wild shores of singapore

Mass coral bleaching expected in Mar-May 2027

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:06:10 +0000

Mass coral bleaching is likely in Singapore in Mar-May 2027. NParks will be monitoring.

Mass coral bleaching at Kusu Island, Jun 2024

Karenne Tun, group director of NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre said that while recent studies show that repeated bleaching in Singapore has caused relatively low immediate coral death – usually under 10%, and about 5% in the 2024 bleaching event – the reefs are changing and have “flattened” over time. Repeated bleaching and shifts to simpler reefs may affect coral spawning, limiting the reefs’ long-term resilience even if they appear to recover.

Marine biologist Huang Danwei, deputy head of NUS’ Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum noted that increased frequency of coral bleaching events means reefs have less time to recover between them. When corals do not recover, the flora and fauna that depend on reef habitats also decline in abundance and diversity.

According to third World Ocean Assessment: “The reefs of today will not be the reefs of tomorrow, and shifting baselines need to be considered when setting objectives, with respect to conservation, restoration and regeneration".

Current efforts include NParks’ 100k Corals Initiative, launched in December 2024 to plant 100,000 corals in Singapore over the next decade and beyond. It is the most extensive coral restoration effort in Singapore to date. Jani Tanzil, facility director of the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, noted that in Singapore’s case, where only about 10 sq km of reefs remain, there is no choice but to turn to this last resort of reef restoration to combat their decline.

Singapore corals may come under threat in 2027 if El Nino turns strong as predicted; NParks monitoring
Chin Hui Shan Straits Times Jul 27, 2026, 05:00 AM

SINGAPORE – If a super El Nino develops as predicted, it could turn Singapore’s reefs white again in 2027, just three years after the country’s coral reefs suffered widespread bleaching.

This is likely to take place between March and May 2027, during the expected tail end of the current El Nino event, as its impact on temperatures is highest when it weakens.

While this is not a certainty, El Nino conditions are already present and are likely to become strong during August and September, according to the Meteorological Service Singapore’s May 29 update.

The National Parks Board said that if El Nino proceeds as predicted, impacts on coral reefs may intensify in 2027, adding that it is monitoring the situation.

Marine biologist Huang Danwei, deputy head of NUS’ Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said that if El Nino picks up rapidly and extends through the middle of 2027, there is a “good chance” that higher sea temperatures will cause severe coral bleaching.

Corals get their vibrant colours from microscopic algae that live in their tissues. When they are stressed by rising sea temperatures, the corals expel the algae and turn ashen white in a phenomenon known as coral bleaching.

These algae supply the corals with nutrients, so when bleaching occurs, the corals become vulnerable to disease and may eventually die.

Global coral bleaching events occurred in 1998, 2010, 2016 and 2024, with Singapore also experiencing mass bleaching during those years.

All four global bleaching events followed El Nino – a climate phenomenon that warms sea surface temperatures and lifts global temperatures.

Severe bleaching during strong El Nino events can cause extensive coral mortality, reduce their structural complexity and lead to long-term declines in reef fish diversity and abundance, said Karenne Tun, group director of NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre.

While recent studies show that repeated bleaching in Singapore has caused relatively low immediate coral death – usually under 10 per cent, and about 5 per cent in the 2024 bleaching event – the reefs are changing and have “flattened” over time, she said.

Studies also indicate that a combination of factors, including heat stress, chronic turbidity, sedimentation and coastal development, has, over recent decades, shifted reefs from branching, structurally complex corals to more stress-tolerant, massive and dome-shaped forms, said Tun.

Repeated bleaching and such shifts to simpler reefs may affect coral spawning and potentially reduce reproductive output, limiting coral reefs’ long-term resilience even if they appear to recover, she added.

“Even when coral mortality is relatively low and coral cover remains moderate, research indicates that the loss of structurally important coral species can reduce habitat availability, biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, carbonate production and coastal protection functions,” she said.

Huang noted that the increased frequency of coral bleaching events also means that coral reefs will have less time to recover between them.

When corals do not recover, the flora and fauna that depend on reef habitats also decline in abundance and diversity.

Declines in reef fish – which are critically important for the food security and livelihoods of millions in South-east Asia – could endanger the lives of the most vulnerable communities, he added.

This comes as coral reefs have been under siege.

The third World Ocean Assessment, published on June 8, found that global coral cover continues to decline due to increasing ocean temperatures associated with climate change, continued coastal development, pollution, sedimentation, diseases, and marine resource destruction and over-extraction.

The frequency and severity of disturbances caused by heatwaves, disease outbreaks and tropical storms have also increased, it wrote, curtailing the recovery time between such disturbances.

This pattern is projected to continue on its current trajectory or accelerate, it added.

Written by more than 650 experts from 86 countries, the assessment provides the latest insights into the health of the oceans, providing a vital evidence base to help make better decisions for a sustainable future.

It is also the only global integrated assessment of the state of the marine environment that explores the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the ocean.

Tun said the report, unlike most global reports, does not prescribe policy. Instead, it brings together hundreds of national and regional assessments into an authoritative “health check” of the ocean that is policy-neutral but policy-relevant.

Documenting how climate change, pollution and overfishing, among other factors, put ocean systems under severe strain, the report calls for stronger multilateral cooperation and is designed to help policymakers sustainably manage the ocean.

The paper also found that ocean acidification – which refers to rising carbon dioxide levels in seawater – adds further stress to corals.

Ocean acidification makes it harder for corals to build their structures and weakens the reef foundation, making it difficult for reefs to keep growing upwards, said marine biogeochemist Patrick Martin from NTU’s Asian School of the Environment.

While Martin – who contributed to the report – noted that studies have shown that excessive acidification can harm corals, he said corals also show tolerance to acidification to a certain extent, though more research is needed.

He added that while ocean acidification is currently not the most pressing threat to coral reefs and has not reached extreme levels, it is steadily increasing alongside other threats that damage coral reefs.

Tun, who also contributed to the report, said that ocean acidification is already contributing to reduced skeletal density, slower growth and greater erosion risk in South-east Asian reefs, although these effects are harder to detect than bleaching and are often masked by co-occurring local stressors.

She said that the report also highlights that South-east Asia as a hot spot where warming, ocean acidification, nutrient pollution and land run-off coalesce, with reefs also experiencing low carbonate levels, which worsen the effects of acidification.

Under high-emissions scenarios, modelling and observational work in South-east Asia suggest that many reefs will become “marginal” for net reef growth between 2020 and 2050, said Tun.

This means that the rate of coral growth could barely keep pace with physical and biological erosion, even if live coral cover persists, she added.

The paper also noted that while efforts to conserve, restore and regenerate corals are under way, few initiatives are carried out sustainably. It said that the approaches and tools – often designed to mitigate or halt reef decline – are usually restricted to local reef-wide projects and could be difficult to scale up.

