It's wonderful that Singapore has still managed to retain little bits of what must have been a superb reef system! Every little bit counts!
Reefs are so important to the coastal ecosystem and indeed to the marine ecosystem as a whole...if the existing bits of reef are ignorantly allowed to be reclaimed or wiped out locally, Singapore waters will become a dead zone.
There is no reason why coastal development cannot be arranged to take into account protection of the reefs as well. Sure, the parties concerned will spend a little more money...but that is part of their legacy to those after them.
I hope that more people will know about our shores because if we don't know it's there, we wouldn't hesitate destroying it and we wouldn't miss it when it's lost! We won't even know it's already gone! So let's lend our voices to our wonderful shores!
It is a pity that very few Singaporeans know about the diverse biodiversity we have our country. The fact is that we do, and we should get to know them better as well as to get more people to know them and appreciate too. I strongly believe that anyone can be touched by nature since we all are part of its creation.
Seen a crab on a shore recently? Shores and reefs can be enjoyed by ordinary folks. You do not need to dive to see inter-tidal ecosystems. I strongly encourage more Singaporeans to experience the magic of seeing wildlife - flora and fauna - on our shores. Go visit one during a low spring tide. There are many volunteer groups who offer nature walks to our shores. And if you have children, bring them! Let them experience nature and get them off their computer games.
learning to live in co-existance with the environment is a goal to work towards to. We can make it happen! Lets celebrate our reefs! Share the joy of nature and take responsibility for preserving it. --Gaytri Meriange--
Reefs are an important part of our (still rich, but rapidly diminishing) natural heritage. I hope that the awareness of the existence and importance of our reefs, shores and other nature areas will, one day, be integrated into the general conscience of our society. To that end, we should focus our outreach efforts on the young, who has a right to know the state of our nature areas and what will eventually be left behind for them to protect. Integrate nature activities into the school curriculum of every school kid, because they should be part of our National Education. Our natural heritage is no less important than the national values we treasure, like cultural heritage and ethnic diversity. The values our young grow up with will eventually be weaved into the fabric of the society in the years to come. So as we rejoice in the Year Of The Reef, let's continue our efforts to get them, the general public, and all their hearts out there in the wild.
Although having a great infrastructure of an urban city, we can still find reefs and many fascinating flora and fauna that lives with them in our waters. And they are just close in our Southern Island waters by a approximately 15 minutes fast boat ride.
This is a treasure for us to discover or lose or even ignore.
What would it be?
Are we going to be just a garden in the city? City in a garden? Or A city on a biodiversity rich island?
There is a Chinese which means something like: "Our ancestors plants the trees for our future generation to enjoy its fruits."
We (NIE Green Club) would like to propose something similar: "Let us (the current generation) preserve our nature heritage for our future generations."
Nature presents to everyone an unlimited amount of learning opportunities and possibilities.
Imagine our children being able to view our reefs and share their discoveries and experiences with their friends and family all in one day!
Imagine a family outing to our reefs learning together, walking together, bonding together.
All these are very possible now! And will continue to be if we continue to learn and care for our reefs!
My hope is that people will realise just how alive our shores and waters are, that despite all the thoughtless pollution and development, life is resilient and ever ready to prosper and flourish even in the most unlikely of places, provided we are willing to give it breathing space.
Another hope of mine is that more people from all walks of life will actively contribute and take steps to ensure the survival of our coastal areas. For what's the point if we pay to view the rich marine life in Malaysia, or the Great Barrier Reef, or Hawaii, yet remain completely ignorant and oblivious to the riches within our own waters, sometimes right at our very doorstep?
In many countries, the recreational and subsistence fishing communities can prove to be powerful players in the conservation movement, for they surely do not want to deplete their sources of income or recreation. Yet it appears that their Singaporean counterparts are hardly ecologically aware. One hope of mine is that in time to come, there will be an opportunity for collaboration and cooperation between the nature groups and the fishing communities, since I am sure that anglers too would appreciate clean waters and healthy fish populations.
Ultimately, we do not need expensive, intensively monitored aquaria with the latest technology in order to apprecoate marine life. Nor do we need massive coral "gardens" that look pretty on paper to enable our marine life to flower. All we need to do is open our eyes; we still have plenty to see, and it is often already flourishing without our assistance.
Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson
Singapore's development has come a long way, and most people only know the concrete jungle. What is oblivious to many is the immense biodiversity that Singapore has to offer. There is so much for us to learn, but is there enough time?
First people have to know what is there - Experience. Then they have to know what are the issues or problems - Awareness. Lastly, they will have to spread the word around - Education.
Only then our very own heritage can be secured. Let's make this happen by doing our part, regardless of the scale of effort. Something is better than nothing.
