Singapore Celebrates our Reefs!

Celebration Guestbook: Speak for the Reefs!

2009-06-02T23:47:00.000+08:00

Share your hopes for our reefs and shores by leaving a comment on this post.

Every voice counts!

You CAN make a difference!

Blue Plan to save Singapore's biodiversity-rich coral reefs ready

2009-04-24T13:12:00.000+08:00

Conservationists urge Govt to step in to save what's left
Grace Chua, Straits Times 24 Apr 09;

THE most comprehensive proposal yet to save Singapore's coral reefs was released yesterday. It called for the Government to formally recognise the richness of reef habitats like Raffles Lighthouse and Cyrene Reef in the southern islands.

Over 60 per cent of coral reefs here have been lost to development, and the rest is under threat from climate change and pollution.

The remaining 5 to 10 sq km of reefs harbour more than 250 species of hard corals, 120 species of fish and 12 seagrass species - almost on a par with the rest of South-east Asia's hot spots for biodiversity.

The marine conservation Blue Plan, over a year in the making, was compiled by a team of academics, environmental organisations and civil society groups.

They intend to seek public feedback and release a final version in late May to the National Parks Board, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and other government agencies.

Mr Farid Hamid, chairman of the Blue Plan committee, said: 'These reefs are part of our national heritage, and we have a moral and ethical responsibility to pass that heritage on to generations to come.'

He added that the Blue Plan was a step towards protecting other marine habitats, such as mangroves and rocky shores.

The committee's main recommendations to the Government include conserving what remains of Singapore's natural coastline, conducting a biodiversity survey of reefs, and reviewing laws about reef-damaging practices, such as the use of drift nets, which can ensnare turtles and dolphins.

Mr Francis Lee, chairman of the International Year of the Reef Singapore campaign and who contributed to the Blue Plan, said: 'Protecting reefs is not a zero- sum game, and it need not be development against conservation.'

Marine areas here are home to a broad variety of species, with more found each year.

At least three new species of fish - including the 2.5cm-long broad-barred mangrove goby - have been discovered here since 2001, while boaters and divers spot dolphins and sea turtles regularly.

In addition, reefs play an important role in protecting coasts from the effects of sea-level rise due to global warming.

They could also be a tourist attraction or a source of drug discovery - last year, a researcher here found a compound in blue-green algae from Pulau Hantu that killed cancer cells.

Calls to save Singapore's reefs date back to the 1980s and 1990s, so the Blue Plan is one more in a long line of proposals.

In fact, the current Blue Plan builds on recommendations from a previous version, submitted to the Government's Feedback Unit in 2001.

Experienced marine biologist Chou Loke Ming, who contributed to the proposal, was optimistic that it would be implemented.

'Starting in the mid-90s, you saw sustainable development projects like (offshore landfill) Pulau Semakau. So attitudes have changed for the better, and we're no longer seeing the unnecessary destruction of coral reefs,' Professor Chou said.

Mr Lee added that public awareness and interest was another encouraging sign.

Each year, about 100,000 people go on guided reef walks or dives here, and about 3,500 are marine-conservation volunteers.

The Blue Plan was released at the opening of the Asia Dive Expo 2009 at the Marina at Keppel Bay yesterday.

It can be downloaded at the International Year of the Reef 2008 Singapore campaign's website at iyor08singapore.blogspot.com

Feedback can be sent to blueplan.singapore@gmail.com before May 14.

Save Singapore reefs
Grace Chua, Straits Times Breaking News 23 Apr 09;

THE most comprehensive proposal to save Singapore's coral reefs yet was released on Thursday, calling for the government to formally recognise the richness of reef habitats like Raffles Lighthouse and Cyrene Reef in the southern islands.

Over 60 per cent of coral reefs here have been lost to development, and the rest is under threat from climate change and pollution.

Yet the remaining 5 to 10 square km of reefs harbour more than 250 species of hard corals, 120 species of fish and 12 seagrass species - almost on par with the rest of South-east Asia's hotspots for biodiversity.

The marine-conservation Blue Plan, over a year in the making, was compiled by a team of academics, environment NGOs and civil society groups.

They intend to seek public feedback and release a final version in late May to the National Parks Board, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and other government agencies.

Mr Farid Hamid, the chairman of the Blue Plan committee, said: 'These reefs are part of our national heritage, and we have a moral and ethical responsibility to pass that heritage on to generations to come.'

He added that the Blue Plan was a step towards similar proposals for other marine habitats, such as mangroves and rocky shores.

The committee's main recommendations to the government include conserving what remains of Singapore's natural coastline, conducting a biodiversity survey of reefs, and reviewing laws about reef-damaging practices, such as the use of drift nets, which can ensnare turtles and dolphins.

Mr Francis Lee, chairman of the International Year of the Reef Singapore campaign and who contributed to the Blue Plan, said: 'Protecting reefs is not a zero-sum game, and it need not be development against conservation.'

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.

Draft Blue Plan seeks your feedback

2009-04-21T13:13:00.012+08:00

"The Draft Blue Plan is a proposal to the Government and people of Singapore from the members and organizations that form “International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2008 Singapore” – interested members of civil society concerned about the conservation and management of Singapore’s coral reef heritage. Contributions and advice from the leading marine biologists in Singapore have been incorporated. It was released on 23 April 2009. Members of the Public can download a copy of the Draft Blue Plan here.

Comments and suggestions from members of public are invited. You may email us at blueplan.singapore@gmail.com before the closing date, 14 May 2009. The Blue Plan will presented to the Government with the collated and edited comments in late May 2009.

Please note that blueplan.singapore@gmail.com is designed to receive emails only. While we will give every opinion/comment due consideration, due to human resource constraints, we are unable to respond to queries and may not be able to include every comment into the final Blue Plan due to editorial considerations. Please contact the Marine Conservation Organisations Listed in Annexes B & C of the Draft Blue Plan if you are keen to find out more about the wide range of activites and programmes that are being organised. We apologize for this inconvenience."

See also
Blue Plan to save Singapore's biodiversity-rich coral reefs ready
Conservationists urge Govt to step in to save what's left
Grace Chua, Straits Times 24 Apr 09;

IYOR Singapore closes at ADEX, 23-26 Apr

2009-04-21T13:12:00.006+08:00

Singapore's efforts for International Year of the Reef 2008 will officially come to a close at the Asian Dive Expo 23-26 Apr at Marina at Keppel Bay.

The events will include a presentation on a Blue Plan.

from the ADEX website

Opening Ceremony

1330 hrs : Address @ EcoVillage by Mr Herman Ho, Managing Director, TMX Show Productions Pte Ltd

1340 hrs : Special Presentation, Mr Emory Kristof, Deep Sea Explorer, Photographer, National Geographic, Fellow Explorer Club

1425 hrs : Closing Report of IYOR Singapore 08, Mr Francis Lee, Chairman, IYOR 08 Singapore Organising Committee

1435 hrs : Keynote Speech on the initiatives for Blue Plan I & II, Edwin Khew, Nominated Member of Parliament

1445 hrs : Speech on the Coral Triangle – Marine Conservation in the Asia Pacific
Lida Pet-Soede, Leader of WWF’s Coral Triangle Network Initiative

1500 hrs : Presentation of Outline of Blue Plan II, Farid Hamid, Chairman of Blue Plan Sub-Committee

More details on the ADEX website.

27 Feb (Fri): Free screening of "Remember Chek Jawa"

2009-02-21T13:02:00.000+08:00

Eric Lin Youwei's "Remember Chek Jawa" will be screened as part of the 3rd Singapore Indie Doc Fest.

Chek Jawa, discovered only in 2001 on Singapore’s Pulau (island) Ubin, is an inter-tidal area of just 1 square km with amazingly rich marine biodiversity. However, unknown to many, in 1992 the area had been slated for land reclamation, scheduled to begin just months from the discovery date. Most Singaporeans felt powerless to reverse the Government’s decision. However, a band of passionate volunteers refused to give up and believed that something could be done. Find out how they followed their hearts and helped change the course of nature conservation in Singapore forever.

More details about the screening.
Trailer on YouTube.

Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Singapore Art Museum - Glass Hall
Website: http://www.chekjawa.net/
Contact: 6337 7535 admin@substation.org

Wild dolphins spotted!

2009-02-04T08:02:00.000+08:00

Wild dolphins spotted near Pulau Terkukor which lies between Sentosa Island and St. John's Island.
"I was happily taking photos of Pulau Tekukor when Mei Lin suddenly tapped me hard to tell me there's a group of three pink dolphins on the other side of the boat. It was around 8.36am."

More about this dolphin sighting on Kok Sheng's wonderful creations blog.

More recent wild dolphin sightings

Aug 08, dead dolphin washed ashore on Labrador on the habitatnews blog
Jun 08 near Pulau Semakau on the urban forest blog
Jun 08 near Cyrene Reefs on the wildfilms blog
Jun 08 near Pulau Semakau on the ashira blog
Dec 07 near St John's Island on the urban forest blog with video clip

More past dolphin sightings links on the wildsingapore website.

6 Feb (Fri): Workshop for Nature Guides - Fishes

2009-02-01T16:02:00.000+08:00

The Fishy Workshop
by the Leafmonkey Workshop

What's so fishy?
Well the workshop is all about marine fishes in our Singapore shores and waters! This workshop is for existing guides and those interested in becoming nature guides to learn how to effectively share stories and information about our marine fishes.

The focus of this workshop is on connecting ordinary people with nature. If you are a nature guide and have been struggling, trying to digest and convert biological facts to fun stories for your visitors, this workshop is for you!

This workshop aims to bring experienced and new nature guides together to brainstorm ideas. Let's learn from one another, and come up with new ways to share our passion.

Be prepared to work hard, have fun, make new friends and definitely learn new ways of looking at guiding and our wild places.

SPEAKER
Jeffrey Low, Blue Water Volunteers and NParks
Jeff is a marine biologist by training and profession. He is the scientific officer of Blue Water Volunteers and co-author of the Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore published by the Singapore Science Center. Jeff also conducts a series of ReefFriends training sessions for volunteer divers surveying our shores.

Jeff giving a talk about corals in Singapore at the International Year of the Reef 2008 launch, Reef Celebrations, with a video clip of his talk on the Singapore Celebrates our Reefs blog.

More details of the event on the Leafmonkey Workshop

Time: 7 - 9.30pm
Venue: Civil Service College, 31 North Buona Vista Road Singapore 275983 [Map]
Website: http://leafmonkeyworkshop.blogspot.com/
Contact: leafmonkey@gmail.com

Upcoming new IMAX movie "Under the Sea 3D"

2009-01-31T17:02:00.000+08:00

Narrated by comedian Jim Carrey, IMAX have given a sneak peek into "Under the Sea 3D", their latest movie shot in the most exotic and isolated undersea locations. Among the introductory clips is this one about sharks and fish in the Coral Triangle.
There are more clips about reef sounds, Australian lion fish, a sea turtle eating a jellyfish and corals of the Coral Triangle. It will be showing from 13 Feb and hopefully also at our own Omni-Theatre at the Singapore Science Centre.

Five Stunning Clips and a Trailer From 'Under the Sea 3D'
Aceshowbiz 31 Jan 09;

IMAX have given a sneak peek into "Under the Sea 3D" by releasing trailer and five clips of the 3-D documentary. While the trailer explores the overall beauty and natural wonder of the oceans, each of the clip serves as an individual introduction of some of the ocean creatures, from reef squids to green sea turtle.

Narrated by comedian Jim Carrey, the five clips are titled "Reef Sound", "Australian Sea Lions", "Coral Triangle 1: Coral", "Coral Triangle 2: Sharks and Fish" and "Green Sea Turtle and Jellyfish". Around a minute long, each of the clips takes its focus on the uniqueness of the sea creatures put under the spotlight and helps one to understand how global climate change impacts the creatures.

Set to be released on February 13, "Under the Sea 3D" is a 3-D documentary from director Howard Hall. Taking place at some of the most exotic and isolated undersea locations on Earth, including Southern Australia, New Guinea and others in the Indo-Pacific region, it allows viewers to experience face-to-face encounters with some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea.

4 Feb (Wed): Launch of "Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008" and Public Lecture on "Sustainable Development of Coasts and Oceans"

2009-01-29T20:01:00.000+08:00

Southeast Asia Launch
of the Report on the
"Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008"

in conjunction with

Public Lecture on
"Sustainable Development of Coasts and Oceans:
threats, opportunities and responsible governance"
by Dr. Chua Thia-Eng
Chair of the East Asian Seas Partnership Council
of the Partnerships in Environmental Management
for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)

About the Book Launch
This "Status of coral Reefs of the World:2008" is under the auspices of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRNM) of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). The lead author for the Southeast Asia chapter, Ms Karenne Tun of the National University of Singapore will be presenting a summary of the "Status of Coral Reefs in Southeast Asia 2008". Media articles about this Report, and previous Reports by the GCRNM.

About the Public Lecture
A brief introduction of ocean as the last frontier: its importance to the survival of mankind, its contribution to marine economy and the focus of human activities and culture in the 21st century. An analysis of old and new challenges (climate change, energy and financial crisis) to the security of the ocean and the new opportunities (including ecological and biological economies) arising from them. The need for developing and strengthening responsible ocean governance and activities and role and key activities of PEMSEA in promoting regional cooperation and partnership in addressing these challenges.

All are welcome!

Programme Outline

6.30 pm: The Southeast Asia Launch of the Report on the "Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008" – Presentation on the summary of the SE Asia Chapter by Ms Karenne Tun
7.00 pm: Public Lecture on "Sustainable Development of Coasts and Oceans: threats, opportunities and responsible governance" by Dr. Chua Thia-Eng
8.00pm: Q&A Session
8.15pm: End of event

Time: 6.30pm; refreshments will be served from 5.45pm onwards
Venue: Botany Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Location map and getting there on the Botanic Gardens website
Contact: Rachel/Shufen at 6465 1690/1

Ocean Conference at ADEX Singapore 3-4 Apr 09

2009-01-16T20:01:00.000+08:00

Topics to be covered include: Aquariums & Oceanariums, Marine Eco Tourism, Regenerating Reefs, Climate Change with speakers such as Prof Chou Loke Ming, Neville Coleman, Michael Aw.

Ocean Conference is a special focus conference for companies with strong environmental stewardship, conservationists, passionate divers, marine enthusiasts and underwater photographers.

It is the first and largest event of its kind in Singapore where 8 internationally renowned experts will convene to offer professional insight into various aspects of the vast marine environment. 150 delegates from around the world are expected at Ocean Conference.

3 April 2009 - Friday

Opening address – The Ocean In Perspective: Emory Kristof
Underwater Rainforests – The Challenges of Preserving Coral Reefs: Helen Newman/ Mark Erhmann
Marine Eco Tourism - The Asia/Indo-Pacific Marine Life Inventory: Neville Coleman
Regenerating Reefs – Facts and Fallacies: Prof Chou Loke Ming
Changing the Face of Ocean Terror: Michael Aw

4 Aprl 2009 - Saturday

Marine Tourism – Boon and Bane, Advantages or Nuisances: Neville Coleman (Chair), Helen Newman, Henrik Nimb, Yatin Premchand
Climate Change, Coral Reefs & Scuba Diver: Prof Chou Loke Meng (Chair), Henrik Nimb, Howard Shaw, Mark Erdmann
Aquariums & Oceanariums - Contentious Issues: Emory Kristof (Chair), Henrik Nimb, Neville Coleman, Yatin Premchand
Carbon’s Footprint and its Effects on the Ocean: Howard Shaw
Projecting Green Branding, Mere Advertising or True CSR?: Howard Shaw (Chair), Helen Newman, Neville Coleman, Michael Aw

Dates: 3 and 4 April 2009
Time: 3 April, 2.00pm – 5.30pm, Conference Sessions;
4 April, 9.30am – 5.00pm, Conference Sessions & Panel Discussion
Venue: Suntec Singapore, 602-603

More details on the ADEX website.

WWF Singapore looking for Singapore Sustainable Seafood Campaign consultant

2009-01-15T19:00:00.002+08:00

The live reef fish trade (LRFT) has been identified as a serious threat.

Juvenile humphead wrasse (far left and far right), amongst other live tropical coral reef fish kept in water tanks before being sold to customers. Fish market, Hong Kong. China. From the WWF website.

WWF Singapore, in partnership with the Coral Triangle Network Initiative (CTNI), has developed a project to increase the awareness of Singaporean consumers on the need to make a sustainable choice when purchasing seafood and to utilize a resident “customized” Singapore seafood guide to make those choices. The awareness campaign will focus on seafood consumption in Singapore.

In order to develop the full “customized” Singapore seafood guide, an inventory of seafood products traded in Singapore will need to be determined.

WWF is seeking an experienced fisheries biologist/ecologist to collect data on seafood on sale in Singapore at various wholesale and retail outlets in Singapore.

Interested applicants are requested to send a copy of their CV to Ms Amy Ho, Managing Director, WWF Singapore at aho@wwf.sg, by 24 Jan 2009.