It also emphasised that global efforts are needed to support the survival and continued functioning of reef ecosystems by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change.

“The reefs of today will not be the reefs of tomorrow, and shifting baselines need to be considered when setting objectives, with respect to conservation, restoration and regeneration,” it wrote.

Huang, who contributed to the paper, said that measures like active restoration of degraded ecosystems, management of local stressors and the introduction of more temperature-resilient corals into reef systems need to be explored and scaled up.

However, restoration – such as coral gardening – alone cannot prevent coral reefs from degrading as climate change intensifies, said Huang, as the sheer logistical scale required for restoration to outpace climate change is staggering.

“Ultimately, climate change needs to be halted and reversed for coral reefs to have a reasonable chance to retain the functions that human communities have found useful and utilised for their sustenance and development,” he said.

Current efforts include NParks’ 100k Corals Initiative, which was launched in December 2024 with the aim of planting 100,000 corals in Singapore waters over the next decade and beyond. It is the most extensive coral restoration effort in Singapore to date.

However, Jani Tanzil, facility director of the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, noted that reef restoration should be seen as a last resort because it is not realistic in many parts of the region, given its high costs and limited impact.

But in Singapore’s case, where only about 10 sq km of reefs remain, she said there is no choice but to turn to this last resort to combat their decline.

To help conserve coral ecosystems globally, Huang said people can reduce their carbon footprint by opting for more energy-efficient choices.

They can also support local coastal conservation projects, choose sustainable seafood and advocate for stronger environmental policies, he added.

“Reefs as we know them may not persist through business-as-usual trajectories, but meaningful recovery remains achievable if climate action and restoration efforts advance together urgently,” he said.

‘Good’ bacteria and HIIT could train Singapore corals to withstand hotter seas
Shabana Begum Straits Times Jul 27, 2026, 05:00 AM

SINGAPORE – Just as some people rely on probiotic drinks and regular exercise to stay healthy, corals could also benefit from a special bacterium and a training regime to survive rising sea temperatures.

Bracing themselves for the next marine heatwave amid El Nino, Singapore scientists have identified a bacterium living in reefs that can fortify corals’ resilience to heat, potentially helping to prevent bleaching.

At the same time, researchers have been putting coral fragments through a heat-conditioning regime in aquariums to acclimatise them to higher temperatures.

Strengthened by these methods, 160 coral fragments were transplanted into the reefs of Kusu Island and St John’s Island in late May and will remain there for a year.

Coral fragments are small pieces of living coral that can grow into new colonies.

Every two weeks, researchers will revisit the artificial reefs to keep track of the corals’ growth, survival, colour and how well they absorb sunlight to produce energy– a key indicator of the animals’ health.

They will also be monitored for any changes in their microbial communities, said Huang Danwei, an associate professor and deputy head of the NUS Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

“The corals will face the warmest months of the year initially, from May to July, and potentially through the marine heatwave caused by El Nino,” he said.

Huang is overseeing the study, which is under the National Parks Board’s Marine Climate Change Science Programme.

This is part of Singapore’s quest to find solutions to address the wave of challenges climate change is bringing to the marine world.

Amid El Nino and forecasts that the phenomenon will rapidly intensify in the coming months, scientists are bracing themselves for a potential marine heatwave in 2027 that could cause mass coral bleaching – just three years after the previous El Nino killed 5 per cent of corals in Singapore.

Higher sea temperatures stress coral reefs, forcing them to expel the algae called zooxanthellae that give them their striking colours. This causes corals to bleach, or turn ash-white.

While the most well-known of coral microbes are zooxanthellae, they are not the only microscopic wonders that reside in the underwater garden. Bacteria, viruses and fungi also live on corals; some cause diseases, while others help to recycle nutrients and shield the animals from stress.

From NTU School of Biological Sciences, Rebecca Case – an associate professor and marine bacteria expert – and her team turned detective to find one microbe within the ringed plate coral species that confers protection against heat stress.

This coral species was selected as it has low susceptibility to bleaching and a strong ability to recover after it turns white.

As part of the screening process, each bacterium was isolated, and its DNA mapped to identify genes that could potentially be beneficial to corals.

Eventually, one bacterium, or probiotic, from the Roseobactereaceae family was identified as having properties that can confer heat resilience to corals.

Case’s colleague Joao Pereyra dosed coral fragments with the bacterium and raised the water temperature to test the probiotic’s effect on their survival. The stronger strains were used in the field.

Case said: “Coral fragments were submerged in a dilute wash of the bacteria for eight hours so they had time to swim to the coral and get themselves stuck to its mucus and eventually its cells and skeleton.”

Each strain differs in terms of how it sticks to the coral, so the more “sticky” ones needed to be identified, she added.

There are three ways the bacterium can make corals more resistant to warmer seas.

First, it converts sulphur-rich compounds produced by corals into a gas that can escape into the air. This gas can have a cooling effect on the atmosphere by helping clouds to form more easily and reflect some sunlight back into space.

Second, the microbes produce vitamins that stabilise heat-sensitive processes in the corals. Third, the microbes also produce antibiotics and other molecules that prevent viruses from infecting stressed corals.

Forty coral fragments were eventually treated with the bacterium before being transplanted to the reefs.

At the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, coral fragments have been undergoing intensive conditioning in tanks. The facility’s director, Jani Tanzil, calls it heat HIIT (high-intensity interval training) for corals.

Over four weeks, the corals are exposed to water temperatures that swing from 29 deg C – Singapore’s average sea temperature – to 32 deg C. This is higher than the surrounding waters’ average monthly maximum temperature of 30.5 deg C in the hotter months of May to June.

Senior research fellow Tanzil said: “This results in the corals being exposed to an accumulated heat load that would stress the corals, but not enough to kill them.”

The regime worked well to boost heat tolerance in the ringed plate corals, especially for the weaker fragments, she added.

Another 40 fragments in the field have undergone heat acclimatisation, while an additional 40 have been exposed to both the microbe and the HIIT. The final 40 are untreated and serve as a control.

The aim of this project is to find the optimal solution to fortify corals against a boiling sea.

Tanzil said: “All the aquarium experiments have given us confidence that these methods to boost coral resilience work in semi-controlled settings and in shorter timeframes.

“A big question is how long these methods last – what are the lasting effects of the probiotics or the HIIT treatments?”

Nearly two months in, 98 per cent of the corals are surviving, said Huang.

Three other coral species, including a cauliflower-shaped coral, are undergoing aquarium trials and will be transplanted in 2027.

Huang added that the two methods can be scaled up if the strengthened coral fragments perform better than the controls during a marine heatwave.

