Sabah and its surrounding waters have been recognised as a marine turtle sanctuary since the opening of the Turtle Island Parks on its east coast. Managed by Sabah Parks the beaches within the park welcome nesting green and hawksbill turtles every night all year round. Similarly, the Wildlife Department monitors and protects nesting green and hawksbill turtles that visit Pulau Sipadan's shores. On nearby Pulau Malbul, the Fisheries Department, in conjunction with Sipadan Mabul Resort, have sunk hundreds of concrete pipes to form small artificial patch reefs surrounding a small wooden shipwreck. A fish poaching vessel was also sunk off the island of Pulau Lankayan and already hosts a myriad of creatures from the smallest ghost pipefish to the giant stingrays and schooling barracuda.

Sipadan Water Village on Pulau Mabul, is also actively engaged in coral reef research. Dive masters and instructors are encouraged to study both the fish and coral life in detail in collaboration with a Japanese Natural History Museum. Each year, in June, the dive centre's management and outside guest speakers run a specialized Marine Day and provide hands on lectures to guests sharing their studies' and encourage them to take part in their coral relocation and growth studies so that divers may learn more about the coral reef environment.

Gayana Island Eco Resort located on Pulau Gaya have a Giant Clam Rehabilitation Centre and also run a 'Reef Project'. Here they have a coral growth nursery and conduct clam induced ~pawning. Giant clams are one of the many marine species to have dernised around Sabah in recent years. Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) run an extensive marine research program especially into alternative mariculture programs designed to reduce fishing intensity from Sabah's coral reefs. Giant clams, groupers and Napoleon wrasse are some of the subjects grown and bred in specialised farms. They also run a whale shark research program, each year when the whale sharks pass through the waters close to Kota Kinabalu they attempt to tag the sharks to document their migration routes. Each year PADI Project Aware beach and reef cleaning events are run to heighten public awareness in the importance of a clean marine environment. This has become a popular event with all the Dive Resorts and local people participating.