Full details on the WWF Singapore website, at this PDF download.

See also earlier media reports on this fish guide.

First look at data on Singapore's seagrass meadows

2009-01-15T18:31:00.000+08:00

TeamSeagrass has been monitoring Singapore seagrass meadows for two years. The data is submitted among others to international Seagrass-Watch. Seagrass-Watch HQ has been busy over the New Year updating web pages for each of the monitoring regions with the latest available data.

Here's a peek at the trends on Chek Jawa. There's data too for Pulau Semakau!
As well as write ups about other features of our shores.

Visit the Seagrass-Watch website pages on Singapore to have a look at what all the hard work by TeamSeagrass has revealed about our shores!

To find out more about see the TeamSeagrass blog for registration details. You CAN make a difference for our shores!

Last lows of 2008

2009-01-06T10:21:00.001+08:00

On the dark moonless nights of the last not so low tides of 2008, more shores were explored. The 'moon slug' was spotted again! As well as other surprises: marine and terrestrial on our islands.

The Hantu Bloggers had their last dive of the year at the fantastic reefs of Pulau Hantu. The intrepid Chay Hoon captured a whole host of the marvellous marine life there. Such as seahorses, icon sea stars, ovulid snails on sea fans and lots and lots of slugs. Including this very greedy nudibranch!
The Semakau Book Project brought many nature lovers to Pulau Semakau again. The Butterfly Circle in just one quick visit came up with 18 species of butterflies! John, an expert on bees and wasps also came along and share more about this gianormous hornet's nest on the island!
While more mangroves were explored with an encounter with Avicennia marina just off the seawall.

The Vertebrate Group (aka the Verters) also made an evening trip to check out the island. These experts helped those unfamiliar with life above the high water mark, to find the vertebrates on Pulau Semakau. There were frogs and toads and geckoes, even right on the tarmac!In the dark, the experts detected signs of bats and night birds. While other large marine life in the mangroves were seen, including a humungous Mud crab!
The blue skies made even sad situations look nice, and the weather was glorious for landscape shots, although the mozzies made things challeging.

Meanwhile a visit to Sultan Shoal by other shore explorers revealed some interesting fiddler crabs and other sightings.
Diehard shore explorers spent the absolute last low tide of 2008 at the Sisters Island. Where marvellous video clips of 'Nemos' were shot, and the spotted Moon-headed side-gill slug made an appearance, while two sea snakes said hello.As the tides were not very low during this period, other less glamorous shores were also examined with some surprises! There were stars on Sembawang shores And stars too at Pasir Ris and on the reclaimed shores of Lazarus. Kranji was a little disappointing and Seletar was viewed only from afar.

There were also belated updates about amazing marine life on Siloso Beach Sentosa on the aptly named Lazy Lizard's Tales blog.
The Naked Hermit Crabs also had a great time at the last guided Chek Jawa Boardwalk tour for the year.

The first super low tides of 2009 are fast approaching in a few days' time. No doubt more shore discoveries will be made!

Happy 2009 Everyone!

9 Jan (Fri): Workshop on Hard Corals for nature guides

2009-01-01T10:21:00.000+08:00

The Hard Cnidarians Workshop
by the Leafmonkey Workshop

What are "hard cnidarians"? These aren't difficult cnidarians, but corals with hard skeletons!The focus of this workshop is on connecting ordinary people with nature. If you are a nature guide and have been struggling, trying to digest and convert biological facts to fun stories for your visitors, this workshop is for you!

This workshop aims to bring experienced and new nature guides together to brainstorm ideas. Let's learn from one another, and come up with new ways to share our passion.

Be prepared to work hard, have fun, make new friends and definitely learn new ways of looking at guiding and our wild places.

SPEAKER
Jeffrey Low, Blue Water Volunteers and NParks
Jeff is a marine biologist by training and profession. He is the scientific officer of Blue Water Volunteers and Hard Coral Master (see his flickr coral guide). Jeff also conducts a series of ReefFriends training sessions for volunteer divers surveying our shores.

Jeff giving a talk about corals in Singapore at the International Year of the Reef 2008 launch, Reef Celebrations, with a video clip of his talk.

More details of the event on the Leafmonkey Workshop

Time: 7 - 9.30pm
Venue: Civil Service College, 31 North Buona Vista Road Singapore 275983 [Map]
Website: http://leafmonkeyworkshop.blogspot.com/
Contact: leafmonkey@gmail.com

TeamSeagrass and global seagrass monitoring in 2008

2008-12-23T10:21:00.000+08:00

A bumper issue of the International Seagrass Watch Newsletter marks the end of 2008 and the beginning of bigger things!
Our very own TeamSeagrass Singapore is part of this global programme and there's a fabulous article about the Team's efforts throughout the year.Read more about the Team's past adventures and escapades. Including, "The Fastest Site to Monitor Award", "The Toughest Seagrasser Award", "Best Boatman Award", "The Wonky Tides Award", "The Funniest Gullible Moment Award", and more!

There are also fascinating articles about rays, dugongs and seagrass efforts and issues throughout the world. Download the Seagrass Watch Newsletter and read all the articles for yourself!

Want to join TeamSeagrass? Simply email these details
(a) your full name
(b) your age
(c) your email address
(d) your contact number
(e) any previous experience
to Ria at hello@wildsingapore.com, please put "TeamSeagrass" in your subject header.

Please read the FAQs on the TeamSeagrass blog for any questions you might have about the programme. This link includes all monitoring dates in Singapore for 2009.

See you on the seagrass soon!

Full moon madness: last low spring tide of 2008

2008-12-18T15:04:00.000+08:00

The moon was full (the biggest in 15 years, scientists tell us) and thus the calendars of shore explorers were also full. A flurry of shores were visited, guided walks conducted and monitoring done. And our first wedding couple on Cyrene Reef too! Here's all the wacky encounters during this last super low tide of the year.

Way before the full moon madness, the Hantu Bloggers had a fantastic dive at the reefs of Pulau Hantu. With sightings of feather stars and lots and lots of nudibranchs! Such as this large and beautiful Snakey Bornella nudibranch (Bornella anguilla) munching on a mouthful of hydroids!

Semakau overdose

The Semakau Book Project team made a flurry of trips and dives to Pulau Semakau in preparation for this coffee-table book about the biodiversity of this special island. The Book is be published in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Semakau Landfill.

While half the team went diving in Semakau's waters, another group explored the coastline at not-low-tide taking a closer look at the life on the high water mark and checking up on the very rare Seashore Bat Lily (Tacca leontopetaloides).
This plant was first discovered by Joseph Lai during the Semakau mangrove survey conducted by Zeehan Jaafar and Loh Tse Lynn in 2005. This plant is listed as Critically Endangered in the 2008 Red List of threatened plants of Singapore. It is restricted to a few populations in Pulau Semakau and Pulau Pawai (just opposite Pulau Semakau).

Alas, some areas were badly affected by marine litter that drift in all our waters and end up on all our shores, and signs of an ill mangrove tree were seen.

The team returned a few days later to explore the southern mangroves of Pulau Semakau and despite the rain saw lots of other interesting marine life.
Including this rare Cyptic sea star (Cryptasterina sp.) which has so far been seen only on Pulau Semakau. And special mangrove trees such as Ceriops tagal.

The Book team also joined TeamSeagrass for monitoring at Pulau Semakau. As usual, after the monitoring session, a quick walk around resulted in stunning sightings include sea stars, huge sea cucumbers, a very pretty Tomato anemone fish and other marine life.
This is not something people usually expect at a landfill.

A Cyrene wedding!

The newly-weds were the highlight of a TeamSeagrass monitoring session at Cyrene Reef. The first among Team members and the first on Cyrene Reef. And the seagrasses on Cyrene were in full bloom as if to celebrate the occasion.
Highlights of the trip included tiny bright orange brittle stars on a purple soft coral and some special sea stars. First-timers enjoyed the trip too!

Soft and special

Another shore that makes you go "WOW!" was visited. Because it's very soft and you easily end up literally in deep trouble. But also because of the amazing unexpected encounters there.
Such as gianormous sea stars, as well as some strange snails that the exploring team have not seen before. There was also earlier visit on 30 Nov to this shore.

Sentosa surprises

Sentosa was much visited and discussed during this full moon. There were walks by the Naked Hermit Crabs for the annual family trip during the school holidays, as well as a special walk with SWA and a closer look at the more man-made parts of the Sentosa shores. Some thoughts were also shared about the possible impact of ZoukOut on the shores.

Other shore trips

A visit to a Changi shore impacted by 'beach improvement' shows some life still struggling there. Elsewhere, a rocky shore provides interesting encounters. The continuing low tides reveals Tanah Merah to be teeming with button snails, sand dollars and sand stars.
While Pasir Ris has living seagrass meadows and a galaxy of tiny creatures even in a shallow pool of weeds, such as the tiny Cerberilla nudibranch in the photo above. The Semakau guides also explored St. John's Island which still has rare mangroves and other surprises.

Outreach and efforts for our reefs and shores
Lots of work got done on the shores and in the classroom

ReefFriends conducted a series of training sessions in December for volunteer divers participating in the programme to monitor reefs.
The Hantu Bloggers gave a talk about our reefs to the Singapore American School.
The Naked Hermit Crabs conducted an exciting free walk on the Chek Jawa boardwalk for the public, held every last Sunday of the month. With sightings of wild boar! As well as another walk for a group from IRAS with mudskippers and other sightings.
The Naked Hermit Crabs also conducted a Sentosa walk for families during the school holidays, with sightings of nudibranchs and other marine life.
Another Workshop for Nature Guides was conducted by the Leafmonkey Workshop, this time on Cnidarians.
A brand new Pulau Ubin flickr group was set up to showcase this special island which boasts many unspoilt natural treasures, not just Chek Jawa.

In the news

A bigger, wilder Sungei Buloh plans were announced during the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve anniversary celebrations.
New seahorse ID book on the ashira blog.

Marine litter: Singapore coastline getting dirtier

2008-12-16T08:02:00.000+08:00

Despite public anti-littering campaigns and annual cleanups involving thousands of people, Singapore's coasts are dirtier than they were five years ago, according to new data. Over 9,755kg of waste, from plastic bags to refrigerators, was fished off beaches and mangroves during a mammoth cleanup in September, almost 400kg more than in 2007.

The cleanup was organised by International Coastal Cleanup Singapore (ICCS) and was part of a worldwide drive.
Full PDF on the Straits Times Online.

Locally, over 2,500 people - from schoolchildren to business executives and civil servants - took part in the event, fanning out to coastal areas from Changi to Jurong.

The results of the cleanup were recently computed by the entirely volunteer-run ICCS.

Lead coordinator N. Sivasothi said he was not surprised by the volume of trash collected.

He described the cleanup as a stopgap measure, saying the only way to cut down on beach-front trash is to encourage conservation.

'If we use less, that will mean fewer things we need to dispose of. Proper disposal is important so that trash doesn't end up in drains which wash into the sea,' he said.

Full reports on the wildsingapore news blog

You CAN make a difference! Sign up with the ICCS mailing list for updates on coastal cleanup activities.

A fifth of coral reefs dead: only emission cuts can save the rest, says IUCN

2008-12-11T09:12:00.001+08:00

"If nothing is done to substantially cut emissions, we could effectively lose coral reefs as we know them, with major coral extinctions,”

The world has lost 19 percent of its coral reefs, and if current trends in carbon dioxide emissions continue, many of the remaining reefs may be lost over the next 20 to 40 years.

Climate change is considered the biggest threat to coral reefs with impacts such as increasing sea surface temperatures and acidification. These are exacerbated by overfishing, pollution and invasive species.

Encouragingly, 45 percent of the world’s reefs are currently healthy. Another sign of hope is the ability of some corals to recover after major bleaching events, caused by warming waters, and to adapt to climate change threats.

However, the report shows that, globally, the downward trend of recent years has not been reversed.

This according to the 2008 global update of the world’s reef status, released by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. Full article on the IUCN website with links to downloads of original reports, and on the wildsingapore news blog.

More links to related reports on the wild shores of singapore blog.

BlueTube by Conservation International

2008-12-10T21:12:00.000+08:00

BlueTube is an outreach effort by Conservation International's Marine Program.

Subscribe to Blue Tube community to stay informed of their marine conservation efforts.

Video clips include

Walking Shark
Bird's Head Seascape: Call to Action
Seascapes 4th Annual Workshop
Earth Expeditions: Raja Ampat

Singapore-Delft Water Alliance: help for our reefs, seagrasses and mangroves?

2008-12-08T09:11:00.000+08:00

Murky, sediment-laden waters and other stresses on our marine ecosystems. Learning more about these and how to build harbours that can also sustain marine life are the aim of the Singapore-Delft Water Alliance, a team of Singapore and Dutch researchers.
The team is also looking at Pulau Semakau to house an aquatic centre.

The team will learn precisely how the ecosystem reacts to stresses and will then conduct tests to try to develop more natural ways to prevent erosion or biodiversity loss.

'This is about regional planning to increase the biodiversity for any type of coastal development, whether on the cityfront, port or nature park."

In some cases, restoring coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves may provide enough protection for the shoreline. But as such buffers have to extend 100m inland from the waterline to land safe enough to build on, they can be put up only in areas far from the Central Business District. On coasts by the CBD or sites to moor vessels, a hard shoreline might be the only alternative as its width is 20m. However, it could incorporate hiding places to encourage fish and corals to grow.

Singapore will be one of four sites for the studies, with the rest in the Netherlands. The teams will create a coastal marine development programme, beginning with pilot tests, that can eventually be implemented at shorelines worldwide.

The team is also looking to establish "an aquatic centre in a marine setting, hopefully on one of the southern islands where we have the rare condition of pristine nature in close proximity to urban developments."

A dream site for the researchers would be Pulau Semakau, where coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass meadows flourish alongside the dumping grounds of waste incinerators. A concrete wall separates the natural from the man-made. The marine aquatic centre will be similar to a freshwater research centre at Sungei Ulu Pandan, which has an open concept, inviting passers-by to come in and find out more about science.

Discussions with government agencies, including the National Parks Board, Building & Construction Authority and the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore, have begun to find the best sites for the projects.

Work will begin on research models at the Tropical Marine Sciences Institute's laboratories on St John's Island. Once perfected, these projects will find a home in nature.

Full report on Developing Singapore's shorelines the eco-friendly way by Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 6 Dec 08 is on the wildsingapore news blog.

More details about the SDWA projects and links to more articles on the wild shores of singapore blog.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Masterplan: bigger and wilder!

2008-12-07T21:11:00.000+08:00

Sungei Buloh celebrates its 15th annivesary with big plans for an expanded reserve and keeping parts of it wild.

Photo from Jacqueline Lau's facebook album.

Celebrations continue today with lots of activities! More on the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve website.

A draft masterplan was launched yesterday during the Reserve's 15th anniversary celebrations that will expand the 130-hectare Reserve. Plans include:

Linking the current reserve to at least three other mangroves, reservoirs and marshes in the nearby Lim Chu Kang and Kranji areas. A footpath access from Kranji Dam will be enhanced with amenities such as shelters, allowing visitors to use an alternative entry point instead of the main one at Neo Tiew Crescent.

Setting four zones to cater to different visitors, such as a wetland playground for children and restricted areas for researchers only. In those designated as medium to high activity, facilities such as floating boardwalks, outdoor classrooms and a children's play area will be built. Access to the other two zones will be kept minimal, possibly requiring the accompaniment of certified nature guides or limited only to researchers.

To strengthen the park's educational efforts, the visitor centre will be upgraded to include a new lookout tower for birdwatchers, meeting rooms and dormitory-style accommodation for research groups. Mr Wong said some research requires overnight work, while other researchers could stay the night to prepare for early activities the following day.

A working group, with members from the Nature Society, Singapore Environment Council and national water agency PUB among others, is finalising the concept plan, which should be ready in a year's time.

NParks says the cost of the project will depend on the finalised masterplan, which is expected to be ready by the end of 2009. Construction will start a year later and is expected to be completed by early 2013.

There are no cost estimates yet and the park hopes to double the number of visitors to 200,000 a year with the new masterplan.

Full reports about these plans on the wildsingapore news blog.

More blog posts about the anniversary celebrations

Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve thanks Toddycats on the Toddycats blog

More about Sungei Buloh on the wildsingapore website.

Reef Friends Survey Training in Dec 08

2008-12-03T09:11:00.005+08:00

Are you a diver looking to make a difference for our reefs? Here's a great opportunity to do so!

Photo by Toh Chay Hoon during the first ReefFriends Survey of Kusu Island in 2008.

ReefFriends is a volunteer based coral reef survey programme that monitors the status of coral reefs of Singapore through bimonthly surveys. This Blue Water Volunter programme is currently sponsored by the National Parks Board. Results of these surveys are submitted to the National Parks Board, NUS Marine Biology Lab and Reef Check.

More about the ReefFriends programme on the Blue Water Volunteers website.