“In future, fragments that have undergone HIIT or microbial treatment (or both) could be transplanted to sustain natural coral populations that may face higher mortality during heat stress.

“We could develop a field-based inoculation approach to introduce the resilient microbes directly to adult coral colonies on the reef,” he said.

Long Island: NParks to study fish on reclaimed shores

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:11:23 +0000

As preparatory works for the Long Island start in end-2026, NParks announced a study of fish on reclaimed shores. Initiated in 2025, expected to span 3 years, official start date not revealed.

HDB said “Given the mobility of fish and the availability of habitats outside of the work areas (of the Long Island preparatory works), the impact on fish is assessed to be temporary and localised.”

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum's senior collection manager of fishes Tan Heok Hui said there will not be enough time for the NParks study to document comprehensively the existing biodiversity at Bedok Jetty. He noted no proper baseline surveys currently exist for the East Coast area. And existing impact assessments often overlook less mobile, bottom-dwelling or burrowing organisms. Because the entire East Coast is already on reclaimed land, it is technically considered of lower ecological importance compared with pristine marine habitats.

Four anglers in their 20s formed a fish interest group to document the species at fishing hot spot Bedok Jetty before works start. Student Lin Jiayuan, 24, and three of his friends founded the Ichthyological Society of Singapore on July 6. The group, which has grown to more than 80 members, aims to document the biodiversity that remains along the Republic’s rapidly developing coastlines.
NParks plans study on fish along reclaimed shores, including where Long Island works will take place
Ang Qing Straits Times Jul 25, 2026, 12:00 PM

SINGAPORE – The National Parks Board (NParks) is planning to study marine fish communities along the Republic’s reclaimed shores to better design and manage such habitats.

Fish scientists and enthusiasts told The Straits Times that the NParks study will help fill some gaps when it comes to the little-studied marine fish off East Coast Park. This comes as preparatory works for the Long Island reclamation project are slated to start in end-2026.

“This could potentially help with future planning for the development and management of other fish aggregating devices like Bedok Jetty during the later stages of the Long Island project,” said fish biologist Jeffrey Kwik.

Karenne Tun, group director for the National Biodiversity Centre at NParks, told ST that the study covering fish communities living along reclaimed shorelines, including East Coast Park, will help ensure future nearshore habitats better support ecological functions and coastal uses valued by the community.

NParks is in talks with marine fish researchers from the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) for the proposed study, which was conceptualised in 2025. Expected to span about three years, the research will examine the community structure of fishes, the distribution of adult and larval fishes, as well as the composition and impact of non-native species. NParks did not reveal the official start date of the study.

Kwik, an associate professor at SIT involved in the study, said such information has historically aided the protection and management of coastal marine habitats, such as mangroves and seagrass beds, in places like Australia and the UK.

“Information from changes in the size distribution of fishes over time has led to the enforcement of size and bag limits to enable sustainable recreational and commercial fishing and natural stock management in many countries,” he said.

Some local anglers are concerned that the Long Island environmental study, which was made public in June, might overlook the diversity of marine life at Bedok Jetty. Preparatory works, which involve sand infilling, are expected to start nearby.

Addressing these concerns, the Housing Board, which oversees the reclamation, said the environmental study for Long Island’s preparatory works had recognised that environmental pressures could affect fish communities in sensitive habitats like coral reefs.

“Given the general mobility of fish communities and the continued availability of habitats outside of the active work areas, the impact on fish is assessed to be temporary and localised, compliant with the environmental quality objectives set for the works,” said HDB.

The agency added that the report had assessed the impact on recreational fishing at Bedok Jetty, pointing out that the jetty is primarily recreational infrastructure rather than a natural ecological habitat.

While recreational fishing can continue there during the works, the HDB noted that catch rates might drop.

A spokesman for newly formed fish enthusiast group Ichthyological Society of Singapore argued that the environmental study should reflect significant and rare species of fish that anglers had caught at the jetty and documented for the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

Kwik said that given the lack of information on fish communities there, it may have been difficult to predict the potential impacts across different species recorded either from research or citizen science. Factoring in national interests and time constraints, conducting an extended baseline study prior to the preparatory phase might not have been feasible, he noted.

The museum’s senior collection manager of fishes Tan Heok Hui said there will not be enough time for the NParks study to document comprehensively the existing biodiversity at Bedok Jetty.

He pointed out that because the entire East Coast is already on reclaimed land, it is technically considered of lower ecological importance compared with pristine marine habitats.

Tan, who has researched fish populations for other coastline developments here, said no proper baseline surveys currently exist for the East Coast area.

A study that accurately reflects marine biodiversity in an area needs to span at least 1½ years and utilise a diversity of survey methods before the environment is altered, Tan explained. He called for the NParks’ study to employ a range of methods, noting that existing impact assessments often overlook less mobile, bottom-dwelling or burrowing organisms.

Fishing for science: Gen Z anglers form society to document fish in Singapore waters
Ang Qing Straits Times Jul 25, 2026, 03:00 PM

SINGAPORE – When the authorities announced that preparatory works for reclamation off East Coast Park will begin at the end of 2026, four anglers in their 20s formed a fish interest group to document the species at fishing hot spot Bedok Jetty before works start.

Student Lin Jiayuan, 24, and three of his friends founded the Ichthyological Society of Singapore on July 6. (Ichthyology is the scientific study of fish.) The interest group, which has grown to more than 80 members, aims to document the biodiversity that remains along the Republic’s rapidly developing coastlines.

They do so by noting down all the species they catch. While most fish are then released, a select few are preserved to provide scientific data on their behaviour and habitats, which aids in long-term conservation.

After reading the environmental study for the Long Island reclamation works – which will result in some 800ha of land created along Singapore’s East Coast – the co-founders discovered that the diversity of fish they had encountered at Bedok Jetty over the years did not appear in the study. On public database iNaturalist, the vicinity of the jetty has yielded 200 species.

The four co-founders say they have collectively caught and recorded some 500 of Singapore’s estimated 700-plus marine and freshwater fish species in the waters around the mainland and its offshore islands.

“We acknowledge that reclamation may be necessary, but if we’re going to change our coastline, we want the habitats and species that are actually there to be properly recognised,” said Lin, a bioengineering student at Nanyang Technological University.

While he is not a fish scientist, Lin has authored more than 25 biodiversity records published by the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. He has also contributed to local fish-related organisations like Pasarfish and the now-defunct Marine Stewards Singapore.

Sentosa Tg Rimau: EIA on slope stabilisation works

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 07:27:32 +0000

Work will begin in 2027 across a 400m stretch of Sentosa Tanjong Rimau. This include "a few hundred XblocPlus blocks, each weighing about a tonne, to be placed at three sites". The EIA found that more than 12 per cent of seagrass meadows may be lost. Soft, sandy and seagrass habitats are likely to transform into artificial hard, rocky habitats at the locations of the XblocPlus.

