Physical Oceanography Of Lekir Bay, Manjung, Perak

Abstract

Development project on coastline of Malaysia without proper plan will caused problem. However a proper plan in the coastline project requires proper study and one of them is the physical oceanography particularly in Lekir Bay. Lekir Bay is located in Manjung District in the state of Perak, extending from the northern part of Perak River mouth to the southern tip of Pangkor Island (3 o o o 58.5’N - 4 9.6’N, 100

o 34.8’E – 100 45.8’E). Lekir Bay is known to have two prominent physical influences i.e., fresh water runoff from the Perak River on the southwest and warm water discharge from Sultan Azlan Shah Power Station (SASPS) the northwest. Occasionally, there are series of jellyfish ingression (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) reported and causing problems to SASPS. While on the mud flat of Lekir Bay, seasonal natural spat fall of Blood Cockle (Anadara granosa) has been reported. This study aims at the physical oceanography in the aspect of spatial and temporal variability thru three main components i.e., (a) Physical setting i.e., bathymetry of SASPS and Lekir Bay; (b) Water properties distributed on the horizontal i.e., Surface current and direction, Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) and turbidity as well as their physical profile for current, temperature, salinity and turbidity and (c) Other influences (secondary data) i.e., mean monthly rainfall, wind, monsoon and Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) influenced to the physical hydrodynamic of the bay and SASPS underwater intake points. A total of 87 sampling stations for physical oceanographic (with five water level classification for sampling i.e., surface, below surface, mid water, below mid water and bottom) and sediment texture study along with two continuous Acoustics Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) stations at the SASPS’s intake point were done. While, detail sounding for bathymetry of SASPS waters and 300 meter interval line transect for Lekir Bay were conducted. The study has successfully determined the objective thru three components and elaborates their connection. Physical setting which is a passive indicator were successfully defined in this thesis i.e., the detail bathymetry chart surrounding the SASPS revealing the SASPS underwater intake system and how other physical parameter influenced by the weather affected. Four zone were identified typical with its physical characteristics i.e., zone A (southern part of SASPS), zone B (Perak River mouth and it closed adjacent), zone C (coastal waters of Lekir Bay) and zone D (Lekir front).