A STUDY OF FROND VOLUME AND WAVE ATTENUATION IN THE MANGROVE FOREST OF Nypa fruticans AT KELANTAN DELTA, TUMPAT, KELANTAN

Wave reduction in a mangrove forest has been studied in the Kelantan Delta of Peninsular Malaysia on the coast of Tumpat. The frond volume and the wave height reduction are used to estimate the ability of Nypa fruticans in wave attenuation. Two water loggers were used to measure the wave reduction at different locations inside the mangrove forest. The reduction rate of the wave amplitudes changed substantially with the frond volume and distance inside the mangrove forest. The wave reduction increases with the increasing distance inside the mangrove forest. Also, it is found that the wave reduction decreases with the increasing water level. The percentage of wave reduction ranged from 32.303% to 57.291% while the average wave reduction over a 5 m distance at the selected site is as much as 48.47%.