Muhammad Nasry Abdul Nasir, executive director of Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity said: “If you’re protecting an existing seawall or a reclaimed shoreline with little ecological value, (adding XblocPlus) for habitat complexity is a no brainer. But Rimau is not a blank canvas; there’s a lot of life there. Are there alternatives we can consider that are less drastic in terms of reshaping the shore, that can still provide the coastal resilience we are looking for?”

“While stabilising the slopes is necessary to prevent progressive collapse (of the cliff), the approach should minimise impacts to Tanjong Rimau’s biodiversity,” said Lester Tan, chairman of Nature Society Singapore’s Marine Conservation Group. “I’m always in favour of not changing one habitat to another. There could be a loss of connectivity,”

Read the full EIA on the Sentosa website.

Send your feedback here https://form.gov.sg/6a20d00d14f841cbd5b20469

Related blog post: Sentosa Tg. Rimau: Interlocking 1-tonne blocks to be deployed

Sentosa’s Tanjong Rimau to be shored up with nails, concrete blocks to prevent erosion, slope damage
Shabana Begum Straits Times Jul 19, 2026, 10:00 AM

SINGAPORE – To prevent one of Singapore’s last coastal cliffs and rocky shores from crumbling, rock masses at Sentosa’s western tip need to be nailed in place and brittle outcrops shielded from rough waves.

In 2027, a suite of measures will be undertaken to strengthen parts of Tanjong Rimau, a biodiversity haven that has been experiencing slope damage, rock falls and erosion over the years.

They include drilling metal rods or nails into the rock and soil, laying erosion-control blankets and lining X-shaped concrete blocks – called XblocPlus – at the foot of some slopes to protect the shoreline from coastal erosion.

These works across four weak slope areas within a 400m stretch of Tanjong Rimau are expected to take nine months to complete. The measures were revealed in an environmental assessment released in June on Sentosa’s website.

A few hundred of the interlocking XblocPlus blocks, each weighing about a tonne, will be placed at three sites in Tanjong Rimau, in partnership with national water agency PUB and the solution’s creator Delta Marine Consultants, among others.

This solution is also one of five novel coastal protection measures that will be tested islandwide over three years to help determine whether they can be used for future coastal protection works.

As one of Singapore’s remaining natural rocky shore and coastal cliff habitats, its richness in biodiversity and the unique geology of its intertidal zone make it a popular site for nature lovers.

“Tanjong Rimau is the best and one of the last of the accessible places in Singapore to see the type of coastal forest that clings to rocky outcrops,” said Shawn Lum, a senior lecturer at NTU’s Asian School of the Environment.

Muhammad Nasry Abdul Nasir, executive director of Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity, noted that the coastal flora are adapted to regular disturbances caused by slope damage.

“The small landslides dump rocks on the shore, which create numerous tiny pockets for marine creatures to inhabit – that's how a rocky shore habitat forms,” he explained.

But all it takes is erratic weather to trigger a huge landslide and wipe out highly endangered species that are no longer widespread in Singapore, he said.

The study recorded 94 flora species, including four seagrass types. Of the 94, more than a quarter are threatened or important for conservation. These include the nationally critically endangered nyireh laut tree and the vulnerable Raffles’ pitcher plant, of which Tanjong Rimau is one of the last major strongholds.

Lum said: “In addition to safeguarding the physical site and its flora and fauna, earthworks at Tanjong Rimau might allow people to visit and study the area in a safe and sustainable way.”

But the measures, like any human activity, will cause impacts.

The environmental study, done by biodiversity consultancy firm Camphora, found that more than 12 per cent of seagrass meadows along Tanjong Rimau may be lost as temporary bunds will be constructed within the intertidal zone to enable works. Materials and machines such as excavators will be transferred along the bund.

Some loss is unavoidable, but the habitat can recover after works are completed, stated the report.

Another risk is how soft, sandy and seagrass habitats – which support creatures such as sea sponges, the galloping sand star, mudskippers and coastal horseshoe crabs – are likely to transform into artificial hard, rocky habitats at the locations of the XblocPlus armours.

With the possibility of losing some soft habitats, nature experts have concerns about the suitability of XblocPlus at a rare, fragile spot like Tanjong Rimau.

“While stabilising the slopes is necessary to prevent progressive collapse (of the cliff), the approach should minimise impacts to Tanjong Rimau’s biodiversity,” said Lester Tan, chairman of Nature Society Singapore’s Marine Conservation Group.

“I’m always in favour of not changing one habitat to another. There could be a loss of connectivity,” added Tan.

Nasry added that while the XblocPlus armours may not directly bury seagrass, they could alter the energy of waves and how sediments move, which could gradually bury or destabilise nearby seagrass meadows.

For example, patches of critically endangered tape seagrass are abundant on the southern shores of Tanjong Rimau, near two planned armour systems.

To compensate for any loss, the 200-page report by Camphora suggested that man-made micro-habitats be created alongside the revetments. These could include rock pools, grooves and crevices to mimic natural rocky shores for algae, corals and crustaceans.

Rock surfaces can be roughened, with spaces between the concrete blocks widened to create shaded, moist refuge for intertidal creatures.

“These interventions are expected to partially restore habitat functionality lost during construction, increase species richness and functional diversity relative to unmodified armour rock... while maintaining its primary coastal protection function,” said the report.

Tan acknowledged that XblocPlus enables the creation of new rocky habitats and is a better option than building a uniform sloping wall that is not conducive for wildlife.

But while new rocky habitats can be created, soft habitats could still be lost.

Nasry said: “If you’re protecting an existing seawall or a reclaimed shoreline with little ecological value, (adding XblocPlus) for habitat complexity is a no brainer.

“But Rimau is not a blank canvas; there’s a lot of life there. Are there alternatives we can consider that are less drastic in terms of reshaping the shore, that can still provide the coastal resilience we are looking for?”

In response to queries, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) said the current environment at the toe of the slope comprises rocks and sandy substrate.

“The impact is therefore best characterised as a change from soft to hard substrate within the works footprint, and hence has minimal impact on existing biodiversity,” it added.

During construction, work areas will be sensitively managed and any disturbance to the biodiversity be kept minimal as technically possible.

“The XblocPlus system will incorporate eco-engineered features such as crevices and tidal pools, if feasible, to replicate the complexity of Tanjong Rimau’s natural rocky shores and support a diversity of intertidal fauna and algal communities,” added the statutory board.

An environmental monitoring and management plan will also be implemented throughout the project to ensure regulatory compliance and minimise impacts.

Steps recommended include salvaging seagrass for researchers before they get affected, and saving threatened coastal plant species before works begin.