Details of the upcoming training for ReefFriends

Dates
Theory classes: 11, 16, 18 and 23 Dec 08
(Dates of the practical classes to be decided on the first day of the course)

Time: 7-10pm
Venue: Classroom 4, Botany Centre, Tanglin Core, Singapore Botanic Gardens

What the course will cover:

What is BWV all about?
What is the Reef Friends survey about?
Basic coral reef facts
Survey techniques

Cost: The course will cost S$100. This will only cover admin costs (training materials, room bookings etc). It will not include costs for the practical sessions (there will be a minimum of two practical sessions).

Sign up for this here
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pv-hJAbBAeYxWcoG4kWO0YA.

Contact: reeffriends@bluewatervolunteers.org

Chek Jawa intertidal walk dates for Jan-Jul 09 now online

2008-12-01T10:53:00.000+08:00

Bookings open today for walks in Jan-Mar 09. To book a tour call the Pulau Ubin Hotline (Tel: 6542-4108) or visit their Information Kiosk between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm. More details on the NParks website, Pulau Ubin page.

Chek Jawa intertidal walks, Jan-Jul 09

Available for booking from 1st Dec 08 onwards
9th Jan 09 Fri 2.00 PM
10th Jan 09 Sat 3.00 PM
11th Jan 09 Sun 4.00 PM
7th Feb 09 Sat 2.00 PM
8th Feb 09 Sun 3.00 PM
9th Feb 09 Mon 4.00 PM
9th Mar 09 Mon 3.00 PM
10th Mar 09 Tue 4.00 PM

Available for booking from 1st Mar 09 onwards
1st Apr 09 Wed 8.00 AM
2nd Apr 09 Thu 8.00 AM
3rd Apr 09 Fri 10.00 AM
15th Apr 09 Wed 8.00 AM
16th Apr 09 Thu 8.00 AM
29th Apr 09 Wed 8.00 AM
30th Apr 09 Thu 8.00 AM
1st May 09 Fri 8.00 AM
2nd May 09 Sat 10.00 AM
15th May 09 Fri 8.00 AM
28th May 09 Thu 8.00 AM
29th May 09 Fri 8.00 AM
30th May 09 Sat 8.00 AM
31st May 09 Sun 9.00 AM
13th June 09 Sat 8.00 AM
14th June 09 Sun 8.00 AM
27th June 09 Sat 8.00 AM
28th June 09 Sun 8.00 AM
29th June 09 Mon 9.00 AM

Can't make it for these dates?
Consider joining the free Chek Jawa Boardwalk tour every last Sunday of the month with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Updated Singapore Red Data book launches today

2008-11-29T08:02:00.001+08:00

A second version of The Singapore Red Data Book, which lists endangered and threatened wildlife here, has been published here after 14 years. It features over 2,700 animals and plants which are threatened.

'If a group wanted to do an environmental impact assessment on a marine site, members would consult it. So would building developers who wanted to flatten a piece of land,'

Examples include the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore and Resorts World at Sentosa which have spent millions of dollars on environmental impact assessments before planning their excavations.

Look up Singapore Red Data to preserve heritage
New version of book on threatened species can be a guide for urban planners
Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 29 Nov 08;

POLICYMAKERS and urban planners have been given an up-to-date tool to help them with urban development, while preserving Singapore's natural heritage.

A second version of The Singapore Red Data Book, which lists endangered and threatened wildlife here, has been published here after 14 years.

It features over 2,700 animals and plants which are threatened.

The first edition, spearheaded by biologists from the National University of Singapore (NUS), was meant as a guide for conservationists.

However, a co-editor of the first book, Professor Peter Ng, said government officials, the business community and civil society had turned to it as a major source of reference.

'If a group wanted to do an environmental impact assessment on a marine site, members would consult it. So would building developers who wanted to flatten a piece of land,' said Prof Ng, who is with the university's department of biological sciences, and heads the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research as well as the Tropical Marine Science Institute.

Examples include the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore and Resorts World at Sentosa which have spent millions of dollars on environmental impact assessments before planning their excavations.

About 50 scientists were involved in the latest effort, which took 10 years to complete. Among them, for the first time, were naturalists from the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Nature Society of Singapore.

Co-editor Dr Ho Hua Chew, chairman of the conservation committee of the Nature Society (Singapore), said it 'showed how engaged all parts of the community were in this decade-long endeavour'.

Not all local species have declined.

The Malayan porcupine, for instance, which was feared extinct, was photographed in Pulau Tekong in 2005.

Others, however, like the cream- coloured giant squirrel, last seen in 1995 in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, may be gone for good.

Dr Geoffrey Davison, who is assistant director at NParks' National Biodiversity Centre and another co-editor of the book, stressed that the fate of many of the species that still remain in Singapore would depend on the survival of the nature reserves.

The Singapore freshwater crab - which is found only here - is a case in point.

In Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, its numbers are dwindling as streams become more acidic, possibly due to acid rain, said Prof Ng.

The only other site where this crab is found is on a hill in Bukit Batok. However, the stream where it was once found in abundance is drying up as the ground water drains away because of building developments on the other side of the hill.

'It would be a waste if this species, which is found nowhere else in the world, disappears,' he said.

Editors of the new information resource hope it will help developers plan around Singapore's natural heritage.

A section on environmental law and how it should be strengthened in Singapore has also been incorporated into the new book.

Data will also be provided to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature for the global Red List - which highlights species in danger the world over.

The Singapore Red Data Book, sponsored by petrochemical giant Shell, can be purchased from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research at NUS, at the bookstore Nature's Niche off Mandai Road, and from the Nature Society of Singapore, for $20.

More about the launch and updates on the status of our marine life on the wild shores of singapore blog.

Singapore Waters now on YouTube

2008-11-28T14:00:00.000+08:00

Nature Society (Singapore) Marine Conservation Group produced this slide show video with historical photos as well as current images of our shores and its marine life.

November says on her Midnight Monkey Monitory blog:

Quite an enlightening overview from past to present. And as stated in the video, all photographs were shot in Singapore so if you haven't got a chance to visit our many offshore islands yet, this is a good opportunity. Of course, we definitely can't travel back in time so even for monkeys like me, it was refreshing and enlightening. The video is based on the NSS publications of the same title, "Singapore Waters: Unveiling our seas". I'd say it's definitely worth the 10 minutes 39 seconds of your time.

More about Singapore Waters, the book, on the Nature Society (Singapore) website, with more photos and diagrams.

Including these diagrams showing our shores in the 1950s.and in 2002,
Clearly showing what we have lost.

Pink mangroves? Killer giant clams? and other questions answered

2008-11-28T10:50:00.003+08:00

What happens when mangroves are exposed to pollution? How are hermit crabs with an empty shell like women at a shoe store? Do giant clams trap divers by clamping shut on them? And other intriguing questions about our reefs and shores were explored this past week!

What happens when mangroves are exposed to pollution?Chay Hoon blogs about Mangroves as bioindicators. She attended a Mangrove workshop conducted by Dr Jean Yong at RMBR. He had gone to Lim Chu Kang to collect some Bakau Minyak (Rhizophora apiculata) seedlings which had turned pink! The seedling is usually green, like the one on the left of the photo. Dr Yong said it's like a pregnant mother exposing to bad stuffs (eg radiation/second-hand smoking) and the baby gets affected.

How are hermit crabs and an empty shell like women at a shoe store?

Ria blogs about hermit crabs at the Great Shell Exchange sharing more on how hermit crabs can literally sniff out empty shellls. She also explains why it's important not to take home any shells. Or to keep hermit crabs as pets.

Giant clams trap divers by clamping shut on their hands or feet!

Mei Lin our "Giant Clam Girl" blogs on this in Is this true? and dispells this misconception. In her work with them, she has found them to be very gentle creatures and she explains other reasons why this situation is impossible.

Who are these two?

Marcus blogs about the goby and snapping shrimp on Holemates and shares lots of links about the endearing relationship between these two different animals, as well as how to identify them.

How's Raffles Lighthouse reefs doing?

Jeff blogs about the recent deep transect with the results.

What happened on the City Footprints show about volunteers for our shores?

Jun did an instant review of the programme with lots of inside information.

What's new on the wildsingapore wildfacts site?

WORMS! With kind comments from Leslie Harris, Ria has updated flatworms, bristleworms and other worms on the wildfacts site.

What recent developments have been announced that impact on our shores?

Alas, several are listed on the wild shores of singapore

13 Dec (Sat): Kusu Island Reefwalk with the Blue Water Volunteers

2008-11-25T22:49:00.001+08:00

Our wild and wonderful coral reefs are just too exciting to be enjoyed by divers only! Non-swimmers are most welcome, as we only visit the reefs during low tide, so you only expect to get wet around your ankles at most.

Trained and enthusiastic volunteer guides will introduce you to the marine life found on Kusu Island and share reef stories.

Suitable for children.

Pre-registration is required.

Time: 4-8pm
Venue: to be advised
Cost: $15/person
Website: http://www.bluewatervolunteers.org
Contact: reefwalk@gmail.com

Protect Singapore's mangroves and economic growth

2008-11-25T10:54:00.002+08:00

Experts should study whether more of Singapore's mangrove forests are worth protecting under conservation laws, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim yesterday. He said the National Parks Board (NParks) and university researchers need to evaluate whether it is possible to preserve mangroves without threatening economic development.

Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 25 Nov 08;

EXPERTS should study whether more of Singapore's mangrove forests are worth protecting under conservation laws, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim yesterday.

He said the National Parks Board (NParks) and university researchers need to evaluate whether it is possible to preserve mangroves without threatening economic development.

Dr Yaacob was responding to questions from The Straits Times during the launch of a new book about local mangroves.

Singapore has lost 90 per cent of its mangroves since independence, and only one site has been gazetted for protection: the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the island's north shore.

Mangroves are home to thousands of unique plants and animals, with new discoveries being made every year. But the forests are threatened by retail, industrial and housing developments.
Their role was highlighted in the book, Private Lives: An Expose Of Singapore's Mangroves (above), which was launched yesterday.

The title is a guide to the plants and animals found in the mangroves, and calls for their conservation.

Professor Peter Ng, director of the Tropical Marine Science Institute and an editor of the book, said at the unveiling that more of Singapore's mangroves need to be protected.

He noted that mangroves on the northern shores are different from those in the south.

'Rivers make the waters in the north far less salty than waters in the south, which give the plants and animals very different characteristics,' he said.

However, Professor Leo Tan, the National University of Singapore's director of special projects, who conceptualised a three-year census of marine species at Pulau Semakau, said it would be premature to pick a site for protection on the mainland.

'Sungei Buloh's 130ha is a substantial amount of land. We have to consider the large pristine sites that are already being protected in firing ranges on our southern islands.'

Dr Lena Chan, deputy director of the National Biodiversity Centre at NParks, said there are other ways to protect mangroves besides gazetting them for conservation.

'We can also designate them as nature areas, like the mangroves in Pasir Ris Park, Pulau Tekong or the mangrove in Sungei China, which was recently incorporated as a nature area within Admiralty Park,' she said.

Singapore's Mangroves: more than mud and mozzies

2008-11-22T09:00:00.001+08:00

Only about 5 per cent of mangrove swamps are left in Singapore, but this muddy land where salt water meets fresh is a safe haven for a wealth of plants and animals, as highlighted in a new book here.
Read more about our mangroves in Mangrove's many uses: Good news, bad news, ugly truth, By Peter Ng, Wang Luan Keng & Kelvin Lim Straits Times 22 Nov 08; based on excerpts from a new book, Private Lives: An Expose Of Singapore's Mangroves.

Reef Check's Singing Contest: submit by 31 Dec 08

2008-11-20T07:17:00.008+08:00

Sing the Year of the Reef Song on video and enter Reef Check's contest!First place - One US $1000 prize
Second place - One US $600 prize
Third place - One US $400 prize

Period for submitting your group video: 15 Sep - 31 Dec 08

Increase your chances of winning by

Creating a version of the Year of the Reef Song using instruments and musical arrangements, e.g. reggae, rock, or local style
Singing/filming at a place of meaning to your group, e.g. beach, temple, historical location
Dressing in attire that celebrates local culture or that represents your music genre/style
Singing in local language(s) or dialect(s)

During the 2008 International Year of the Reef (IYOR), help save reefs and share your creativity and culture with others by creating a video using the Year of the Reef Song. Reef Check Foundation (RCF) is running this contest with the goal of getting young people to learn more about the marine environment. In addition to having a lot of fun, you could win great prizes!

About This Contest: Three cash prizes will be awarded to the best group performances of the IYOR Song to help finance events or activities with an educational focus on the marine environment, such as a visit to a local aquarium, trip to the beach, acquisition of marine educational materials, etc.

This is an International Contest, free to enter, and groups from every part of the world are encouraged to participate. Participants must be part of a group (e.g. school, club, religious group, etc.). We will be looking for creative, original videos that reflect your culture and celebrate ocean conservation; technical video quality will not be judged.

More details on the Reef Check Singing Contest page.

6 & 7 Dec (Sat & Sun): Mangrove walk and Adventures in the Mud by Otterman at Sungei Buloh

2008-11-20T07:17:00.004+08:00

Free guided walk plus talk plus examination of mangrove specimens!

In celebration of the anniversary of the official opening of Singapore's first wetlands reserve at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve, the Raffles Museum Toddycats conduct a free guided walk for the public every year.

This year, on the 15th anniversary, we are adding an exciting talk by Otterman ("Adventures in the Mud!") as well as an examination of mangrove specimens from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research so that visitors will appreciate the morphology and adaptations of mangrove denizens!

And we will hold this over two days! The mornings of 6th (Saturday) and 7th (Sunday) of December 2008.

More details on the habitatnews blog with registration details.

Time: 7.30am-12pm on Saturday 8am-1pm on Sunday
Venue: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Website and contact: http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/

Giant clam, special stars and other low tide surprises

2008-11-20T07:17:00.002+08:00

Our living shores never cease to surprise. This super low tide period, lots of exciting encounters during the flurry of shore by various groups. From rare clams to special stars, delightful dollars and other curious critters.

Among the special finds was this Giant clam. It was seen on Pulau Jong, an island in the middle of our shipping lanes, next to our landfill, major bunkering facilities and petrochemical plants! Mei Lin aka the "Giant Clam Girl" who was on this field trip pronounced it to be Tridacna maxima, of which only one other specimen has so far been seen, on Raffles Lighthouse!
Read all about the clam on her brand new Psychedelic Nature blog and how this clam is sadly "functionally extinct" in Singapore. The intrepid team hazarded the landing on the aptly named "No Problem". The trip was a contrast of molluscs from tiny slugs to the giant clam; lush vegetation and other special finds.

Special stars were also seen on various shores!
At Pulau Semakau, this sea star encountered seemed to be something new.
And another star that might be Pentaceraster mammilatus. This star was first discovered on Cyrene Reef and is a first record for Singapore. Semakau also seemed to have a surfeit of slugs this time around.
While at Cyrene Reef, there was the usual over abundance of Knobbly sea stars, including one WITHOUT knobs, the sand bar was teeming with Common sea stars and there was the first sighting of a biscuit sea star there. Besides amazing crabs, there were also batfish, 'Nemos' including a really tiny one, and lots more. Samuel's first trip to Cyrene inspired him to start his Aesthetic Voyager blog.

More special sea star sightings were made at mainland shores such as Pasir Ris.
Where several sea stars with more than five arms were seen.
And at Changi where a small baby Knobbly sea star was seen.
A new shore was also explored revealing special sand dollars and other surprises.

There was also a rather sad check up on the massive coastal developments and other impacts near Labrador Nature Reserve. Students also recently presented about their project on the impact of the cofferdam on Labrador shore.

Sentosa's shores was also recced for an upcoming walk by the Naked Hermit Crabs where a very obliging baby stingray gave some good video clips.

The Blue Water Volunteers also did a Kusu Island Reefwalk but have yet to blog about it.

Other events during the period includes the first Workshop for Nature Guides by the Leafmonkey Workshop.
A sporting group of nature guides had lots of fun creating and learning about echinoderms. Come for the next workshop which will be about cnidarians.

More web updates

Our nudis IDed on the Colourful Clouds blog: a bright orange one and a tiny one.
Latest announcements on coastal developments, on the wild shores of singapore blog: at Pulau Tekong and Sentosa.
Recent updates on Wildfacts of our rarer echinoderms.

Some upcoming reef and marine events

6 & 7 Dec (Sat & Sun): Adventures in the Mud talk, and walk and specimen examination by the Toddycats at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
6 & 7 Dec (Sat & Sun): Amazing Mangrove Adventure and other activities at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve's anniversary celebrations
5 Dec (Fri): Workshop for Nature Guides - Cnidarians by the Leafmonkey Workshop
30 Nov (Sun): Dive Pulau Hantu with the Hantu Bloggers
30 Nov (Sun): Free Chek Jawa boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs

25 Nov (Tue): Broadcast of "City Footprints" featuring volunteers for our shores

2008-11-19T07:16:00.000+08:00

Recently the Star Trackers and TeamSeagrass were filmed by threesixzero for the City Footprints series on Channel U.
The programme broadcasts next week, and here's the synopsis and details.