It has never been easy for people to get to know about coral reefs and it's complexity. The whole ecosystem involves more than just magnificent beauty and wondrous views. Being difficult to be understood doesn't mean that they should be cut off from nature.
I'm glad that there are people who stood up for them. Their generosity in providing us an underwater museum have been splendid and breath-taking. Hopefully, their values would still be protected for good. It is too pricey to lose their grace for what the future holds for us.
marine life is vital to us in many aspects! many people do not know their real values... they can be part of our eco-tourism and adds on to the aesthetics under our land! if the reefs died, means that the waters at our coasts areas is so bad that stirs up sedimentation and results in a lifeless sea and seabed.. Conservation efforts of reefs at the seabeds requires a lot of effort! let's start with education to allow their continuity.. they purifying our waters.. making our waters clearer, same as seagrasses! in turn, more and more animals will live in our seas.. ! grow grow reefs!
I'm one of the students at the NUS guest lecture given by Ria and Karen, i absolutely enjoyed it and through it, got to know more about what Singapore reefs have to offer. I stay near the Pasir Ris Mangroves and i'm going to start looking out for some of the amazing marine life that lives there whenever i go by.
There's so much to our reefs, let's protect it as much as we can!
My grandfather used to bring me to West Coast Park when i was still young. We used to go fishing on his small sampan to all the small southern islands. Too bad that we have expand port facilities. We must recognise that marine and coastal environments are also heritage sites and not just biodiversity hotspots worthy for conservation. ~ Matrock
reefs in singapore are a well-sept secret indeed! it's time to spread the word and get more people interested in the beauty that is just a stone throw away from our doorstep! where else in the world can you go from a concrete jungle to coral reefs and mangrove swamps within a hour?
It's great to see a website that celebrates the rich biodiversity that Singapore has! Too many people are pessimistic or simply indifferent about ecology in Singapore. I remember being interviewed about what I enjoyed during my time at a certain local university. I mentioned the immense work that went into preserving the natural habitat surrounding the varsity, amidst new construction and landscaping. An awful roar of sarcastic laughter came from the audience.
Well, a minor cause is not a lost cause. And certainly not because a good number of our fellow homo sapiens have devolved into ignorance. Perhaps the wonderful information and high resolution pictures of our reefs on this website may spark some natural instinct for nature.
Perhaps there's a way that humans and ecolife can co-exist. I don't know how but perhaps we can start thinking of some ways to honestly make a difference. Speak to an official? Petition? There must be something we all can do.
I once brought a group to Chek Jawa Wetlands and it turned out that the older generation who grew up in kampungs or nearer to the coastal areas have deep knowledge of the ecosystem and what lives there. It's the younger people we have to influence. They tend to be more nonchalant.
I hope that the reefs in Singapore will not be wiped out and continue to flourish under the care of our coastal preservation groups.
They are important in the marine ecosystem as they partly serve as a habitat for many many species of marine animals.If the reefs are gone,much of the biodiversity we have here will also disappear.
Also,if reefs aren't protected and they disappear,we students will lose the chance to study and appreciate them.
Sometimes I feel that we humans have done much wrong to the Earth and to nature. It's now high time that we correct our mistakes.
To be honest I did not know much abt the reefs and marine lefe in Singapore until I went for the intertidal walk on 17 Aug 08 at Pulau Semakau. WOW! I was really impressed then. Thanks to the volunteers we learnt a lot on that day. Subsequently when my daughter and her friend took part in the YMBA contest and I saw the information and links they posted on their blog http://voicesofthereefs.blogspot.com, I got to know more abt S'pore shorelines and the efforts put in by various individuals and groups. Indeed we need to do more to protect our reefs. Raising awareness is key to the success of whatever conservation efforts. If the people are not aware they cannot relate and therefore will not borther. We need to be more creative on this front to obtain the support.
It's an honor for scuba divers to have the opportunity to become guardians of the sea...By just gearing up with the rightscuba equipment, its a sure you're good to go for one of your life's best memories...
Nature is something we have to conserve, with every individual's effort to drive a group's motivation. It's important for us to realize how sustainable the reefs are, only if we decide to try. I hope our future generations won't see the reefs only on History channel.
Share your hopes for our reefs and shores by leaving a comment on this post.
29 comments:
It's wonderful that Singapore has still managed to retain little bits of what must have been a superb reef system! Every little bit counts!
Reefs are so important to the coastal ecosystem and indeed to the marine ecosystem as a whole...if the existing bits of reef are ignorantly allowed to be reclaimed or wiped out locally, Singapore waters will become a dead zone.
