Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd (SPSB) demonstrated its commitment in marine conservation by funding a study by Borneo Marine Research Institute (BMRI), University Malaysia Sabah. A sum of 50,000 Malaysian Ringgit was awarded for the assessment of heavy metal pollution in coastal sediments of Sepangar Bay and Kota Kinabalu city, Sabah, Malaysia. The research work was conducted yearlong and was completed in 2017.
The study entitled “Status of heavy metal pollution of coastal sediments at Kota Kinabalu and Sepanggar Bay” yielded crucial information on the ecological status of Sepangar Bay and Kota Kinabalu waters thus assisting the company in developing mitigation strategies that will help minimize the effects of ship based pollutants. SPSB has shared the findings with maritime agencies and marine researchers as well as for academia purposes.