Synopsis of City Footprints Episode 11

City Footprints is a social documentary series that tells the heartwarming stories of individuals or communities in our city- stories that mirror and reflect how individuals and community responds and reacts to paradigm shifts as a result of rapid social urbanization.

A green tide is swelling as a new generation of young Singaporeans leads the next wave of environmentalism.

Meet the Star Trackers: 26-year-old Chen Sijie and his partner, Chim Chee Kong, 31, as they brave irregular tide timings and errant weather to track and monitor sea stars on Cyrene Reefs – a mysterious coral colony that only surfaces for a few hours during the low tide period each month. The two are not alone in their roles as guardians of the seas.

As early as 2005 Siti Maryam, 27, has spearheaded a campaign to conserve an overlooked slice of nature through the volunteer group TeamSeagrass. On a little-known side of Sentosa, look at how volunteers survey local sea grass habitats before pollution and pressure overwhelm them.

As the three join hands to nurture the next wave of conservationists, find out how their efforts converge on the shorelines of Chek Jawa.

Time: 9.30pm repeats 11.30pm on Channel U
Website: http://u.mediacorptv.sg/

More about the field trips filmed:
Here's Sijie explaining the Star Tracker programme on our way to Cyrene Reef, while Siti was filmed during our TeamSeagrass monitoring at Sentosa, and both Star Trackers and TeamSeagrass were filmed again at Chek Jawa during the seagrass monitoring.

6 & 7 Dec (Sat & Sun): Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Anniversary Celebrations

2008-11-14T10:28:00.000+08:00

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve celebrates its 15th Anniversary this year. Come for an activity-filled weekend. Form a team of four with your family members and take part in the Amazing Mangrove Adventure. Stand to win attractive prizes as you learn about the vibrant biodiversity found in mangroves. Or join us for nature and photography talks, exhibitions and face painting.

Programme

Throughout the weekend: Art and Photography Exhibitions

6 Dec 08 (Sat)

The Amazing Mangrove Adventure: 10am, 1pm, 3.30 pm (Registration Fee of $5.00 per team)
Face Painting for Children: 10am-12.30pm ($2/child)
Free Nature talks: 10am-4pm

7 Dec 08 (Sun)

The Amazing Mangrove Adventure: 8am, 9am, 10.30am, 12.30pm (Registration Fee of $5.00 per team)
Face Painting for Children: 9am-12.30pm ($2/child)
Free Nature talks: 9am-5pm
Free Nature and Photography talks: 9am-5pm

More on how to play the Amazing Mangrove Adventure (PDF file) on the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve website.

For latest updates, please call tel: 67941401 (8.30am–6pm daily).

Venue: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Website: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/
Contact: info@sbwr.org.sg or call 6794 1401

Comet, City Mangroves and other surprises

2008-11-03T10:28:00.000+08:00

The big event of the fortnight was the launch of the Marina Barrage, festooned with perky Water Wallies. Near the Barrage was a small patch of mangroves! A Comet blazed and lit up a recent Hantu dive, while during the not-so-low tide some shores were explored with more interesting encounters.

The intrepid Hantu Bloggers had another fantastic dive at Pulau Hantu. Sightings included new nudis and the elusive and amazing Comet! Reef Check had a session at Pulau Jong and sightings of remoras.

A quick lowish tide check of Sentosa revealed surprises including a pair of snapping shrimps in Acropora hard coral!
Meanwhile, the launch of the Marina Barrage resulted in a barrage of blog posts. With overviews of this new reservoir in the city, and discovery of a little patch of mangroves on the Marina East side of the Barrage with mudskippers, blooming trees and busy fishermen.
At the same time, there was an effort to reach Marina East from the East Coast side with some adventures along the way. There were also explorations to the other side of St John's Island and at Pulau Semakau.

Outreach for the shores

The Barrage was also the location of this year's Clean and Green Singapore launch. The young seagrassers from RGS who are monitoring Labrador meadows had a booth to share about our seagrass meadows.
Throughout the Carnival, there was also a whole range of talks about our reefs, marine biodiversity and Chek Jawa among others.

The NParks portion of the Carnival also had an interesting wall for people to leave comments about our wild places. There were some comments about our shores.

More web updates

TeamSeagrass monitoring dates for 2009 are now on the blog.
Origin of the name Lazarus Island.
Some updates of nudis with the ID for a cute nudi at Sisters Island and the wondrous Melibe too.
About the recent Chek Jawa boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs
About the recent Kusu Island reefwalk with the Blue Water Volunteers.

Some upcoming reef and marine events

30 Nov (Sun): Dive Pulau Hantu with the Hantu Bloggers
30 Nov (Sun): Free Chek Jawa boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs
15 Nov (Sat): Kusu Island Reefwalk with the Blue Water Volunteers
15 Nov (Sat): Horseshoe Crab Rescue and Research with the Nature Society (Singapore)
7 Nov (Fri): Workshop for Nature Guides - Echinoderms by the Leafmonkey Workshops

Some recent issues

This weekend: talks about our reefs, marine biodiversity and Chek Jawa!

2008-10-31T10:28:00.000+08:00

This weekend, talks on "Reefs Rock!", "Marine Biodiversity and You", "Chek Jawa: Nature Beckons" and lots of other nature and environmental topics at the Clean and Green Singapore launch at the Marina Barrage. Don't miss them!

31 Oct-2 Nov: Nature talks at Clean and Green Singapore

This just in, thanks to Lim Wei Ling, a series of nature, environmental and sporting talks at the upcoming Clean and Green Singapore launch this weekend.

31 Oct (Fri)

1800-1830hrs: "Frogs of Singapore" by Dr Leong Tzi Ming

1 Nov (Sat)

1030-1100hrs: "Cycling- The Greener Way To Go" by Joseph of Terra Outdoors

1100-1130hrs: "Organic Gardening in Urban Singapore" by Henry Yeo

1130-1200hrs: "Marine Biodiversity and You" by Siti Maryam

1230-1300hrs: "CIB- Plant Disease" by Matthew Tan

1400-1430hrs: "Let the dragons fly - showcasing dragonflies in Singapore" by Robin Ngiam

1500-1530hrs: "Reefs Rock!" by Jeffrey Low

1600-1630 hrs: "Chek Jawa: Nature Beckons" by Adelle Wang

1730-1800hrs: "Introduction to Inline Skating and Safety Etiquette" by Jason Ng of Skateline /Skate Assist Volunteer (SAV)

2 Nov (Sun)

1230-1300hrs: "Marine Biodiversity and You" by Siti Maryam

1300-1330hrs: "Going Green with Singapore's Native Plants" by Joyce Foo

1330-1400hrs: "Let the dragons fly - showcasing dragonflies in Singapore" by Robin Ngiam

1400-1430hrs: "Organic Gardening in Urban Singapore" by Henry Yeo

1430-1500hrs: "Carbon Footprint and You" by Hassan Ibrahim

1500-1530hrs: "Introduction to Inline Skating and Safety Etiquette" by Jason Ng of Skateline /Skate Assist Volunteer (SAV)

More details on the Clean and Green Singapore website

Saving the Coral Triangle

2008-10-25T08:40:00.002+08:00

Officials from six nations and experts meet to draw up conservation plan
Alastair McIndoe, Straits Times 25 Oct 08;

MANILA: Diving in the glittering clear waters off Balicasag Island in the central Philippines, American marine scientist Kent Carpenter marvelled at the pristine coral reefs and grouper fish 'as big as Mini Coopers'.

That was in 1975. A decade later, diving in the same spot, Dr Carpenter was appalled to find the reef dead. The use of dynamite and cyanide by islanders to catch fish had turned an underwater paradise into a ghostly grey wasteland.

Divers visiting the site a few weeks ago found it in the same sorry condition, said Dr Carpenter. He added: 'And this was once one of the most beautiful coral reefs that I'd seen in over 30 years of diving.'

Blighted reefs like Balicasag are strewn across the Coral Triangle, an area of stunning marine biodiversity spanning the Philippines, eastern Indonesia, parts of Malaysia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

This expanse of ocean, called the 'Amazon of the Seas', now has one of the world's highest proportions of coral species under threat of extinction - a result of destructive fishing and coastal development, aggravated by climate change.

With the meltdown on financial markets overshadowing the debate on global warming and the environment, why worry about coral reefs right now?

Above all, because they provide a habitat for a quarter of all marine species. Research published four months ago by more than 40 leading marine scientists warned that one-third of the world's reef- building corals face extinction from local activities such as over- fishing, and climate change.

Corals are nature's buffers, protecting coastal communities from soil erosion. And they boost local economies through the tourist dollars spent on scuba-diving.

Against that backdrop, officials from the six Coral Triangle countries and marine experts met in Manila earlier this week to draw up a conservation plan. The initiative, started by Indonesia, is backed by US$450 million (S$680 million) in pledges from governments and multilateral development agencies.

'We can't afford a business- as-usual attitude any longer when the livelihoods of so many people are involved,' said Mr Syamsul Maarif, Indonesia's delegation head.

As a Philippine official put it: 'The initiative is about shared responsibilities; we're not talking about boundaries here.'

The condition of the reefs in the Coral Triangle varies considerably.

Papua New Guinea's were spared from the coral-bleaching effects of the ocean-warming El Nino weather pattern in 1997, and are still over 80 per cent intact.

But only 20 per cent of the coral cover in the Philippines is in good condition. A rapidly growing population concentrated in coastal areas has long put an intolerable strain on marine resources there.

Around 40 per cent of Indonesia's eastern-seaboard reefs are still in top condition.

It takes on average 36 years for a coral reef destroyed by pollution - from sewage discharges, for example - or dynamite fishing to repair itself naturally. Scientists have been trying to accelerate that process.

'There's been encouraging results from re-seeding experiments, but this is an expensive process,' said Dr Edgardo Gomez, a leading expert on corals.

Philippine marine scientist Perry Alino said that more reefs must be declared as sanctuaries, to give them a breather from human activity.

Two decades ago, there were only 250 such sites in the Philippines; now there are over 1,000, though they cover only 0.1 per cent of the country's coral area. The government is targeting 10 per cent coverage by 2020 under the plan.

Indonesia aims to double its current 10 million hectares of marine protected areas in its reefs in the Coral Triangle by 2020.

The conservation plan sets out national and regional actions for protecting and rehabilitating the Coral Triangle. These include setting up more reef protected areas, measures to adapt to climate change and establishing baselines for monitoring.

Leaders of the Coral Triangle countries will be asked to implement the measures at the World Ocean Conference in Manado, Indonesia, next May.

amcindoe@yahoo.com

LIVELIHOODS AT RISK

'We can't afford a business-as-usual attitude any longer when the livelihoods of so many people are involved.'

Mr Syamsul Maarif, Indonesia's delegation head to a meeting which saw the Coral Triangle countries and marine experts drawing up a conservation plan for the area

Home to thousands of species
THE Coral Triangle covers 5.7 million sq km and spans the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.

It is home to:

75 per cent of known coral species;
30 per cent of the world's coral reefs;
Over 600 coral species;
Over 3,000 fish species, including 50 per cent of tuna- spawning areas for yellow fin, big eye and skipjack;
Six out of eight species of marine turtle;
45 per cent of the world's seagrass species; and
75 per cent of mangrove species.

Related links

Coral Triangle on the WWF website.

Highlights of the lows: corals, seagrasses and more!

2008-10-22T10:27:00.007+08:00

As the evening low tides begin, exploration of our shores continues. There's also lots of outreach activities through public walks, as well as monitoring work for our shores.

Way before the low spring tides started, the Blue Water Volunteers conducted a reef survey of the fantabulous reefs of Raffles Lighthouse (on Pulau Satumu).
With more photos and yet more photos and video clips of clown anemonefish and sweetlips. There were also some recent media reports about Raffles Lighthouse as part of Maritime Week.

The Star Trackers and friends visited Cyrene Reef, despite all odds. As usual, lots of work got done and all kinds of marine life were encountered. This tiny gorgeous slug was found and photographed.
While a strange anemone was filmed and a Giant clam spotted.And this strange slug found on seagrass!
TeamSeagrass was also hard at work during the recent low tides. Young Seagrassers from RGS were at Labrador to check up on the seagrasses there. The Sentosa monitoring found the seagrasses doing well, and there was also a huge bloom of seaweeds there. Here's a video clip of the various marine life at Sentosa.There was a strong turn out of the Team for Chek Jawa monitoring.
It was also a chance to do a quick check on recovery on Chek Jawa especially the coral rubble area, with three baby Knobbly sea stars seen and strange behaviour observed between butterflyfish and peacock anemone.

Changi was also visited with sightings of sea stars galore and this strange sea cucumber.Elsewhere on Changi, cute worms and other creatures were seen.

When it's super low, it means there's a super high tide too. What happens at super high tide on Chek Jawa? and more about tides in Singapore.

The Blue Water Volunteers also conducted a walk at Kusu Island (but have yet to blog about it). Marcus shares a glimpse into what happens during the Kusu pilgrimage. While on Semakau there was an intertidal walk as well as the CEO Run. There was also a field trip to Sisters Island.

Other updates on our reefs and marine life

Fish or jellyfish? Our pomfret mimicks jellyfish!
Another new record from the East Coast: a clam!

Other shore issues discussed recently

Singapore shipping industry: addressing environmental concerns during Maritime Week.
Singapore to be Sulphur Emission Control Area by 2015? and what this means for the marine environment.
Singapore's marine protected areas: where?
Full text of parliamentary discussion on rising sea levels in Singapore

Updates on on-going works on our shores

Work on Sentosa bridge continues to Apr 09
Another oil rig to park off Semakau
Dredging off East Coast and dumping off Labrador
Work on Punggol dam continues
Dredging at Pasir Panjang off Cyrene Reef continues
Reclamation off Labrador and off Sentosa continues

Upcoming shore events

26 Oct (Sun): Dive Pulau Hantu with the Hantu Bloggers
26 Oct (Sun): Free Chek Jawa boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crab

Sluggish on F1 day and other recent reef happenings

2008-10-05T09:21:00.003+08:00

While F1 was going on, things were sluggish at Pulau Hantu with sightings of nudis galore, and acoel flatworms as well as a strange pipefish that had gone to the dark side.

Lots of photos shared including a video clip of a six-banded angelfish. Among the surprises were these amazing Tritonia nudibranchs.
Apparently in California, they grow to as long as 30 cm and weigh nearly 2 kg! The ones at Hantu are much smaller.

Meanwhile the Semakau guides brought a bunch of kids on the intertidal walk for Children's Day.More about their day out on the many blog posts by the various guides.

Over at Chek Jawa, the Naked Hermit Crabs also conducted the usual end of the month guided tour of the boardwalk.

TeamSeagrass had their annual get together to get updates and discuss new directions and share about the Seagrass Experience!

Things are a little slow as there are few spring lows this time of the year. But those lows are coming up soon!

New record seagrass for Singapore!

2008-10-01T20:00:00.000+08:00

Shared on the latest Seagrass-Watch newsletter, Halophila decipiens is a new record for Singapore!

Also in the newsletter, more about the exploits of TeamSeagrass with a focus on Cyrene Reefs.

The newsletter is packed with information about seagrasses around the world, including Australia, Kuwait, the Maldvies and Papua in Indonesia. The work of TeamSeagrass in Singapore contributes to a global effort to understand and protect seagrasses everywhere.
There's also a whole section about sea cucumbers, those curious creatures we often encounter on our seagrass meadows too.

Download the PDF of the Seagrass-Watch newsletter to read the full articles!

To be a part of this effort in Singapore, simply join TeamSeagrass. More about how to join the Team.

18 Oct (Sat): Reefwalk at Kusu Island with the Blue Water Volunteers

2008-10-01T09:19:00.000+08:00

The evening Kusu Island ReefWALKs are back.

Registration now open!

Our wild and wonderful coral reefs are just too exciting to be enjoyed by divers only! Non-swimmers are most welcome, as we only visit the reefs during low tide, so you only expect to get wet around your ankles at most.

Trained and enthusiastic volunteer guides will introduce you to the marine life found on Kusu Island and share reef stories.

Suitable for children.

Pre-registration is required.

Time: 5.30-9pm
Venue: to be advised
Cost: $15/person
Website: http://www.bluewatervolunteers.org
Contact: reefwalk@gmail.com

Young Marine Biologist Award winners announced

2008-09-23T09:21:00.008+08:00

Winners of the The Young Marine Biologist Award (YMBA) contest organised by Underwater World Singapore have been announced!

Primary Category
Tao Nan School
Kang Yi Xi,
Poh Kathy
voicesofthereefs.blogspot.com

Secondary Category
East View Secondary School
Ni'mah Binte Mohamed Nasir
Nurliyana Binte Mohammad Hashim
Natassha Binte Hamid
www.theworld-underneath.blogspot.com

Tertiary Category
NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
Tsai Tse Yin,
Theophilus Teo
reef-to-fight-another-day.blogspot.com

More details on the Underwater World Singapore webpage for the contest.