The temporary bund alignment should also be adjusted to avoid three nyireh laut trees, with appropriate tree protection zones in place, stated the report.

Tan suggested that the Singapore Oceanarium’s intertidal surveys should continue, alongside monitoring by marine experts, after construction.

Lum said: “The work needs to be done sensitively, and the teams on the ground may have to be flexible and resourceful enough to adjust their workflow as any work, not least of all in a dynamic environment like the coastal zone, requires.”

Terumbu Semakau next to massive worksite

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:55:15 +0000

A large team surveys this large submerged reef next to Singapore's only landfill and near the petrochemical plants on Pulau Bukom. There is currently a large worksite near it for repairs to the pipeline carrying crude oil to Pulau Bukom.

We still find rich reefs at the edge facing the Landfill, but elsewhere, less corals. The water seems a bit more murky that usual and sand seems to have built up on some parts of the shore. But two Giant clams are found, and the rest of the team make special finds which I will update later.

As usual, the rest of the team make all the special finds. Giant clam right next to the Landfill seawall. Seahorse! Coral snapping shrimp! Also the usual colourful nudibranchs and flatworms seen on our reefs. Plus several minefields of scary looking Diadema sea urchins.

They saw many Bubble tip anemones, two Merten's carpet anemones (one with anemone shrimps). Also special corals like Bubble coral (Physogyra), Cabbage coral, Anchor corals, Acropora corals and mushroom corals.

The most eye-poking animals on the shore remain the Magnificent anemones. These anemones form clumps of many individuals, apparently through division. So those with similar body colours are probably closely related. As usual, there were those with bright red, purple and white body colours. I saw some Giant carpet anemones including one right next to Magnificent anemones. Also a Fire anemone. The rest of the team saw Merten's carpet anemone.

At the mid-water mark, I saw several patches of what seems to be the beginning of fields of Branching montipora. The reef edge facing the seawall of the Landfill is still rich with healthy corals. Mostly commonly encountered corals, but I also saw a small Acropora colony. The reef edge Pulau Semakau East seems to have fewer healthy and large corals than before.

While most of the common Boulder pore corals were alright, some were pale and one had dying tissue (bluish). Some corals had stress colours: pus-yellow, or pinkish. The rest of the team spotted some bleaching corals.

There were still many medium to large colonies of leathery soft corals of various kinds. There were also still a lot of Asparagus flowery soft corals. I didn't see any that were bleaching, although one small leathery soft coral had a layer of 'skin' which happens when the animal is trying to get rid of something on its body.

Upon arrival, noticed in the distance, a large fish trap. Lon took a closer look and confirmed it's already broken. Nowadays, we don't encounter active traps as often as we used to in the past.

There is currently a huge worksite near Terumbu Semakau. From Port Marine Notice No. 83 of 2026 dated 24 Jun 2026: Seabed Repair Works for Aster SBM Pipeline. From 24 Jun 2026 to 21 Dec 2026. Works will be carried out by pipelaying barge “Sandpiper 1”. Anchor handling tugs, multi-cat, project material barges and pipe supply vessel will operate within the work rea, which include lifting activities for material transfer to pipelay barge.

The Aster Chemicals & Energy Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) pipeline enables Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) to offload crude oil directly to the Bukom refinery. The site is currently undergoing a US$125 million pipeline rejuvenation. Here's the huge working vessels we saw in the work site today, with Pulau Jong for scale.

Here's a photo of a VLCC moored at a yellow SBM.

Photo from gcaptain

More about Terumbu Semakau

Terumbu Semakau lies next to the Semakau Landfill and close to the petrochemical plants on Pulau Bukom.

Just as Changi Airport and Changi Beach are not the same even though they are near one another and share a name, Pulau Semakau is NOT the same as the Semakau Landfill. The Landfill was created by destroying all of Pulau Saking, and about half of the original Pulau Semakau by building a very long seawall.

The team take a closer look at a Giant clam next to the Landfill seawall.

Fortunately, the landfill was constructed and is managed in such a way that the original mangroves, seagrass meadows and reefs on Pulau Semakau were allowed to remain. It is NOT true that the construction of the Landfill created the marine life found on Pulau Semakau. The marine life was there long before the Landfill was built.

What is the fate of Terumbu Semakau?

Pulau Semakau (East), Terumbu Semakau and even Pulau Jong and Pulau Sebarok are slated for massive reclamation outlined recently in the Long-Term Plan Review.

The Singapore Blue Plan 2018

Pulau Semakau and nearby islands and submerged reefs have been recommended by the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 for Immediate Conservation Priority. The Blue Plan recommends the intertidal and subtidal marine areas of Pulau Semakau and adjacent Pulau Hantu, and Pulau Jong to be designated Marine Reserve.

The Blue Plan highlights that Pulau Semakau and its associated patch reefs comprise many ecosystems: coral reefs, mangrove areas, intertidal sandflats, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. The subtidal area of Pulau Jong is larger than the terrestrial area. Pulau Hantu is a popular dive site has seen increasing interest in the past decade due to biodiversity awareness. If protection is accorded to these three islands, zonation plans for use can be implemented to manage tourism and human impacts.

DOWNLOAD the Plan, SUPPORT the Plan! More on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 site.

Photos by others on the survey

Loh Kok Sheng

Lon Voon Ong

Tammy Lim

Chui Qing

Others on the survey: Jayden Kang, Yan Le Su, Lester Tan, Ang Qing, Anya, Giant Clam Team

Terumbu Hantu in the face of Sudong reclamation

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:44:58 +0000

Despite being next to petrochemical plants on Pulau Bukom and surrounded by heavy vessel parking, this little gem with rich reefs is one of our favourite sites.

Today we survey within sight of the ongoing massive reclamation on Pulau Sudong. We are relieved to see the corals are still doing well. The rest of the team make all the special finds, I will update later.

As usual, the rest of the team make all the special finds. Cushion star, 'Nemo' and stingrays among the corals. Violet brittle star, the usual nudis and flatworms. We didn't see any live giant clams but Lon saw the shells of large dead clam, which Che Cheng saw on an earlier survey.

The rest of the team saw special corals and took great shots of the despite the rain. Astounded by the very long mushroom coral!

The reef edge opposite Pulau Hantu has denser cover of corals. A large cluster of Galaxy corals, large plate corals and Barrel sponges, some colonies of less commonly seen corals like Anchor corals. Also many kinds of mushroom corals. All seemed healthy and well formed. I didn't see any that were bleaching. Here is a video clip of the reef edge, within sight of the ongoing Sudong reclamation.

There was still the usual scattering of medium-sized leathery soft coral various kinds, including a few larger clusters. I didn't see any that were bleaching. I also saw some Giant carpet anemones and other cnidarians like corallimorphs. All were fine.

