The geomorphology of the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia is relatively simple, with only shallow, narrow fringing reefs bordering the islands. This is partly because of the shallow seabed between Peninsula Malaysia, Vietnam and Borneo. Conversely, the presence of at least 10 benthic classes in the area shows that there is a reasonable level of habitat diversity (and hence species diversity), even though many of them have low coral cover. However, the indication that the fringing reefs of the marine parks may include 80% of the corals and fish found in the countries of the ‘Coral Triangle’, which have a complex series of fringing and barrier reefs and atolls, accentuates their importance as a globally important site of biodiversity.