Big Cleanup and other highlights of the low

2008-09-23T09:19:00.012+08:00

The low spring tides have switched to evening at this time of the year. So instead of glorious sun rises, shore explorers can enjoy spectacular sun sets!

As well as marvellous marine life of course. Here's some of the latest happenings over the last two weeks.

The Big Event of the month (and the year) was International Coastal Cleanup Singapore held on 20 Sep (Sat).

The months of preparation and planning paid off with smooth gathering of data and trash by thousands of volunteers on many of our shores. On the day itself, there was instant updates on the ICCS blog, with a particularly touching story of the effort on Chek Jawa.Despite 200 volunteers removing 2.1 tonnes of trash from Chek Jawa, it is estimated that "only 5% of the total trash load at Chek Jawa" was removed. There is much MUCH more that needs to be done for our beloved Chek Jawa, as well as our other shores. More results and photos on the ICCS blog.

There was also a quick check up of Sentosa's last accessible natural reef, much in danger from on-going and planned developments around it.
The shore was not at its best, but still revealed marvels such as this less frequently encountered cowrie. The delightful Four-spot cowrie (Cypraea quadrimaculata) is listed among the threatened animals of Singapore.

Crinoid experts and a small team of volunteers visited the reefs at Pulau Hantu. Crinoids, or feather stars, are beautiful animals with long feathery arms. They are not very commonly seen on our intertidal so it was fortunate that several were seen during the trip.
Of course, along the way, many other marvellous reef creatures were encountered, including lots of flatworms, nudibranchs, hard corals and everyone's favourite: Clown anemonefishes.Many outreach and other efforts continue during the last two weeks. Schering Plough volunteers were out once again to monitor the seagrass fields at Tuas.
Although the tide was brief and not very low, the team got the job done and had a quick look around. Tuas shores seem to be doing alright, with several clusters of the trademark seafans that are usually found there.
Meanwhile, Siti went all the way to Canada to share about Singapore seagrass meadows at an international seagrass conference.

Other field trips include

Changi field trip to explore the marine life there.
Semakau intertidal walk introducing the rich biodiversity there.
Pandan mangrove field trip for marine biology students.

Other updates on our reefs and marine life

Big Sisters reef survey results on the Blue Water Volunteers blog
New records of snails from East Coast Park! Snails that live on sea fans and other kinds of snails.
Six new Nerite snail records for Singapore.

Other shore issues discussed recently

Singapore and rising sea levels: parliamentary discussion and what will happen to Singapore with a 7m sea level rise? on the blooooooooo blog and wild shores of singapore blog.
Is Singapore immune from tsunamis and earthquakes?
Toxic marine paints and Singapore snails

Updates on on-going works on our shores

Landslide protection works on St. John's and Kusu Island
One more oil rig to be parked for works off Pulau Semakau
Update on massive dredging off Cyrene Reef and more reclamation nearby
Sand mining off Changi
Reclamation at Tuas
Water quality at Pasir Ris full text of issue raised in parliament
New Sentosa attractions in 2009 an announcement by Sentosa's new CEO

Upcoming events

27 Sep (Sat): TeamSeagrass Orientation
28 Sep (Sun): Free Chek Jawa boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs
28 Sep (Sun): Dive Pulau Hantu with the Hantu Bloggers
28 Sep (Sun): Painting with Pui San at Sungei Buloh
28 Sep (Sun): Birdwatching at Pulau Semakau with the Nature Society (Singapore)
1 Oct (Wed): Intertidal walk at Pulau Semakau with RMBR
4 Oct (Sat): "Secret Shores of Singapore" a talk at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
until 4 Oct: wild shores poster exhibition at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Make marine conservation relevant to Singaporeans

2008-09-19T14:05:00.002+08:00

Letter from Ms Kia Jie Hui to my paper

I refer to the article "Make Singapore a coral haven" by Mr Marcel Lee Pereira (my paper 10 Sep).

While it is encouraging to see the efforts of marine conservationists reflected in the print media, I feel that a crucial aspect of the issue of conservation has been neglected.

That would be: Why should Singaporeans care whether our country becomes a "coral haven" or not?

Too often, conservation projects are portrayed as the lofty concerns of a small group of scientists or idiosyncratic environmentalists.

The layperson is excluded from these efforts.

We do not see an issue like marine biodiversity as being relevant to our everyday lives, nor do we see how our individual actions could possibly make an impact on things like the welfare of coral reefs in our waters; and honestly, we would be hard-pressed to say we really give a hoot.

An article like Mr Pereira's does not exactly inspire passion for protecting our environmental reserves.

The only justification given for the implementation of measures under the Blue Plan is that "after all, corals may be a valuable source of biomedical products and serve as educational and tourist draws".

This sounds unconvincing to me, especially seeing as how it following a line calling for "the cost of such measures (to) be borne by the Government.:

At a time of poor economic forecasts and inflation, it is unlikely that increased government spending on environmental-impact studies would receive popular support.

Although it is important for readers to be informed of the proposals and plans that conservationists have in mind for our nation, what should be given greatest emphasis is the relevance of these efforts to individuals in our society.

In this case, it would be helpful to go back to the basic question: "Why is marine biodiversity even important?"

I was taught the importance of preserving Earth's biodiversity in a module on the topic.

Even after having gone through the module, I find myself at a loss when trying to explain the link between saving a community of coral reefs and its importance to Singapore tomorrow, or even in the next 10 years.

This is where an expert could and should step in to fill the gap.

People are more likely to be engaged with the cause if empowered with knowledge and, even in Singapore, the public does have an impact on policy.

Chek Jawa is an excellent, heartwarming case in point.

More public awareness of the relevance of environmental issues would also do well in improving Singaporeans' attitude to green initiatives.

In the long run, there has to be social recognition of the urgency of environmental conservation.

More links

See the FAQs on this blog that cover these issues:

Does Singapore have reefs?
Can an ordinary person see Singapore’s marine heritage?
What’s so special about Singapore’s reefs?
Why should we save our reefs?
Do Singaporeans care about our reefs and shores?
What are some of the challenges in conserving Singapore’s reefs and shores?
Is co-existence/a balanced approach to development and conservation possible?
How can one person make a difference for our reefs and shores?

Do Singaporeans give a hoot about marine conservation? on the wild shores of singapore blog

Make Singapore a coral haven

2008-09-19T14:00:00.000+08:00

10% of reefs proposed as 'no-go zones' in Blue Plan
Marcel Lee Pereira, My Paper 10 Sep 08;

More protection and better management of Singapore's coral reefs could turn the island into a "coral paradise" in 10 years.

That is the gist of a proposal by a group of marine conservationists, which they plan to submit to the Government by early next year.

Mr Francis Lee, chairman of consultative group Marine Roundtable, shared some of the ideas with my paper last week.

He is overseeing Singapore's participation in the International Year of the Reef (IYOR) campaing this year. IYOR is held once a decade.

This "Blue Plan", the marine equivalent of the Singapore Green Plan -- a national blueprint for a sustainable environment -- will be the highlight of Singapore's IYOR celebrations.

Work on the "Blue Plan" started in the middle of this year, and the ideas build upon an earlier version submitted to the Government in 2001 through its Feedback Unit.

Part of the group's vision is that at least 10 per cent of Singapore's coral rees, mostly along the southern islands, should be turned into sanctuaries.

These could be categorised into "no-go zones", where access is granted for only scientific purposes. Other areas with limited access could be allowed, or opened under proper management.

Currently, areas such as the Chek Jawa Wetlands and Pulau Sekudu are protected by the National Parks Board (NParks), which monitors the area. Vessels entering these wetlands also need a permit from NParks.

However, more areas should be covered, including the southern islands such as Kusu Island and St. John's Island, as well as diving spot Pulau Hantu, and live-firing areas like Pulau Sudong and Pulau Senang, said Mr Lee.

He believes that other agencies, NGOs and companies should play a part too.

Environmental-impact studies are not consistently done for land reclamation and other projects, he said.

Hence, another proposal will be to have an independent agency to conduct such studies.

This agency must also be consulted by other agencies to ensure that the marine ecosystem is given a higher priority.

Singapore has not paid enough attention to marine conservation, added Mr Lee.

"Management of our seas has been limited to preventing pollution from factories and oil tankers, and I think we've done a wonderful job in that area, but no to in serving the marine ecosystem."

He added that the cost of such measures should be borne by the Government.

After all, coral reefs may be a valuable source of biomedical products and serve as educational and toursit draws.

He said" "The region has more than 2,500 fish species, and 500-600 species of hard corals, five times more than the Caribbean and 25 times more than the Mediterranean."

He added that SIngapore may well have half or more of this biodiversity. Common species found here include butterfly fish and brain and staghorn coral.

To beef up scientific knowledge About Singapore's marine biodiversity, the group is consolidating data from scientists, universities and institutes into a database, which will be used as an indication of its marine heritage.

Professor Chou Loke Ming of the National University of Singapore's department of biological sciences added that there have been "positive signals" such as the translocation of corals when a development is built upon the site of a reef.

He added: "Coral-reef conservation and restoration run over the long term. It's not just a one-off exercise: it has to be a sustained effort".

Sea levels may rise: But Singapore's okay

2008-09-17T11:00:00.000+08:00

The ozone hole is closing, but this could cause Antartica to become warmer due to weekened polar winds. This may lead to sea ice melting and sea levels rising.

THE Greenland ice sheet may be thousands of miles away, but the rate at which it's melting was a point of concern in Parliament yesterday.

Also in question was how much rise in sea level will Singapore experience as a result of global warming.

More about this in Teh Jen Lee's article in The New Paper 17 Sep 08
full article also on the wildsingapore news blog

Some extracts ...

Minister Yaacob Ibrahim answered both MPs by first stating that the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected last year that climate change could lead to sea level rises of between 18cm and 59cm by the year 2100.

This does not factor in the rapid melting of Greenland or Antarctic ice sheets, as the understanding of these effects is too limited.

Since 1991, all new reclamation projects have to be built to a level 125cm above the highest recorded tide level.

This is 66cm more than the IPCC's projected highest sea level rise of 59cm by the end of the 21stcentury in the worst-case scenario.

Singapore's development of drainage infrastructure over the last 30 years has reduced flood-prone areas from 3,200 ha in the '70s to 98ha today.

PUB will reduce it to less than 48 ha by 2011 through the development and improvement of drainage infrastructure, such as the widening and deepening of drains and canals.

While the objective of this is to reduce the flood-prone areas and alleviate flooding today, a better drainage system helps to reduce the possibility of upstream flooding when heavy rain coincides with high tide or sea level rise.

In addition, the National Environment Agency, in consultation with other government agencies, commissioned a two-year study last year to understand the specific implications of climate change in Singapore, based on the IPCC studies.

These include sea level and temperature changes, flooding and coastal erosion. The study is expected to be completed next year.

Is rapid melting of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets likely? These and more links on the wild shores of singapore blog

What to speak up about this? Send your comments to Sustainable Singapore, an effort to gather feedback on climate change issues. More in this earlier post.

Time for Action! Coastal Cleanup 20 Sep (Sat)

2008-09-14T09:08:00.004+08:00

Things are really revving up for the massive annual blitz on marine litter!
Haven't signed up yet? There's still places for the clean up at Pulau Ubin.

Behind this mammoth effort were months of planning and briefings for the various coastal locations.
And recces over the this weekend to Kranji, Kallang Basin, Pandan mangroves and more.

Coastal Cleanup is not just about picking up litter. It is about collecting data about marine litter.

This is the data collected in 2007 by more than 2,000 volunteers on 9 tonnes of trash.

The source of the trash is also recorded.

Data from 2007 reveals 49% of the trash is a result of "Shoreline and Recreational Activities", 7% from "Ocean/Waterway Activities", 12% from "Smoking-Related Activities" with 28% categorised as "Debris of Local Concern".

For "Shoreline and Recreational Activities" the main types of debris were Bags (13%), Food Wrappers/Containers (10%), Straws, Stirrers (10%), Plastic Beverage Bottles under 2 litres (4%), Cups, Plates, Forks, Knives, Spoons (3%), Caps, Lids (3%).

The Cleanup in Singapore is part of International Coastal Cleanup run by the Ocean Conservancy. It is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind. Last year, 378,000 volunteers from 76 countries and 45 states cleared six million pounds of trash from oceans and waterways and recorded every piece of trash collected.

In Singapore between 2001 - 2005, volunteers removed 33 tonnes of marine trash from our beaches and mangroves and recorded all aspects of this trash.

Killer Litter! Discarded drift nets kill countless marine creatures constantly. Called ghost nets, these cause unnecessary painful deaths for our marine life.Plastic litter is particularly insidious as these last for a long time, choking and killing marine life that accidentally eat them. Plastic litter breakdown into smaller and smaller pieces and end up in the food chain and thus eventually, in humans.

Links to more information

International Coastal Cleanup Singapore website
The News from International Coastal Cleanup blog
Ocean Conservancy page on International Coastal Cleanup
Latest media reports on the threats of marine litter
Is there any point to doing this only once a year? on the wild shores of singapore blog

Prof Leo Tan on our shores and bringing science to the masses

2008-09-13T07:29:00.001+08:00

Living Classroom: Students on Labrador shore.

Understanding science will help people realise its impact on their lives
Leo W.H. Tan, Straits Times 13 Sep 08;

I TAUGHT biology when I began my scientific career, and I had a favourite living laboratory, a 300m stretch of seemingly barren beach called Labrador.

Every freshman in my class made a compulsory field visit.

Their typical first reaction was: 'Why did you bring us here? There is no marine life to observe.'

Using the 'learning science through inquiry' method, I'd take them on a journey of discovery about the wonders of nature and, three hours later, they would be asking if they could stay longer.

They had discovered the rocks were alive with algae, snails, barnacles, anemones, corals, crabs and a host of other creatures, and realised how rich the biodiversity was.

One striking impression they took away was not to make assumptions about anything until they tested out their hypotheses.

I would like to believe that first encounter had a stimulating influence on many generations of my students, including several now in key positions in academia and research, the school system and corporations.

Singapore prides itself on having a science and technology-based economy.

Everyone encounters science and technology in daily life.

I wonder though how many are actually aware of, and understand, the scientific content, principles or benefits that relate to their lives.

Only when people see how a light bulb is linked to power generation and climate change, or how losing a beach means the loss of biodiversity and bioactive products such as potential anti-cancer drugs from marine species, can they appreciate how science improves their economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being.

In a globalised, knowledge-based economy that is increasingly dependent on knowledge creation and innovation rather than merely on the goods and services of an industrial age, it is necessary to develop a science-literate society that is adaptable to change and able to make informed decisions.

This is where science communication can play a critical role.

Newtonian science was about scientific discovery and knowledge for its own sake, but after the deployment of atomic power as a weapon of destruction in the last world war, science must now be answerable to the public.

The public should exercise its right to be informed not only of the benefits of science but also about possible downsides and areas of concern.

There are so many interesting and contemporary issues to keep the public engaged - climate change and global warming; genetic engineering and stem cell research; health and disease; biodiversity and conservation; biotechnology and nanotechnology.

Unfortunately for many scientists, communicating their work to the layman does not come naturally, most notably because of their propensity to talk and write in jargon.

There is also a reticence to write or talk to the media, which undeniably is the major vehicle for stimulating public debate and shaping public opinion on scientific issues.

There are two other influential groups of professionals who need to communicate science - the teacher and the health professional.

The former has to engage students in thinking critically about how science works and why it matters to society. Students have to be excited about science as a possible career choice and not merely as a study option.

The latter has to communicate effectively on health and related issues and in a timely manner. The 2003 Sars outbreak, for example, demonstrated the vital importance of reaching out to the masses.

The National University of Singapore, in partnership with the Australian National University, is introducing a joint Master of Science degree programme in science communication.

The participation of the Science Centre Singapore in this programme, with its hands-on approach to learning, enhances the value of the degree. Both theory and practical aspects will be emphasised.

School teachers, in particular, will find this programme relevant as it helps them upgrade communication skills and scientific content knowledge, so they can engage students in creative ways as well as being confident of supervising them in project work.

In the 1980s, as director of the Singapore Science Centre, I had to seek funding to bring the famous Royal Institution of Great Britain's lecture and demonstration series to Singapore.

I was introduced to the head of a well-known chemical corporation, and he agreed without hesitation to sponsor the series. As an A-level student in London, he had attended a Royal Institution lecture given by a Nobel laureate in chemistry, Professor George Porter. He was so awed by the simplicity of the explanations that he decided to become a scientist. He went on to do a PhD in chemistry, joined the industry and rose to top management.

An effective science communicator had influenced his career.

Prof Porter was the director of the Royal Institution and a reputable researcher. He chose to communicate science not only to his peers but to the public too, and schoolchildren in particular.

As a result of the three-year sponsorship here, thousands of our students benefited from the lecture series.

The story does not end there.

