MNSSB Mycology Committee Member)
Kent Leong (Founder of The Beach School)
Luca Pilia (Mycologist & MNSSB Committee Member)
Joseph Pallante (Amateur Mycologist & MNSSB Mycology Co-Founder)
Malaysian Nature Society Selangor Branch (MNSSB)
Event volunteers: Yee Chun Wah, Wong Wei Fong, Kho Vui Kiong, Allie Cheong, Kok Yu Ling and families.
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