The middle part of this small submerged reef is dotted with small colonies of commonly seen corals. Mostly boulder shaped, but also some commonly seen plate corals. Some of the Boulder pore corals were a little pale. A few boulder shaped corals were producing copious slime (like snot), which tends to happen when they are exposed to rain at low tide. I didn't see any that were bleaching.

One reason we visit this submerged reef is to check up on the damage when boats strike it. Like this large deep hole gouged out by the MV Nautica, a large live-aboard dive boat when it ran aground on Terumbu Hantu on 9 Nov 2014. The hole is still there 10 years later. Photo of the MV Nautica when it ran aground on Terumbu Hantu on 9 Nov 2014 by Lee Bee Yan.

Large colonies of Acropora coral have been seen growing in this boat strike 'hole' since our survey in Jul 2020. They are still doing well in Aug 2023 but were mostly in Jun 2025. Today, I couldn't find any inside the hole, but there was a nice patch on the reef edge near the hole! There was also a large patch of healthy Galaxy coral on the reef edge near the hole. So it seems the reef is slowly healing from the trauma of the boat strike.

Today, the scattered clumps of Tape seagrass I saw were still mostly cropped very short, with few with longish leaves (about 15cm). Leaves were fresh and green though.

The ongoing Sudong reclamation is very visible from Terumbu Hantu.

From Port Marine Notice No. 55 of 2026 "Reclamation at Pulau Sudong" with effect from 08 Apr 2026 to 07 Oct 2026. The works involve the installation of navigational buoys, removal of metallic debris, demolition of abandoned jetty, dredging works, installation of marine staging platforms for soil instrumentation, infilling works, marine vibrocompaction, stone revetment works, and jetty construction to facilitate the reclamation and jetty construction works at Pulau Sudong.

Here is the location of Pulau Hantu and other nearby shores in relation to the Sudong reclamation.

We had a closer look on the way home and the worksite is still busy with many large vessels in the water and vehicles on the land. Seems similar to our last look at it while we surveyed Terumbu Pempang Laut earlier in Jul 2026.

With Terumbu Bemban in front of the worksite.

Thanks to Zen, who contributed to our survey despite being away. He shared this view from the plane, of the Sudong reclamation this week. This is not showing up on Google Earth. The latest image displayed for the area is for Oct 2023, so we might never get a satellite shot of the reclamation.

Storm clouds chased us as we headed out, and caught us once we were on the shore. After a brief period of hard rain, the sun came back out and we were rewarded with a lovely rainbow.

The rain took up about a quarter of the survey, so we couldn't help but take photos of the weather and rain falling like bullets. As well as the lovely rainbow that appeared after the weather cleared.

What is the fate of Terumbu Hantu?

Pulau Hantu and all the terumbus west of it are slated for massive reclamation outlined recently in the Long-Term Plan Review. Singapore's submerged reefs are often out of sight under the high tide and thus forgotten. Let's hope Terumbu Hantu stays safe until we can visit again.

The Blue Plan highlights that Pulau Semakau and its associated patch reefs comprise many ecosystems: coral reefs, mangrove areas, intertidal sandflats, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. The subtidal area of Pulau Jong is larger than the terrestrial area. Pulau Hantu is a popular dive site has seen increasing interest in the past decade due to biodiversity awareness. If protection is accorded to these three islands, zonation plans for use can be implemented to manage tourism and human impacts.

DOWNLOAD the Plan, SUPPORT the Plan! More on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 site.

Tammy Lim

Che Cheng Neo

Richard Kuah

Rui Quan Oh

Lon Voon Ong

Others on this survey: Yan Le Su, Ian and the Giant Clam team.

Kusu Island still reefy, with Giant clams!

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:07:52 +0000

This rich reefs of Kusu Island lies just opposite the Central Business District, less than half an hour away by fast boat. A small team surveys the rich reefs that are now part of Singapore's second national Marine Park at Lazarus South-Kusu Reef.

The corals are slowly recovering from the 2024 mass coral bleaching and we feel haven't quite returned to their former glory. This is quite worrying as we are expecting another round of mass coral bleaching next year. We also saw 3 giant clams and other fascinating finds. I will compile the rest of the team's finds later.

The reef edge outside the Northern lagoon is densely covered in hard corals. Today, the very low tide exposed a large extent. The situation seems similar what I saw in May 2025. Many corals seem alright, including large colonies. Towards the western side nearer Eagle Bay, there remains some less commonly seen corals like branching Acropora and delicate plateforming Montipora that look like tiered wedding cakes and large Horn coral colonies. There are still large colonies of Leathery soft corals at the reef edge, but fewer and smaller colonies at the seawall. I didn't see any bleaching corals. Here's a slide show of the northern reef edge.

Corals have settled inside the Northern lagoon. Challenging to survey in total darkness. But the situation seems similar to what I saw in May 2025 and Aug 2024. There remains far fewer live corals, and the area near the seawall opening was much sandier and bare. The large patch of Branching montipora corals remains mostly dead, with only those on the outer edge of the patch alive and not bleaching. Other large coral colonies were also mostly dead on the upper portion. But there were many small colonies of common coral growing, often on the dead coral patches. I didn't see any bleaching colonies, but there were a few with freshly dying tissues (bluish grey).

I had a look at the southern reef edge, facing Lazarus Island and east of the temple. The situation seems similar to what I saw in May 2025. A rich reef edge large colonies of Trumpet coral and small fields of Branching montipora coral! As well as a few mushroom corals. I also noticed many small to large colonies of Cauliflower coral - a few with small white patches. Most corals seemed healthy, I didn't see whole colonies that were bleaching. Here's a slide show of the southern reef edge.

Unfortunately, I noticed some large deep holes at the reef edge with piles of dead corals pushed up - possibly due to a boat striking the reef? Could this be something to do the ongoing works on the Kusu Island jetty? I didn't see the large Anemone coral colonies that I saw last year. Perhaps these were destroyed in the boat strike?

Today, we spot three Fluted giant clams (about 25cm long). One was at the northern reef edge, the other on the southern reef (photo by Richard), and yet another past the temple.

Magnificent anemones remain abundant in the northern lagoon and northern reef edge. Today I saw clusters of anemones with white, purple and red body columns. These large anemones multiply by cloning themselves, clones having similar coloured body columns. One of them had several large clown anemonefish aka 'Nemo'.

Updating with sightings by the rest of the team. Richard checked out the reef near the jetty and saw a nice table-like colony of Acropora. Mushroom corals were also seen. Richard also noticed lots of Upsidedown jellyfish in the big lagoon which I totally missed. Rui Quan took great photos of the little critters that live only in corals: shrimp, crab and goby! And a very pretty Wiggly star anemone.