A disciple of Prof Porter, Professor David Phillips, now an Emeritus Professor at Imperial College, London, had similarly influenced one of my students through his science communication lectures. That young man recently obtained his PhD from an Ivy League institution.

It is time this discipline took its rightful place in our society.

As for Labrador Beach, there is one clear benefit from introducing it to the students.

Some were instrumental in quietly proposing over three decades its conservation, and this became reality in 2001 when Labrador became a nature reserve.

Here was a tangible result of communicating science to my students.

They and other Singaporeans saw the value of keeping a living heritage that mattered to them.

The writer is president of the Singapore National Academy of Science and immediate past director of the National Institute of Education. He also chairs the advisory board for NUS-SCS Science Communication Programmes.

More about Prof Leo Tan and his influence on the shores and shore volunteers on the wild shores of singapore blog.

Master plan for Pulau Semakau at end 2009

2008-09-10T21:18:00.000+08:00

The National Environment Agency (NEA) is seeking ideas to turn Pulau Semakau green: test-bed for renewable energy and recreational and educational activities. NEA has posted a call to tender for consultancy services to a concept plan to this effect. The final masterplan is expected to be unveiled end of next year.

Plans for eco-park on Semakau landfill
It may be a test bed for energy studies and a place for 'green' recreation
Ang Yiying, Straits Times 10 Sep 08;
FROM the ashes of Semakau landfill, a new eco-park will rise.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) is seeking ideas for its brainwave to turn Singapore's first offshore landfill into a test bed for renewable energy technologies and a place for 'green' recreational and educational activities.

Eventually, Pulau Semakau will be self-sustaining, meeting all its own water and energy needs, according to a document posted on the Government Electronic Business website.

An NEA spokesman said it was 'premature' to reveal further information as the agency is still evaluating tenders for consultancy services to the concept plan.

The area proposed for development would be about 90ha of the 350ha Pulau Semakau.

Created by connecting two small islands, Pulau Semakau started operating as a landfill in 1999 and contains ash transported there from Singapore's incineration plants. It is clean and scenic, and has been open to the public for recreational activities since 2005.

Energy researchers welcome its use as a test platform not always possible - especially for the private sector - on limited and expensive land in Singapore.

Being near the sea, one possible use would be the creation of biofuels by cultivating marine algae as seed stock, suggested Mr David Liang, vice-president of technology and commercialisation at the Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering.

Another renewable energy source which could be researched and developed on the island is solar energy, said Dr Jiang Fan, manager of the Technology Centre for Clean Energy at Singapore Polytechnic.

Building and testing systems for solar energy can take up a chunk of space.

For example, a new 46.8 kilowatt- peak solar photovoltaic system that the polytechnic is planning to install will consist of 12 different types of photovoltaic modules and will take up 480 sq m.

Zero-emission vehicles, like electrical cars and fuel-cell cars, could also be tested in the eco-park where charging stations based on renewable energy sources can be set up at lower cost.

Singapore Environment Council executive director Howard Shaw welcomed the idea of turning a landfill into a productive showcase for the environment.

Mr Shaw said: 'I think it will be a gem for Singapore to show not just its commitment to being clean and green but also to provide education facilities for new generations.'

But he added that monitoring and adequate measures would need to be continued to minimise risk of leakages from the landfill site.

Dr Ho Hua Chew, who chairs the Nature Society of Singapore's conservation committee, also noted that the plan 'must include ways and means to protect or enhance the habitat of the natural biodiversity'.

Pulau Semakau is home to rare tape seagrass, which grows along its shores, and replanted mangroves. It is also a favoured spot for birdwatching. The proposal states that care should be taken to minimise impact on the existing eco-system.

Based on the schedule in the document, the final masterplan for the development is likely to be rolled out by the end of next year.

Singapore on the main IYOR website

2008-09-10T10:00:00.000+08:00

Our efforts are listed on the main IYOR website!
Visit the main IYOR website to find out things you can do to protect coral reefs and more...

There's lots of information about coral reefs ...

What Are Coral Reefs?

What are corals?
What are coral reefs?
How do corals eat?
How do they reproduce?
How fast do they grow?
Where are they found?
What does a coral reef look like?

As well as find out more about IYOR, what activities are being held and lots of other educational materials.

Guide to sustainable seafood choices: coming soon from WWF

2008-09-06T13:05:00.002+08:00

A seafood guide for Singapore soon! WWF announced today that they would be coming up with a guide on the seafood eaten in Singapore to guide consumers in making a more sustainable choice.

This is the Hong Kong fish guide, from the WWF website.

WWF also launched a two-year project to get Singapore restaurants and hotels to serve up less of the grouper and another fish, the Napolean wrasse, also known as the humphead wrasse.

After Hong Kong, Singapore is the second-largest consumer of these fish in the region.

WWF says more than 500 tonnes of fish consumed here in a year are coral reef fish, and three-quarters of these are various types of grouper. The reason the consumption of the grouper and the wrasse is worrying conservationists is that these fish are at the top of the food chain in the reefs.

'When they are gone, it means other fish normally eaten by them will increase in number. And some of these fish are harmful to the reefs'

'We're not saying one has to stop eating fish but perhaps we can choose to eat those which are in abundant supply. With the seafood guide, we hope to help consumers make these decisions.'

According to AVA, Singaporeans consume about 120,000 tonnes of fish a year, most of them from the waters of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Among the 15 most popular fish consumed here are the Spanish mackerel, commonly known as batang, salmon, pomfret and seabass.

WWF also says destructive fishing practices, such as blast or cyanide fishing, pose a serious risk to the health of reef ecosystems and the long-term future of the live reef fish trade.

The WWF has already produced such guides for Hong Kong and Indonesia.

This is the Indonesian fish guide, from the WWF website.

More about the fish guide
from the WWF HK fish guide

What is the aim of a fish guide?

Call the 'Seafood Choice Initiative', it aims to tackle the problems with marine fisheries and aquaculture through 'consumer-power'.

Do people care?

According to a 2005 TNS survey, conducted on behalf of WWF, more than 70% of people in Hong Kong didn't know or were unsure of the origins of the seafood they consumed. And more than 50% of them didn't know whether there were any environmental impacts associated with the food they ate. But an impressive 97% of the Hong Kong public said they would either stop or reduce their seafood consumption if they knew a species was threatened.

How were the different species assessed for the HK fish guide?

All species were assessed using rigorous criteria for either wild caught, or farmed species, developed collaboratively by a number of WWF offices, including Hong Kong. For wild-caught seafood, we examined in detail whether the fishery is sustainably managed, and whether the fishing methods are destructive to the environment. For farmed seafood, we looked at the impacts of disease, pollution, the use of medicine, and where the juvenile animals come from.

Updates of the seafood guide

The ultimate aim of the guide is not to completely halt the fishing or farming of any marine fishes or invertebrates, including those currently in the "Avoid" category. WWF recognises the importance of marine species as food. Rather, we hope that gradually all fisheries will become properly managed, and that the problematic side-effects of aquaculture become addressed. With this in mind WWF will periodically update the seafood guide to reflect changes in the way that wild-caught and farmed species are caught and reared. We will also update this webpage with the latest changes, assessments for new species, and more detailed information, to create an invaluable resource for consumers and the industry.

"Mean, Green, Photosynthesizing Machines"

2008-09-02T21:17:00.002+08:00

Yang Shufen of TeamSeagrass gave this talk at Reef Celebration on 9 Aug.

IYOR 2008 Singapore - Yang Shufen - Green Mean Photosynthesizing Machines from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Thanks to Andy for filming and uploading this video clip on his sgbeachbum blog.

TeamSeagrass is planning their annual Orientation on 27 Sep (Sat). Come for the session to learn more about our seagrasses and how you can make a difference for them.

Upcoming TeamSeagrass Orientation 27 Sep (Sat)

2008-09-01T15:00:00.000+08:00

Want to make a difference for our shores? Curious about our seagrasses and the wacky team that monitors our marine meadows?

Want to get a glimpse of some of their adventures? And find out more about what actually happens during a monitoring session?

Come for the annual TeamSeagrass Orientation session. It happens only once a year!

There'll be a quick introduction of our seagrasses and monitoring methods, aimed especially at those who have just joined the team. And quick look at some of past adventures throughout this year.

It's also PARTY TIME! A chance for seagrassers new and old to get to know one another.

Not on the Team yet? Just join us!

If you've always wanted to join TeamSegrass, now is a great time to do so. You'll get a proper introduction to the seagrasses and to the Team, at this annual seasonal gathering of Seagrassers.

How to join? Simply email these details
(a) your full name
(b) your age
(c) your email address
(d) your contact number
(e) any previous experience
to Ria at hello@wildsingapore.com, please put "TeamSeagrass" in your subject header.

Please do read the FAQs on the teamsegrass blog for more details about the programme.

Time: 2-6pm
Venue: Function Room, Botany Centre
Location map http://www.sbg.org.sg/tanglincore/tanglincore.asp
How to get there http://www.sbg.org.sg/visitorinfo/openinghours.asp
Website: http://teamseagrass.blogspot.com/
Contact: Ria at hello@wildsingapore.com

Big Stars and other highlights of the low tide

2008-09-01T14:00:00.001+08:00

Explorers had a quick look at our shores during the last of the pre-dawn low tides for the year. Among the amazing encounters were Very Large Stars and stunning sunrises.

Although Changi is often dismissed as a reclaimed shore, it remains very much alive with intriguing finds on almost every trip.

Besides the usual stunning variety of beautiful sea stars that is commonly seen there, a strange anemone was also encountered.
Most astounding was the encounter with Very Large Stars. Unfortunately, they were dead and disintegrating, although smaller living individuals of these Luidia sea stars were seen on previous trips.Where do these large stars hang out when they are alive? Why were so many dead ones encountered? There is indeed so much yet to find out about our shores.

Meanwhile, a quick trip to Kusu Island resulted in an encounter with a pretty shrimp goby and its associate, the snapping shrimp. This odd couple share a burrow, with the keen eyed fish keeping a look out, while the more short-sighted but well armoured shrimp tidies up their hideout. Other sightings on this shore included loads of mating sea stars.
As well as beautiful corals and clown anemonefishes.
And of course, a beautiful sunrise. Kusu Island lies just 15 minutes away from the city centre! City Reefs: uniquely Singapore!

Another quick trip to the smaller of the Sisters Islands rewards with views of rich living reefs, crowded with lifeforms.Among the sightings there were a giant clam, special anemone and this very large bright red feather star, shared on facebook.
The Hantu Bloggers also made their monthly foray beneath the waves at our wild reefs at Pulau Hantu.
And the reefs there are most definitely alive! There were sightings of seahorses, fishes galore. Alas, also some abandoned fishing lines, which were duly removed.

It was also a NUDIful day for nudibranch diehards. With sightings of new nudis as well as lots of the more familiar of these colourful slugs.
The Hantu dive resulted in a sighting of a special fish that merited a record at the Raffles Museum!

Other shore activities this week includes the free guided walk at the Chek Jawa boardwalk by the Naked Hermit Crabs.

More blog entries about recent trips to our shores

40 new sponge records for Singapore!

2008-08-30T10:17:00.002+08:00

SINGAPORE'S only sponge expert has uncovered 40 new records of this primitive life form in local waters over the past year.

This is just a fifth of the total number now known in Singapore, says Mr Lim Swee Cheng, 31.

'It was rather easy to find them. Every trip I made to places like Cyrene Reef and Pulau Semakau, I'd see 20 to 30 species. Our tropical waters make the biodiversity very rich with species,' the researcher said.

The new finds all come from the inter-tidal zone - the shoreline which receives the most exposure to the elements with the rise and fall of the tide.

RED MAIDEN FAN: Arguably Singapore's prettiest sponge, the Oceanapia sagittaria is just 7cm high. The fanlike protuberance is not always present and its body is buried in soft sediment, making it hard to spot despite it being common in local waters.

Read the full article!

A spongy kind of love
Expert finds 40 new species to add to rich haul in local waters
Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 30 Aug 08
full article also on the wildsingapore news blog

Sea turtles and Singapore's reefs!

2008-08-29T21:05:00.000+08:00

Today it was reported that another Hawksbill sea turtle has been radio tagged at Malacca as part of the ongoing study to better understand these wonderful marine creatures.
Data from the radio tracking shows that some of these sea turtles spend their time in Singapore waters!

More details on the wild shores of singapore blog

Cyrene Reef mapped!

2008-08-29T21:02:00.001+08:00

This fabulous map was kindly shared by Dr. D. Kumaran Raju based on his GPS mapping of Cyrene Reef on in May and July. Dr Raju also shares that the total area of Cyrene Reef is 45.7 hectares.

More about the mapping of Cyrene on the wild shores of singapore blog.

This fabulous map and Dr Raju's other amazing maps are hosted on wildsingapore.

More about Cyrene Reef on the wildsingapore website.

Southern Haunt: video clip of talk

2008-08-26T09:30:00.000+08:00

Debby Ng of the Hantu Bloggers gave this talk at Reef Celebrations on 9 Aug 08

IYOR 2008 - Debby Ng - Southern Haunt - The Hantu Blogs from sgbeachbum on Vimeo.
All about the beauty of our very own wild reefs at Pulau Hantu!

Thanks to Andy who filmed and uploaded the clip on his sgbeachbum blog.

Are there reefs left in Singapore? - video clip of talk

2008-08-26T09:00:00.000+08:00

Jeffrey Low gave this talk at Reef Celebrations on 9 Aug 08.

IYOR 2008 - Jeffrey Low - Does Singapore have Coral Reefs? from BeachBum on Vimeo.
Find out all about our living reefs!

Thanks to Andy for filming and uploading the video on his sgbeachbum blog.

Speak up for our reefs for a Sustainable Singapore

2008-08-24T21:13:00.003+08:00

At mid-point of the call for public feedback for a Sustainable Singapore, more than 700 responses have been received.
Please add your voice for our reefs and shores! We have until the end of October to give feedback.

Here's more background on this feedback exercise and how you can make a difference.

On 28 Aug (Thu), Green Drinks is also planning to discuss "How Sustainable is Singapore's Vision?" to consolidate some feedback on the issue. More details on this event.

There's also a quick look at the 600+ responses on the Sustainable Singapore website, on the wild shores of singapore blog. There are few voices for conserving our wild places. In fact many suggestions may harm them. And many many show quite a poor understanding of key sustainability issues. Some are downright disturbing.

Wishing upon a Star: video clip of talk

2008-08-24T21:13:00.000+08:00

Chim Chee Kong and Tan Sijie gave this talk at Reef Celebrations on 9 Aug 08.

IYOR 2008 Singapore - Wishing upon a Star by Ivan Tan Sijie & Chim Chee Kong from BeachBum on Vimeo.
All about the Knobbly sea stars and those on Cyrene Reef.

Thanks to Andy for taping and uploading the clip on his sgbeachbum blog.

26 adopted stars with a Name!

2008-08-23T21:13:00.010+08:00

Each of the 26 adopted stars now have their own blog entry!

The entries are up on the star trackers blog

Check the star trackers blog for updates on these named stars as well as all the other stars on Cyrene Reef!

More about Cyrene Reef on the wildsingapore website.

Life and Death at Chek Jawa

2008-08-23T11:00:00.001+08:00

Loh Kok Sheng gave this talk as part of Reef Celebrations on 9 Aug 08.

IYOR 2008 Singapore - Life & Death at Chek Jawa by Loh Kok Sheng from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Thanks to Andy of sgbeachbum blog for filming and uploading the video.

Scuba Divers are Willing to Pay More to See Healthy Corals, Sharks and Sea Turtles

2008-08-23T10:42:00.000+08:00

New Survey Finds Economic Incentive for Protecting Ocean Resources
Oceana website 21 Aug 08;

Washington, D.C. -- Oceana released the results of a new study today that finds a strong economic incentive for protecting living ocean resources. Sea the Value: Quantifying the Value of Marine Life to Divers shows that scuba divers are willing to pay more to see healthy corals, sharks and sea turtles.

"Divers are personally invested in the oceans and truly understand the importance of safeguarding marine wildlife and habitats," said Suzanne Garrett, dive program coordinator at Oceana. "Divers are avid participants in ecotourism and show a great willingness to protect all that inhabits the oceans."

Scuba divers contribute more than $4.1 billion dollars to local coastal economies alone each year through dive-related vacations. As part of Sea the Value, conducted in collaboration with Duke University, scuba divers were asked the maximum amount of money they were willing to pay, in addition to their normal dive costs, for the increased likelihood of seeing a particular species. Information was obtained from more than 500 scuba divers from across the United States who responded to a 25 question, web-based survey.

Average additional amount scuba divers are willing to pay per dive to view wildlife and the total annual value across all six million dives taken in the United States

Average Per Dive (U.S. $)
Sea Turtles: $29.63
Sharks: $35.36
Healthy Corals: $55.35

Total Annual Value (U.S. $)
Sea Turtles: $177.8 million
Sharks: $212.2 million
Healthy Corals: $332.1 million

Scuba divers find personal value in seeing healthy marine life when they explore the underwater world. Quantifying this value is important, in part because it provides economic justification for the protection of marine wildlife. In fact, divers are valuable participants in ecotourism and provide economic incentives for coastal areas to protect and preserve the oceans. Many non-coastal cities and states also are home to scuba divers and dive shops that rely heavily on healthy oceans, benefiting from the economic activities of the dive community.