There is no reason why coastal development cannot be arranged to take into account protection of the reefs as well. Sure, the parties concerned will spend a little more money...but that is part of their legacy to those after them.
I hope that more people will know about our shores because if we don't know it's there, we wouldn't hesitate destroying it and we wouldn't miss it when it's lost! We won't even know it's already gone! So let's lend our voices to our wonderful shores!
My personal hope for the shores will be more people will get to know about them.
I guess public education is an important aspect in increasing awareness so that they can not only explore, but express and act.
It is a pity that very few Singaporeans know about the diverse biodiversity we have our country. The fact is that we do, and we should get to know them better as well as to get more people to know them and appreciate too. I strongly believe that anyone can be touched by nature since we all are part of its creation.
Seen a crab on a shore recently? Shores and reefs can be enjoyed by ordinary folks. You do not need to dive to see inter-tidal ecosystems. I strongly encourage more Singaporeans to experience the magic of seeing wildlife - flora and fauna - on our shores. Go visit one during a low spring tide. There are many volunteer groups who offer nature walks to our shores. And if you have children, bring them! Let them experience nature and get them off their computer games.
Celebrate the International Year of the Reef!
Hope that more Singaporean can understand and appreciate that the environment in Singapore is fragile and everyone can do their bit for nature.
learning to live in co-existance with the environment is a goal to work towards to. We can make it happen! Lets celebrate our reefs!
Share the joy of nature and take responsibility for preserving it.
--Gaytri Meriange--
Reefs are an important part of our (still rich, but rapidly diminishing) natural heritage. I hope that the awareness of the existence and importance of our reefs, shores and other nature areas will, one day, be integrated into the general conscience of our society. To that end, we should focus our outreach efforts on the young, who has a right to know the state of our nature areas and what will eventually be left behind for them to protect. Integrate nature activities into the school curriculum of every school kid, because they should be part of our National Education. Our natural heritage is no less important than the national values we treasure, like cultural heritage and ethnic diversity. The values our young grow up with will eventually be weaved into the fabric of the society in the years to come. So as we rejoice in the Year Of The Reef, let's continue our efforts to get them, the general public, and all their hearts out there in the wild.
Although having a great infrastructure of an urban city, we can still find reefs and many fascinating flora and fauna that lives with them in our waters. And they are just close in our Southern Island waters by a approximately 15 minutes fast boat ride.
This is a treasure for us to discover or lose or even ignore.
What would it be?
Are we going to be just a garden in the city? City in a garden? Or A city on a biodiversity rich island?
There is a Chinese which means something like: "Our ancestors plants the trees for our future generation to enjoy its fruits."
We (NIE Green Club) would like to propose something similar: "Let us (the current generation) preserve our nature heritage for our future generations."
Nature presents to everyone an unlimited amount of learning opportunities and possibilities.
Imagine our children being able to view our reefs and share their discoveries and experiences with their friends and family all in one day!
Imagine a family outing to our reefs learning together, walking together, bonding together.
All these are very possible now! And will continue to be if we continue to learn and care for our reefs!
My hope is that people will realise just how alive our shores and waters are, that despite all the thoughtless pollution and development, life is resilient and ever ready to prosper and flourish even in the most unlikely of places, provided we are willing to give it breathing space.
Another hope of mine is that more people from all walks of life will actively contribute and take steps to ensure the survival of our coastal areas. For what's the point if we pay to view the rich marine life in Malaysia, or the Great Barrier Reef, or Hawaii, yet remain completely ignorant and oblivious to the riches within our own waters, sometimes right at our very doorstep?
In many countries, the recreational and subsistence fishing communities can prove to be powerful players in the conservation movement, for they surely do not want to deplete their sources of income or recreation. Yet it appears that their Singaporean counterparts are hardly ecologically aware. One hope of mine is that in time to come, there will be an opportunity for collaboration and cooperation between the nature groups and the fishing communities, since I am sure that anglers too would appreciate clean waters and healthy fish populations.
Ultimately, we do not need expensive, intensively monitored aquaria with the latest technology in order to apprecoate marine life. Nor do we need massive coral "gardens" that look pretty on paper to enable our marine life to flower. All we need to do is open our eyes; we still have plenty to see, and it is often already flourishing without our assistance.
Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.
- Rachel Carson
Singapore's development has come a long way, and most people only know the concrete jungle. What is oblivious to many is the immense biodiversity that Singapore has to offer. There is so much for us to learn, but is there enough time?
First people have to know what is there - Experience. Then they have to know what are the issues or problems - Awareness. Lastly, they will have to spread the word around - Education.
Only then our very own heritage can be secured. Let's make this happen by doing our part, regardless of the scale of effort. Something is better than nothing.
IYOR is just one small step this year. The challenge is always to strive for longevity.
