Rainforests to reefs: new initiatives and continued collaborations

Cardiff University and The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) have signed an agreement to continue their collaboration in the management of Danau Girang Field Centre, a research and training facility in Sabah, Malaysia.

The signing of this ten year extension acknowledges the highly successful relationship between the SWD and Cardiff University. The Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) conducts research and teaching hosts university field courses, school visits and expeditions.

Dr Benoit Goossens, Research Associate at Cardiff University and Director of DGFC said: "It hardly seems possible that the centre has been open for five years already: progress has been excellent during that time thanks to the hard work of my team, our centre manager Mark Rampangajouw and my dedicated staff and students.

"The centre is financially self-sustaining and I am confident that DGFC will become an important base for biodiversity monitoring and assessment, training and capacity building in the region for years to come"

From the diverse rainforest at the DGFC to tropical coral reef, a new research centre has been set up to improve the marine ecosystem at the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMRC) in eastern Sabah. This new initiative marks a further collaboration between Cardiff University and the Sabah Wildlife Department as well as Reef Guardian.

The centre will become a world-class education and research facility able to undertake advanced marine ecosystem science, enhance research and conservation efforts and boost eco-tourism in the area.

Dr Goossens added: "Today, Cardiff University is in a position to offer field courses and research opportunities in the two most diverse ecosystems in the world - the tropical coral reef at SIMRC and the tropical rainforest at DGFC in Kinabatangan. For that, we would like to thank the Sabah State Government, the Sabah Wildlife Department and Reef Guardian for their support and friendship and we look forward to many years of collaboration".