"Divers are great advocates for the oceans because they see first hand what's happening in the water," said Elizabeth Griffin, marine wildlife scientist at Oceana. "Failure of ocean managers to decrease pressures from commercial fishing, pollution and climate change continues to threaten the health and future of the world's oceans."

When asked whether the U.S. government sufficiently protects its dive sites, most divers said no. Scuba divers saw pollution as the most damaging threat to ocean health, followed by unsustainable fishing, loss of habitat, loss of biodiversity and, finally, climate change. These are all areas where divers feel the U.S. should improve ocean conservation and management to help better protect marine habitats.

For more information on what you can do to help and to view a full copy of the report, please visit http://oceana.org/dive.

Second chance for Singapore to save its rare species

2008-08-22T10:42:00.001+08:00

The rediscovery of 'extinct' wildlife serves to motivate nature enthusiasts
Kimberly Spykerman, Straits Times 22 Aug 08;

WHEN it comes to wildlife native to these shores, it seems people here just do not know enough, grumbles Miss Toh Chay Hoon, a 31-year-old nature enthusiast.

In her spare time, the accountant does her bit to introduce people to the flora and fauna here by leading nature walks on offshore islands such as Pulau Ubin and Pulau Semakau.

She recalled an incident at Changi Beach last year, when a beach-goer found a threatened species of marine snail commonly known as the Bailer Snail, so named because its large shell is said to have been used to bail out water from leaky boats.
She said with dismay: 'He was going to take it home and cook it - even after I told him it was an endangered species! People have to learn to appreciate animals in their natural environment.'

People here are not aware of the rich variety of animals and plants in these parts, largely 'because because they don't get out there and explore', she said.

And given that some animals native to these shores have staged a 'comeback' in recent years, nature enthusiasts like her believe it is time Singaporeans sat up and took notice of the creatures that share their environment.

Miss Toh, for one, is always on the lookout for a great find.

In June last year, she thrilled the local scientific community by spotting the multi-armed starfish called the Basket Star while on a pre-dawn trip to the coral reefs off Sisters Islands.

A relative of the common Sea Star, it had not been seen in waters here since 1896. Its distinguishing feature is the basket-like shape formed by its many arms.
Miss Toh said of her find: 'I never expected to see a Basket Star. Till then, the only one I'd seen was a skeleton at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity.'

She left the fragile starfish where she found it, and came away with just memories and a few photographs.

full article also on the wildsingapore news blog.

East Asian Seas Congress 2009 Photo Contest

2008-08-21T10:42:00.001+08:00

With the theme, "The Coast, The Ocean, My Community", they're looking for entries that demonstrate local actions. There's categories for youth, amateurs and professionals.

More about the photo contest and submission forms.

Here's more about the East Asian Seas Congress 2009

The five-day EAS Congress 2009 will include the Third Ministerial Forum, the International Conference on Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Development, the EAS Partnership Council Meeting, Exhibition on Good Practices and Innovative Technologies, the 2nd EAS Youth Forum, Business Forum, Field Visits, and other side events or activities.

International Conference on Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Development(23-25 November 2009)

The International Conference will gather various stakeholders – policymakers, resource and economic managers, business professionals, scientists, members of the academe, local and international NGOs, youth and community representatives and other members of civil society from within and outside the East Asian Seas region – to engage in knowledge sharing and partnership building.

Third Ministerial Forum (25-26 November 2009)

The Third Ministerial Forum is expected to provide policy direction for improving and strengthening the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), i.e., the adopted regional strategy of the PEMSEA Country and non-Country Partners. The Ministers from PEMSEA participating countries are expected to deliver updates on their countries' efforts in sustainable coastal and ocean development, and reconfirm their individual and collective commitments to continuously address existing and emerging challenges besetting the East Asian Seas.

EAS Partnership Council Meeting (27 November 2009)

The Third EAS Partnership Council Meeting will be conducted as part of the EAS Congress 2009. This policymaking body, which is composed of 11 PEMSEA Country and 16 non-Country Partners, convenes to monitor and assess overall progress related to the implementation of the SDS-SEA. Based on the recommendations and commitments by the Partners and the Ministerial Forum, the Council will formulate a work program and identify partnership arrangements that further strengthen individual country and regional efforts in sustainable coastal and ocean development through the implementation of the SDS-SEA.

Second EAS Youth Forum (21-27 November 2009)

Specifically designed for young environmental enthusiasts, the 2nd EAS Youth Forum builds on the success of the 1st EAS Youth Forum in 2006, whereby the Youth Agenda for the Seas of East Asia was formulated and adopted. The 2nd EAS Youth Forum hopes to provide a platform for the youth of the EAS region to converge and be involved in a dynamic discussion of key issues and actions for the sustainable development of the coastal and ocean environment of the region. In line with the EAS Congress theme, the 2nd EAS Youth Forum will focus on the role and contributions of the youth on coastal protection and development in their respective communities in support of the Youth Agenda.

Exhibit on Innovative Technologies and Good Practices (22-27 November 2009)

The EAS Congress 2009 hopes to further strengthen understanding and appreciation to various actions and innovations undertaken in line with sustainable development of coasts and oceans by integrating the environmental exhibition with workshop and seminar discussions. Through the synergy of exhibit images and workshop discussions, the EAS Congress introduces an innovative manner of engaging Congress participants on coastal and ocean management discussions.

Strange moon and other marvels: highlights of the lows

2008-08-20T10:38:00.009+08:00

During the recent series of low tide trips, explorers not only saw more marine marvels, but also a lunar eclipse!

What's MORE adorable than a Nemo? What's happening on Cyrene Reef?

The lunar eclipse was quite an interesting phenomenon for shore explorers out that night. Although the tide at Changi was not as low as expected, there were still interesting finds including a dead shark.

What could be more squeal inducing than a 'Nemo'? Really tiny baby Nemos! False clown anemonefishes (Amphiprion ocellaris) are quite regularly seen in our sea anemones, and of course, they must surely have babies! Marcus shares this photo and story of the babies on his budak blog.This same trip to the Sisters Islands also involved encounters with strange fishes, masses of mushrooms and pinching hermit crabs.

The last trip to Cyrene at sunrise for the year included lots of first timers.They had a quick look at the wonderful reefs and shores there, despite the ominous weather.While the Star Trackers continued to work hard to monitor the magnificent Knobbly sea stars on Cyrene. Dredging is now ongoing next to Cyrene Reefs, as well as reclamation works nearby at Pasir Panjang Port.

Meanwhile, Kok Sheng encounters a star-studded shore at Pasir Ris. Although NEA has closed this shore to swimming due to poor water quality. There were sea stars small and big as well as lots of other marine life.
The crocodile at Pasir Ris that has been in the news in the past week or so.
seemed to have been caught today.

More blog entries about trips to our shores during the last two weeks

N. Sivasothi updates on the marine conservation community during the IYOR launch, 8 Aug 08

2008-08-17T09:44:00.000+08:00

IYOR 2008 Singapore - Update on the Singapore Marine Conservation Community by N. Sivasothi from BeachBum on Vimeo.

N. Sivasothi gave a presentation on the marine conservation community in Singapore with a focus on the youths involved, new groups and some of the challenges faced.

Thanks to Andy of sgbeachbum blog for filming and uploading the clips.

Siva was recently also featured in the news as one of the ordinary people making a difference for our shores. Read more about Ordinary Singaporeans lead the green charge, by Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 16 Aug 08;

International Coastal Cleanup: you CAN make a difference

2008-08-16T10:00:00.001+08:00

It won't just be volunteers in Singapore that hit the shores that day, volunteers in countries around the world will be taking to the beach as well, in order to data for a global perspective about marine trash.

At this stage of beach and mangrove recces are being conducted by Zone and Site Captains and with organisers at beaches and mangroves in preparation for the actual day. And a briefing for Site Buddies who help supervise operations will be conducted on 13th September 2008.

More details on the current site and participant status for ICCS on the habitatnews blog.

More news updates will be posted to the ICCS blog at coastalcleanup.wordpress.com.

Hope for coral reefs in Singapore

2008-08-16T09:43:00.000+08:00

Just one species gone; concerted effort can reverse extinction trends
Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 16 Aug 08;

JUST one coral species out of more than 250 has disappeared from Singapore waters in over 100 years, despite the fast and furious pace of urban development here.

Quantity-wise, the figures are dire: About 60 per cent of local reefs has already been destroyed, and another 15 per cent is expected to be wiped out through current coastal development. However, the rich diversity present makes experts hopeful of reviving the reefs.

Professor Chou Loke Ming, a marine biologist with the National University of Singapore (NUS) said a concerted effort made now by the Government, business sector and those in civil society can reverse current trends towards extinction.

Speaking last Saturday at the second International Year of the Reef

(IYOR2008) event, the pioneer conservationist said that to make this happen, 'development agencies must treat reef protection as a real exercise and not just for public relations, and draw up improvement plans at the same time as their development plans'.

Before the latest study by NUS, scientists had thought at least 50 species had been lost to development work.

Prof Chou envisions a marine paradise by 2018, with many large young thriving reefs lining Singapore's shores. He noted that restoration efforts had begun over the last decade.

One example is on Pulau Semakau, where screens were set up to protect existing sun-loving coral reefs from being choked by sedimentation during the creation of a landfill there.

Another is the work by Keppel Industries, NParks and NUS teams to build a coral nursery near the Southern Islands using fibreglass as a base for coral fragments to grow.

'Today's restoration efforts are a start but they still have to go beyond saving small coral colonies here and there,' Prof Chou said.

Environmental companies which can take on such work, he said, should also be given ample time to carry out assessments and save more corals standing in the way of land reclamation.

'Two weeks is not enough to tell them to get organised, and to take what coral they can before closing the whole place.'

To reverse the damage done, Prof Chou suggested a mix of preserved natural, newly created and restored sites, supported by development agencies.

Already, better private-public sector partnerships are springing up, he said, with resorts in Bintan and One deg 15 Marina interested in saving corals.

Sentosa Development Corporation has even considered how to grow corals in its canals. He added: 'We have a rich heritage; why squander it?'

Prof Chou's audience was made up largely of nature enthusiasts from non-governmental organisations as well as those from the Government and business community who support conservation issues.

About 500 visitors attended the weekend event at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Chairman of IYOR2008 Francis Lee said a proposal from the people, private and public sectors to conserve Singapore's marine life will be submitted to the Government by the end of this year.

Links

Video clip of Prof Chou Loke Ming's keynote address on the singapore celebrates our reefs blog.

16 Aug (Sat): "Remember Chek Jawa" DVD launch

2008-08-15T09:43:00.000+08:00

"Remember Chek Jawa" a film by Eric Lim will now be available in DVD. At this launch, various clips from DVD will be shown. Eric (Filmmaker), Joseph Lai (Leader of survey) and Jeffery Low (Blue Water Vounteer) will talk about the film and answer questions. Ten autographed posters will be given away.

Part of DVD sales proceeds will go to local marine conservation work endorsed by Blue Water Volunteers

Time: 2 – 2.45pm
Venue: Kinokuniya Bookstore @ Takashimaya
Website: http://chekjawa.net
Contact: Kenny Lim (Objectifs Films) 82887501

The DVD release will also be held on 22 Aug (Fri)

Venue: Books Actually Bookstore, No. 5 Ann Siang Road; Telephone no: 6221 1170
Time: 7.30–8pm
Website: http://chekjawa.net
Contact: Kenny Lim (Objectifs Films) 82887501

Creating a Coral Paradise in Singapore Within 10 Years

2008-08-14T09:43:00.013+08:00

ZaoBao.com 12 Aug 08;
translation from the ashira blog

Members of the International Year of the Reef (IYOR) Singapore Organising Committee have a dream, and that is to create a coral paradise in Singapore within the coming years.

Professor Chou Loke Ming (Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore) believes that even though it would be difficult to achieve the aim of "Singapore, Coral Paradise 2018", it is not impossible. If this dream can be achieved, Singapore's marine life would be revived, with all kinds of fish returning, allowing us to become a diving hotspot.
He expressed these thoughts during the launch of the International Year of the Reef (IYOR).

IYOR is celebrated once every 10 years, and the first IYOR was launched in 1997, with the aim of raising awareness about the destruction of coral reefs. At that time, various groups from over 50 countries were involved and more than 100 research publications arose from the event.

The various groups and organizations taking part in this year's IYOR are equally enthusiastic and passionate, and comprise of many NGOs, water activity interest groups, individuals, as well as the National Parks Board.When interviewed, the chairman of the IYOR Singapore Organizing Committee, Mr Francis Lee, mentioned that, "The protection and conservation of Singapore's green spaces has been done very well, and air quality has been managed adequately. However, when it comes our marine heritage, too little has been done."

Development of the Blue Plan
With this aim in mind, the committee drafted a Blue Plan 5-6 years earlier, with the hopes of being able to work together with the government in conserving Singapore's marine life.

This year, the committee will once again draft out a new Blue Plan, including discussions/suggestions on how to allow ordinary people to treasure the ocean, as well as to share the knowledge of marine ecology with fishermen and divers alike. For example, if a caught fish is deemed too small, the fishermen could release them back to the sea.

The Chairman of the Blue Plan cluster, Mr Farid Hamid, states that the committee aims to submit the Blue Plan to the government by the end of this year, and have various discussions with the government, including a proposal for marine protected area(s), similar to Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve, situated on mainland Singapore.

Situated in the south of Singapore, Sisters' Islands and Pulau Hantu are both within the consideration of the Blue Plan. These two islands are established offshore leisure grounds.

The committee members also aim to organize the existing database of our coral reefs, as well as to update the information, with the eventual aim of setting up a national database of Singapore's coral reefs.

60% of our local coral deaths due to reclamation works
Professor Chou also notes that the Tuas-Jurong area of Western Singapore originally possessed a large area of coral reefs but is now reduced to 40% of its original area.

Sedimentation reduce photosynthesis
Around 60% of Singapore's coral reefs have been destroyed between the 1970s and 1990s, with the main culprit of this destruction being sediments resulting from reclamation works.

Some of these sediments assumulate on the coral reefs, smothering the hard corals, and reducing light penetration which in turn decreases photosynthesis within the corals, leading to the eventual death of these coral colonies.

In addition, when the sediments settle on the seabed, they would also cover any coral larvae (and gametes) present, preventing the growth of new coral colonies.

Mr Ivan Choong, an avid diver who dives frequently in Singapore, said that the silt accumulating in on the seabeds of local waters can be as deep as a human's arm length, and the visibility of local waters are generally low. He notes that when diving locally, visibility is usually around 3-5m, and that he can only see the vague shadow (lacking a distinct outline) of his dive buddy.

Having just returned from Christmas Island, Ivan observed that in comparison, the waters there are still crystal clear even at depths of 30-40m.

Decrease in population but diversity still maintained
Even though Singapore's coral reefs have decreased in numbers, the types of corals that have persisted are largely intact. Professor Chou said that despite having experienced so many years of harsh conditions, only one out of the 251 species of hard corals found locally has gone extinct. This is a pleasant surprise, giving hope and confidence in the dream of a local coral paradise.
Little facts about hard corals

Corals are animals, not plants
Many individual coral polyps form a single coral colony
The intestinal cavity of individual coral polyps contain unicellular sumbiotic algae (zooxanthellae). These algae make use of sunlight that penetrates the water for photosynthesis, and their waster products act as nutrients for the coral
Corals absorb calcium that is present in seawater, secreting this calcium in the form of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) skeletons
Coral mass spawning occurs annually in Singapore on the nights of full moon during the months of March-April
Coral reefs are natural habitats that support one of the greatest number of plant and animal species on earth, and are thus, of utmost importance to biodiversity.

Keynote address by Prof Chou Loke Ming at IYOR Launch 8 Aug 08

2008-08-14T09:43:00.010+08:00

IYOR 2008 - Prof Chou Loke Ming - Keynote Address from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Thanks to Andy of sgbeachbum blog for the videoclip.

12 Aug (Tue) onwards: Cyrene Reef exhibit at the Raffles Museum

2008-08-12T15:00:00.000+08:00

Singapore’s Natural Heritage - Cyrene Reef

Located west of Labrador Beach, between Pulau Bukom and Jurong Island, Cyrene Reef is situated in the middle of a busy shipping lane. The wonders of this reef are only reveal at low tides. Flaunting a long sand bar flanked by lush sea-grass meadows and lagoons of coral rubble, Cyrene Reef is rich in marine diversity despite its proximity to offshore refineries and other developments.

This small exhibit showcases the beauty of Cyrene Reef and its inhabitants.

from the RMBR news blog

More about Cyrene Reef.