Rui Quan saw a young Knobbly! Hope this means there will be more of them settling here soon. He also spotted many fishes only seen in good reefs. Richard spotted the Twin barred brittle star. There were also octopus and nudibranch.

Both lagoons had sprinkles of Spoon seagrass (tiny leaves) and Needle seagrass (narrow leaves). There were some sand dollars and moon snail, as well as Acorn worm signs.

What is the future of Kusu Island?

The rich reefs of Kusu Island of today are slivers of massive reef flats that were reclaimed less than one human lifetime, 50 years ago. Today, all these vast reef flats have been reclaimed, leaving very narrow margins outside the seawall that can only be accessed by non-divers at the very lowest tides. Check out the Historical maps of Singapore by NUS Libraries site where you can actually overlay the various maps over time and use a slider to see the changes.

Kusu Island was in fact originally a tiny outcrop where the temple now is. And during the annual Kusu Island pilgrimage, devotees would land by sampan. As captured by this iconic photo by Ivan Polunin, from "Once upon an island: A rare peek into our past" Scenes of old Singapore through the lens of the late naturalist Ivan Polunin. Wallace Woon, Straits Times 20 Sep 2023.

In May 2024, it was announced that the reefs outside the northern lagoon of Kusu Island would be part of Singapore's second national Marine Park at Lazarus South-Kusu Reef. It is good to cherish and protect what we have left. More on Singapore's second marine park: past, present and future.

Kusu Island is among the islands likely to be impacted by the upcoming Keppel-Tanjung Pagar reclamation started to start end of 2027. More about the potential impacts and responses to the EIA. Submit your feedback to HDB here https://form.gov.sg/6966fc4e7c5fe159af98b799

The Singapore Blue Plan 2018

The Singapore Blue Plan 2018 recommended the cluster of Kusu, Lazarus and St. John's Islands for elevated protection status.

The Blue Plan highlights that Lazarus, St. John’s, and Kusu Islands are established sites for coral nurseries as their shoreline offers ideal sheltered areas for growth of corals. Designating these islands as No-fishing Areas can bolster their rehabilitation. Protecting a larger cluster of islands means zonation plans for use can be implemented to manage tourism and human impacts.

DOWNLOAD the Plan, SUPPORT the Plan! More on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 site.

Photos by others on this survey

Richard Kuah

Rui Quan Oh

Dylan Seng

Others on the survey: Ian Mun

Pulau Sekudu with dugong feeding trails

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:46:26 +0000

A small team surveys this untouched island that lies opposite Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin. We survey in the dark and end as the tide turns at sunrise. Pulau Sekudu is off limits since 2007 and requires special permission from NParks.

I saw dugong feeding trails again! The team make all the special finds including seahorse, stonefish. I will update with their sightings later.

Updating with finds by the rest of the team! I estimate we saw 25 Knobbly sea stars distributed throughout the island, similar to our May 2025 survey. We saw mostly large grandmother stars, with only one young one seen by Jonathan (greenish on in the top left corner). Sightings of young ones would suggest regeneration of this population - hope to see more of them soon.

Since we noticed mass injuries on Knobbly sea stars at Cyrene in Feb 2026, we are on the look out for similar injuries in other Knobbly sea star populations. While most of those on Pulau Sekudu seems okay, I saw some sea stars with a few knobs that were sliced off or seem to be falling off. Could it be the sea stars self amputated their knobs, the same way that they can do with their arms? Zen also shared a photo of a yellow Knobbly sea star he saw in Bali with similar injuries. So it seems this is something Knobblies do?

Sadly, other kinds of stars were no longer so abundant. Biscuit sea stars have been missing from Pulau Sekudu since Jul 2020 and today, Jonathan saw a small one and I saw a tiny one. We didn't see many other kinds of sea stars, aside from a few Common sea stars, a Painted sand star. The most abundant echinoderm on the shore were Synaptid sea cucumbers! There were also some well camouflated White sea urchins. Also seen, one feather star, one heart urchin, and one small Diadema sea urchin, in addition to the big one near the rock; Marcus saw three big ones too.

Other special finds include the large Ramose murex, jewel-like Onyx cowrie. Also many nudibranchs and slugs - the Northern shores usually have a wider variety than the South. There were also many Lightning flatworms and Persian carpet flatworms! Not sure why. Many octopuses were out an about, as well as squid and fishes of all kinds. A snaky anemone was seen, as well as a large Flowery disk coral!

Recently, I sensed that we have been seeing much fewer Noble volutes that in the past. So we are now going to document every live Noble volute that we see. What a relief to see many today at Pulau Sekudu. As a team, we saw about 30, from small ones with 'clean' shells to larger ones with shell patterns obscured by age. Jason spotted a smaller on top of a larger one - possibly a mating pair? Many were seen laying egg capsules, there were also many egg capsules without snails nearby. Several also spotted burrowing - possibly eating some buried prey? This large beautiful snail is restricted to our part of the world, in particular, Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. We have a duty to protect them. Hopefully, our sightings will help encourage further study into whether the populations on our shores are okay.

Similar to our last survey in May 2025, colourful sponges, sea fans and some soft corals still dot the coral rubble. I still sense the sponges are not as abundant and their diversity is lower. But there were some good clumps of well formed sponges. The 'nudi rocks' were colourful with sponges too.

The team is diligently counting Knobbly sea stars - I saw 9. Will compile all their sightings soon. Sadly, Biscuit sea stars have been missing from Pulau Sekudu since Jul 2020 and today, I only saw one tiny one. But there were many Synaptid sea cucumbers, a large Garlic bread sea cucumber too. I saw a few White sea urchins, one Diadema sea urchin. When we arrived, we saw a large empty shell of what seems to be a Triton snail - we suspect it used in some shore-side religious or cultural ritual, and got lost. Jonathan also showed me a Ramose murex which we also saw on our last survey.

I saw many soft corals and other cnidarians, they seemed alright. The most abundant remains Haddon's carpet anemones. I saw one Swimming anemone. There were also a variety of small sea fans, many with large dead portions. I saw some small colonies of Flowery soft corals, and also some sea pens.

Similar to our last survey in May 2025, I saw about 15 small to medium sized Boulder pore corals, on the arm of the lagoon. None of them were bleaching but some had large dying (bluish grey) tissue and dead parts at the top. Most small colonies were perfectly well formed. I saw patches of Zebra coral on rubble and even a glass bottle. Also a Disk coral. But I didn't come across the Pock-marked coral colony and Boulder sandpaper coral colony that I had in the past.

Was glad to see many clear dugong feeding trails again today, though a bit challenging to photograph in the dark. These trails are formed when dugongs chomp up seagrasses including their roots, leaving a shallow meandering furrow of about equal width and depth. Although we have seen feeding trails on Chek Jawa , I only saw them for first time on Pulau Sekudu on our last survey in May 2025.