If only Singaporeans knew more about their natural surroundings, they would be more impressed, and maybe, less depressed.
It has never been easy for people to get to know about coral reefs and it's complexity. The whole ecosystem involves more than just magnificent beauty and wondrous views. Being difficult to be understood doesn't mean that they should be cut off from nature.
I'm glad that there are people who stood up for them. Their generosity in providing us an underwater museum have been splendid and breath-taking. Hopefully, their values would still be protected for good. It is too pricey to lose their grace for what the future holds for us.
marine life is vital to us in many aspects! many people do not know their real values... they can be part of our eco-tourism and adds on to the aesthetics under our land! if the reefs died, means that the waters at our coasts areas is so bad that stirs up sedimentation and results in a lifeless sea and seabed.. Conservation efforts of reefs at the seabeds requires a lot of effort! let's start with education to allow their continuity.. they purifying our waters.. making our waters clearer, same as seagrasses! in turn, more and more animals will live in our seas.. ! grow grow reefs!
I'm one of the students at the NUS guest lecture given by Ria and Karen, i absolutely enjoyed it and through it, got to know more about what Singapore reefs have to offer. I stay near the Pasir Ris Mangroves and i'm going to start looking out for some of the amazing marine life that lives there whenever i go by.
There's so much to our reefs, let's protect it as much as we can!
My grandfather used to bring me to West Coast Park when i was still young. We used to go fishing on his small sampan to all the small southern islands. Too bad that we have expand port facilities. We must recognise that marine and coastal environments are also heritage sites and not just biodiversity hotspots worthy for conservation.
~ Matrock
reefs in singapore are a well-sept secret indeed! it's time to spread the word and get more people interested in the beauty that is just a stone throw away from our doorstep! where else in the world can you go from a concrete jungle to coral reefs and mangrove swamps within a hour?
Reef on!
I'm one of those people who never knew our island had reefs. Keep up the great work!
Singapore, please conserve your reefs for the future!
It's great to see a website that celebrates the rich biodiversity that Singapore has! Too many people are pessimistic or simply indifferent about ecology in Singapore. I remember being interviewed about what I enjoyed during my time at a certain local university. I mentioned the immense work that went into preserving the natural habitat surrounding the varsity, amidst new construction and landscaping. An awful roar of sarcastic laughter came from the audience.
Well, a minor cause is not a lost cause. And certainly not because a good number of our fellow homo sapiens have devolved into ignorance. Perhaps the wonderful information and high resolution pictures of our reefs on this website may spark some natural instinct for nature.
I've just gotten my eyes opened by Ria. Man the shores are just amazing. It's teeming with life! omg.
I feel so sad for the reefs! They are so pretty and they did not do anything to harm the environment, yet we're killing them.
ciao da scorzè venezia
Perhaps there's a way that humans and ecolife can co-exist. I don't know how but perhaps we can start thinking of some ways to honestly make a difference. Speak to an official? Petition? There must be something we all can do.
I once brought a group to Chek Jawa Wetlands and it turned out that the older generation who grew up in kampungs or nearer to the coastal areas have deep knowledge of the ecosystem and what lives there. It's the younger people we have to influence. They tend to be more nonchalant.
I hope that the reefs in Singapore will not be wiped out and continue to flourish under the care of our coastal preservation groups.
They are important in the marine ecosystem as they partly serve as a habitat for many many species of marine animals.If the reefs are gone,much of the biodiversity we have here will also disappear.
Also,if reefs aren't protected and they disappear,we students will lose the chance to study and appreciate them.
Sometimes I feel that we humans have done much wrong to the Earth and to nature. It's now high time that we correct our mistakes.
To be honest I did not know much abt the reefs and marine lefe in Singapore until I went for the intertidal walk on 17 Aug 08 at Pulau Semakau. WOW! I was really impressed then. Thanks to the volunteers we learnt a lot on that day. Subsequently when my daughter and her friend took part in the YMBA contest and I saw the information and links they posted on their blog http://voicesofthereefs.blogspot.com, I got to know more abt S'pore shorelines and the efforts put in by various individuals and groups. Indeed we need to do more to protect our reefs. Raising awareness is key to the success of whatever conservation efforts. If the people are not aware they cannot relate and therefore will not borther. We need to be more creative on this front to obtain the support.
It's an honor for scuba divers to have the opportunity to become guardians of the sea...By just gearing up with the rightscuba equipment, its a sure you're good to go for one of your life's best memories...
Nature is something we have to conserve, with every individual's effort to drive a group's motivation. It's important for us to realize how sustainable the reefs are, only if we decide to try. I hope our future generations won't see the reefs only on History channel.
Post a Comment