More about the RMBR public gallery and how to get there.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9am-5pm
(Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays)
Location: Block S6, Level 3, National University of Singapore, Science Drive 2
Website: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/
Contact: 6516-5082

Colouring madness at Reef Celebrations

2008-08-12T13:00:00.002+08:00

The Colouring Station was a huge hit at Reef Celebrations. Here's MORE photos of this event.
It was the most popular activity at Reef Celebrations! With a crowd forming almost as soon as we opened.
Hard at work.With a little encouragement from Sam.
Reviewing our work.
Here's mine!
Posing with our work.With mum.
This dedicated colourist won our hearts with his patient work.
Jani, the marine biologist, presents a labelled final result with beautifully coloured marine animals.Here's Chay Hoon, the artist of the fabulous drawings, colouring too!

The nudis as they should be, by Chay Hoon.Only the eyes were coloured in...hmmm...

The drawings are simply irresistable.Even the volunteers HAVE to have a hand at some.And who is responsible for the "fiery" nudi?The artists with their handiwork.
A closer look.
Another wacky one done by the volunteers.
Abby does a more muted 'moo' version.

Wow, we sure had fun!

Stars of the Reef Celebrations

2008-08-12T12:30:00.001+08:00

The Knobbly sea stars of Cyrene were the stars at Reef Celebrations! And 100 of them were up for adoption.

The first star was adopted by Prof Chou Loke Ming, Guest-of-Honour and marked the Launch of the IYOR in Singapore on 8 Aug (Fri)!Prior to that, November gave a short introduction to the stars.Assisted by the very lovely star ladies.There was a huge rush to adopt stars after the Launch. And a queue formed to get their favourite star!
It was more hard work sharing about our stars the following day at Reef Celebrations. November is our tireless Star Ambassador.
Vyna is also working very hard at the Star booth.The kids are intrigued by the stars!Here's some young adopters.
Sijie helping a young adopter add the name to her star.Stars are also adopted by groups, such as the Naked Hermit Crabs! (who have selected a star without knobs on the arms and called it 'nudistarre')And soon, many stars are adopted!At the end of the events, November is pleased to announce 26 stars have been adopted!

More about the adopt the star event:

26 stars adopted! on the star tracker blog
Naked at Reef Celebrations on the adventures with the naked hermit crabs
More about Cyrene Reefs on the wildsingapore website

Star Trackers and Cyrene Stars in the news!

2008-08-11T19:00:00.003+08:00

We all have a name and IC!
Koh Soo May, My Paper 11 Aug 08
translation from the Star Tracker blog

Two days ago, 24 local seastars were each given a name, becoming unique stars in the ocean.

These seastars, belong to a species commonly as the "Knobbly Seastar" as well as the "Chocolate Chip Seastar", were adopted by the public for a minimum sum of $50 donation at the International Year of the Reef event.

These seastars are not only unique in name but are also unique in the number and arrangement of knobs on the body surface.

Twenty-four knobbly seastars and at least 162 other individuals currently inhabit a local southern reef known as Cyrene Reefs. They can have their own "IC" (Identification Card) due to the hard work of two young men.

Since May this year, Chim Chee Kong (31 years old, research assistant) and Tan Sijie (26 years old, education and outreach officer) have visited Cyrene Reefs six times, took photographs and measurements for each seastar.

They have taken 220 photographs, of which 186 were recognised as individuals, including 55 juveniles.

Most of the seastars have five arms, although a few have only four arms, some of which were due to injury. In addition, the body may be of different colours, which consist of different shades of red, brown, beige etc.

The Knobbly Seastar is a locally endangered animal and the juveniles of this species are rare. This research project is extremely important to Chim Chee Kong and Tan Sijie, as it helps Singaporeans to better understand that we have these "lucky stars".

Two people started "Star Chasing" in May this year

Chim Chee Kong is a research assistant with the Tropical Marine Science Institute and Tan Sijie is a education and outreach officer with the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. Both have strong interests in marine life.

Chim Chee Kong said "Seastars are charismatic animals, as demonstrated by their presence in many advertisements that promote the tropical island feel. Nonetheless, many do not know that Singapore has seastars, and related research are also few."

Chim Chee Kong and Tan Sijie started "star chasing" in May this year at Terembu Pandan, which is one of the reef of Cyrene Reefs.

Cyrene Reefs have two other smaller reefs.

They said that even though the Knobbly Seastar is also found at local sites such as Pulau Semakau, Chek Jawa and Changi Beach, the number of individuals are not as many as in Cyrene Reefs, and that is the reason why the ecology of the Knobbly Seastar population at Cyrene Reefs is worth investigating. "Although the Knobbly Seastar was classified as endangered in 1994, Cyrene Reefs is inhabitated by a large number of adults as well as juveniles, and is possibly the only sustainable population that remains locally.

Because Cyrene Reefs is submerged by 3m of water during high tides, they can only survey during low tides, with the help of boatmen.

They hope to have a long-term study on individuals regarding their growth rates, movements, ontogenetic change in morphology etc.

Recording, Touching

Recording is often the touching action of people who cares.

Because of the hope not to let things die out by themselves, because of the fear that precious things and feelings be forgotten, thus the need for recording.

We record histories, sceneries, feelings, and daily things that happen around us, they chose to record seastars.

Two young men with a passion for marine life, tirelessly went to our country's southern reef in search of a species of seastar (Knobbly Seastar), took photographs and measurements of each seastar they encounter, provide each with an identification code, such that they are no longer just a population of seastars but are unique individuals.

Translations and thoughts also shared on Jun's ashira blog part 1 and part 2

Links

Star Tracker blog for more about the project and the Knobbly sea stars of Singapore

More about Cyrene Reefs on the wildsingapore website

IYOR Singapore launch Welcome address by Francis Lee

2008-08-10T22:00:00.003+08:00

IYOR 2008 Singapore - Welcome Address by Mr Francis Lee from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Francis Lee, Chairman of the IYOR Singapore Organising Committee gives an outline of the work of the Committe and upcoming plans for our reefs.

IYOR 2008 - Presentation of Sponsorship Cheque from BeachBum on Vimeo.

Chairman of the IYOR Singapore Committee, Mr Francis Lee, represented the members to receive a $5000 donation from Mr Herman Ho, Chairman of TMX, organizer for the Asian Dive Expo (ADEX) this year at Suntec City, raised to support the committee’s marine conservation efforts.

Thanks to Andy of sgbeachbum blog for filming the address!

Thoughts on Reef Celebrations

2008-08-10T20:02:00.018+08:00

Precious thoughts shared in the Reef Celebrations Guestbook!Missed leaving a comment? No worries, do it online on this blog!

These individual comment sheets fit together to form a giant star!The Celebration Guestbook was managed by the Naked Hermit Crabs.
There are lots of drawings of marine creatures!Even the youngest visitors provide awesome renditions of our marine life!
With our most charismatic creatures being featured.
Some require a little explanation.The drawing is of a mangrove tree, it's NOT a jellyfish (says Shufen)
The presence of scientists at the event reflected in rather 'cheem' but cute drawings.Not just cute critters, but even crustaceans are close to our hearts.Crinoids too! (i.e., feather stars)That's a seabird drawn by Morten Strange.

What a fabulous way to celebration our National Day! Thank you to all who made it possible.

Leave your comment on the do online Celebration Guestbook on this blog!

A wonderful celebration of our reefs!

2008-08-10T01:30:00.011+08:00

Bright and early Saturday morning and the crowds started as soon as Reef Celebrations opened its doors. Here's Debby of the Hantu Bloggers sharing about Pulau Hantu with young visitors.

Jun shares about Singapore's first coral nursery with another young visitor.More young visitors at the TeamSeagrass booth!

In fact, young visitors were a big part of the people who came to Reef Celebrations!They made themselves at home at Kok Sheng's talk about "Life and Death on Chek Jawa".
But everyone of all ages enjoyed the exhibits, especially the Toddycats booth with the intriguing baby dugong.The talks were really well attended! It was really packed at Kok Sheng's talk.Sijie and Chee Kong shared about our special Knobbly sea stars on Cyrene in their talk about "Wishing on a Star".During the talks, the kids asked the best questions! Here is Jeff explaining to the question by a child "How do you breathe underwater?". Collin brought the dive gear displayed at Jun's booth so that Jeff could show how it was done. Jeff was giving a talk about "Are there coral reefs in Singapore?"
Debby gave an inspiring talk about our "Southern Haunt".
Shufen shared about our "Green, Mean, Photosynthesizing Machines", i.e., seagrasses.
We were very fortunate today to have YC to be our MC for the talks. He also brought his MP3 player to provide background music! Something we totally forgot about! Thanks YC.

With the large crowds of family groups, it was wonderful to have Vilma and friends of Cicada Tree Eco Place and the Raffles Institution people provide exciting programmes for the kids with the theme MAD for turtles (Make a Difference for turtles).

There were all kinds of games to help kids understand the threats to sea turtles and what we can do to make a difference.
There was a special boardgame about turtles.Computer game about turtles.Fishing game about turtles.
Story-telling about turtles by Vilma herself.Which was really captivating!And pledge cards for the kids to sign.Chay Hoon's pretty marine themed pebbles are big hit. Chai Joo, Vilma and Chee Kong hold some examples.

Our Celebration Guestbook is a puzzle mainly so that we can scan in everyone's comments later (which will happen after we get some sleep).
And Marcus was among the most hardworking of photographers today.
Ley Kun of the Naked Hermit Crabs manages the Celebration Guestbook, encouraging visitors to share their thoughts about our reefs.
The colouring station run by the Naked Hermit Crabs was a BIG hit with the kids.And the artists with their masterpieces are a hit with the photographers too!Even the volunteers HAVE to have a hand at these delightful drawings specially created for IYOR by Chay Hoon of the Naked Hermit Crabs!

At the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation booth, we learnt about their work. They are completing year fourteen of an ongoing expedition to map and monitor the world's coral reefs. To date, PCRF's research vessel is the only ship continually at sea studying coral reefs on a planetary basis.Kelly from the Underwater World Singapore explained their latest Young Marine Biologist Award launched as part of IYOR.

We were also very fortunate to have Abigayle today to tell us more about the work of the Blue Water Volunteers.

The highlight of IYOR is the Adopt a Star programme!Together with the Star Trackers (Sijie and Chee Kong), the Crabs ran the Adopt a Star booth. Here is November sharing about the special Knobbly sea stars of Cyrene.And Vyna with all the 100 stars of Cyrene that are up for adoption.And a pair of young adopters with their selected Star!At the end of the day, November is pleased to share that 25 out of the 100 stars have been adopted!

What a fabulous way to share about our reefs and celebrate the launch of International Year of the Reef in Singapore!

Of course lots and lots more people were involved in making the Celebrations possible. Many staying out of the photos but well into the work. Wei Ling of NParks the National Biodiversity Centre and her colleagues were always at hand to ensure all went smoothly. And many more volunteers who were everywhere except in the photos.

Thank you to everyone!

More blog entries about the day!

Toddycats at the Celebrations on the Toddycats! blog
Naked Hermit Crabs at work at the Celebrations on the adventures with the naked hermit crabs blog
TeamSeagrass at the Celebrations on the teamseagrass blog
Debby's on-the-spot blog about the event on the pulau hantu blog
Samson's day at the Celebrations on the manta blog
November's Starry Day on the leafmonkey blog
Behind the scenes goings on and more wacky happenings on the wildfilms blog
LOTS of photos on Marcus' flickr set and the habitatnews flickr set and chimck's flickr set and Debby's flickr set and juanicths' flickr set

Found in Singapore's waters: A new species of sponge

2008-08-09T16:29:00.002+08:00

WHAT looked like a bean sprout in the sea here has been identified as a new species of sponge found nowhere else.

The sponge, named Tethycometes radicosa (which translates to sea comet with roots), is only the seventh sponge species described from Singapore.

It was dredged up from the sea bed about 10m from the shores of the Singapore Strait by researchers from the Tropical Marine Science Institute.

Mr Lim Swee Cheng, 31, Singapore's only sponge expert, identified the new sponge.

The last time a sponge was described from Singapore was more than 100 years ago, in 1884.

The new species is a unique, atypical sponge the size and shape of a bean sprout.

And just like the bean sprout, the delicate sponge stands erect with its 'roots' in sandy mud on the floor of the sea.

This is quite unlike typical sponges, which tend to be larger, with a wide range of growth forms either attached to rocks and dead corals, or buried in soft mud or sand.

The new species is also unique in having a partially detached sheath surrounding the stalk, something which has yet to be seen in other sponges.

Tethycometes radicosa is the first among similar species reported from shallow, coastal waters.

Others are known only from deeper waters elsewhere in the world.

by Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 9 Aug 08;

Related links

A new species of Tethycometes Sarà, 1994 (Porifera: Hadromerida: Tethyidae) from Singapore on the Raffles Museum News blog

9 Aug (Sat): Reef Celebrations! Launch of IYOR in Singapore

2008-08-09T09:10:00.007+08:00

The marine community celebrates our nation’s priceless reefs this National Day with the Singapore launch of International Year of the Reef!

Everyone is invited!

With a slew of activities for all, come find out about Singapore's living shores and how you can make a difference for them.

A shore fun day for the entire family! Kids' games and activities so even the youngest ones (aged 4-8 years) can learn about our marine life and what we can do to help.

Be a Star! Adopt a unique Singapore star and learn more about Cyrene Reef, a major Knobbly Nursery. (more about the adoption)

Our reefs revealed! As volunteers share about our reefs and shores and the work they have been doing. A rare opportunity to meet ALL major marine groups active on our shores and find out how you too can make a difference.

Exciting exhibits! See Singapore’s living shores without getting your feet wet. Find out about the latest marine projects, and threats to and work done for our shores. Come see rarely seen specimens, including a baby dugong by the Toddycats!

Special talks throughout the day! Come find out if there are any reefs left in Singapore and about diving Singapore's wild reefs at Pulau Hantu. Learn more about our Knobbly sea stars; how is Chek Jawa doing after the mass deaths in 2007?; and about our wild and wacky seagrass meadows. Film clips about our amazing marine life will also be shown throughout the day.

Schedule of talks and activities

10.30am: "Life and Death at Chek Jawa" sharing experiences of a study of mass deaths on Chek Jawa following flooding in 2007, a talk by Loh Kok Sheng (more about the talk)

11.30am: “Wishing upon a Star” about our Knobbly sea stars, a recent emergence of baby Knobblies and discovery of a large population at Cyrene Reef, a talk by Tan Sijie, Star Trackers (more about the talk)

12.30-1pm: MAD for turtles (make a difference for turtles) : Games for kids about threats to turtles and how kids can help, by Cicada Tree Eco-Place and the Raffles Institution with four stations. Suitable for kids aged 4-8 years. (more about the event).

Fishing for help: a 'fishing' game .
Turtles and jellyfish: a story and animation with a simple computer-based game.
Turtles and reefs game: a more vigorous activity.
Pledge card signing.

2pm: “Are there reefs left in Singapore?” lifting the veil to reveal the hidden biodiversity of this almost forgotten realm, a talk by Jeffrey Low, NParks Biodiversity Reference Centre (more about the talk).

3pm: “Southern Haunt” about diving at Pulau Hantu, bringing clarity to the usually murky waters with underwater photos and videos, a talk by Debby Ng, Hantu Bloggers (more about the talk)

4pm: "Green, Mean, Photosynthesizing Machines!" a talk by Yang Shufen, TeamSeagrass and NParks Biodiversity Reference Centre (more about the talk)

Activities throughout the day

Be a Star! Adopt a unique star and be a part of our shores by the Star Trackers and the Naked Hermit Crabs (more about the adoption)
Celebration Guestbook Speak up for our shores! Leave a comment, draw a drawing on this special art effort by the Naked Hermit Crabs
Colouring station with special cartoons to colour and learn about our shores by the Naked Hermit Crabs

Exhibitions include

Our marvellous reefs by the Blue Water Volunteers and the Hantu Bloggers
Toddycats! volunteers of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research: Learn more about marine litter and the impact on our shores. See specimens including a baby dugong who had a sad death.
100 Stars of Cyrene: posters of unique stars found on our uniquely Singapore reef and our other shores by the Star Trackers and the Naked Hermit Crabs
Our seagrasses by TeamSeagrass: Fun and wacky facts about our seagrass meadows!
The Coral Nursery by NParks Biodiversity Centre: find out how our baby corals are doing! (more about this on the ashira blog)
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) features the Coral Triangle
Underwater World Sentosa features the International Year of the Reef posters

Time: 10am-5pm
Venue: Function Hall, Botany Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens (above Taman Serasi foodcourt), more about getting there.
Contact: iyor08singapore@gmail.com

Fill us with Colours!

2008-08-09T09:00:00.005+08:00

These delightful marine creatures await colour! Lots of nudis and other naughty nauticals.

Come for the Reef Celebrations for these specially drawn colouring sheets for the kids (and young at heart).

These drawings were done by Chay Hoon, artist of the many other colouring sheets that grace the Naked Hermit Crab events.

More on her colourful clouds blog and flickr site.

Colouring madness! more of what happened at Reef Celebrations.