As on our last survey in May 2025, seagrasses remain lush, green and clean (no epiphytes)! Lots of Spoon seagrass (both small and large leaf blades) and Needle seagrass (narrow and broad leaf blades). There were sprinkles of Fern seagrass at the eastern most edge of the island. The Serrated ribbon seagrass are still growing in sparse patches from the mid-water mark to the low tide line. On the arm of the lagoon, I saw several clumps of Tape seagrass with leaves cropped to about 30cm. None were flowering.

Fortunately, today we didn't come across any fish traps or nets.

What is the fate of Pulau Sekudu?

Chek Jawa and Pulau Sekudu is slated for reclamation in the Long-Term Plan Review. The plan includes a road link (black line) from the mainland jumping off at Punggol, crossing to Pulau Ubin through Chek Jawa to jump off to Pulau Tekong before circling back to the mainland on Changi East. Proposed reclamation (in yellow) will bury Pasir Ris shores, Pulau Sekudu and Chek Jawa as well as a large stretches of Changi Beach.

The Singapore Blue Plan 2018

Among the Proposed Areas for Immediate Conservation Priority, the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 proposes that the intertidal and subtidal marine areas of Pulau Ubin to be designated Marine Reserve.

Dugong feeding trails in the dark.

The proposed area would include Tanjung Chek Jawa, the largest known intertidal area in northern Singapore. Considered one of the richest in Singapore, Chek Jawa comprises many adjacent ecosystems: coastal hill forest, mangrove areas, rocky shores, seagrass meadows, coral communities, and sandy areas. Chek Jawa remains an icon of celebration and hope for many Singaporeans since its reprieve from reclamation in 2001.

DOWNLOAD the Plan, SUPPORT the Plan! More on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 site.

Others on this survey

Jason Ooi

Richard Kuah

Chay Hoon

Jonathan Tan

Marcus Ng

Rui Quan Oh

Others on this survey: Ian Mun, Anya

East Coast NSRCC seagrassy too!

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 02:44:57 +0000

A quick solo trip to check up on the shore opposite NSRCC at East Coast Park.

We usually survey this shore as the tide turns, after we spend most of the low tide at the corals garden near the PCN. Today, for the first time in a long time, I spent the entire low tide window checking on the seagrasses here.

The sand in this area moves around a fair bit. Today, the long narrow bar on the west seems to have joined up with another bar forming near the mouth of the canal, to form an arm around a shallow sandy lagoon along the shoreline opposite NSRCC - some patches of seagrass continue to be found here. There are also patches of seagrass along most of the seaward edges of the sandbars.

The most abundant was Needle seagrass (both narrow and broad leaves) and Spoon seagrass (large leaves). I saw a few broken off Tape seagrass (including the leaf sheath) and even a broken off female flower, but did not see any embedded Tape seagrass, not even inside the canal. In fact, I didn't see seagrasses inside the canal.

It was a nice surprise to see many patches of Serrated ribbon seagrass and Noodle seagrass, all growing on the seaward side of the sand bar. All the seagrasses were fresh and green and not covered in epiphytes.

Similar to our last quick survey in Jun 2025, today there were a lot of small Cake sand dollars and Weasel olive snails. I also saw many Moon snails - mostly Ball but a few Oval. Both were hunting Button snails which was plentiful in the middle of the lagoon. The Button snails leave panicky trails away from the burrowing predator as they try to leap away. Disappointed not to see any Fig snails or Bonnet snails (which eat sand dollars). Saw a few Smooth sea cucumbers, some Acorn worm poop. A few small fishes and crabs. One huddle of Lined eel-tail catfishes.

I saw many mangrove seedlings washing up. Indeed, if we leave a shore alone, a mangrove forest can eventually set down roots!

A line of litter has washed up on the high shore with the most recent high tide. This will be remove by cleaners who start working at sunrise, every day. On the low shore were smaller litter including many single-use water cups, which commonly wash up on beaches along the ferry routes. These are not commonly used by beach goers or the local boating or fishing community. But these single-use water cups are apparently given out to passengers on ferries. It seems no facilities are provided at any of the piers/terminals under MPA's charge for vessels to responsibly dispose of trash generated during their operation. More in this post. There were also large litter that smothered seagrass. And the traffic cone that I have seen for years seem to still be there.

What is the fate of this shore?

East Coast shores slated for massive reclamation outlined recently in the Long-Term Plan Review. There were additional details, plans for a 'Long Island' opposite East Coast Park is now official. In addition to more reclamation along that shoreline, already unveiled in 2013.

This shore will also be affected by plans for Long Island.

Preparatory works are starting very soon. They involve removal of seabed obstructions, construction of temporary sand bunds and sand infilling. Phase 1 will begin end-2026, while Phase 2 will take place after the end of the SEA Games 2029. See some responses to the works. Share your feedback here https://form.gov.sg/675fc8ff28a3ca9ebd83c21b

Natural regeneration on Singapore's artificial shores and structures is already happening now. Unintentionally, with zero replanting. Can we plan coastal works to allow reefs, mangroves and seagrasses to naturally regenerate? Naturalise canals leading to the sea for a continuum of freshwater wetlands to mangroves? Imagine what's possible! Reefs and natural marine ecosystems at our doorstep, for all in the City to enjoy. More about this idea in my feedback to the Draft Master Plan 2013.

The Singapore Blue Plan 2018

Check out the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 which outlines community recommendations for all these shores. DOWNLOAD the Plan, SUPPORT the Plan! More on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 site.

See East Coast shores for yourself. It's fun and easy to explore these shores. More details in "East Coast Park - Surprising intertidal adventures for the family".

Other shore surveys in Jun 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:21:33 +0000

Rui Quan Oh covered the most ground in the month, checking up on Admiralty, Sungei Buloh, Pasir Ris, Marina East and together with Zen Xuan He, Pulau Ubin. They see all the amazing wildlife that regular shore survey team miss. From owls to mousedeer, snakes and skinks, frogs and weird and beautiful insects. And extortionate cats attempting to intimidate snacks out of innocent passersby.

The rest of the team cover Changi and East Coast PCN.

Marcus, Richard and Tammy made separate trips to Changi. The shore seems to still be very much alive! On Ball flowery soft corals, they saw the Ghost brittle star and White snapping shrimps that live only in the soft coral. They also saw the Big-head seagrass octopus, some sheltering with their eggs. The stronghold of the Tiger anemone, good to know it's still on the shore. There were also sea fans and lots of nudibranchs, sea hares and slugs of all kinds.

Good to know that they saw a variety of sea stars at Changi! Many young ones too, which suggests the shores are a good nursery for baby sea stars. Seems they didn't see any Knobblies, maybe next time?

Recently, I sensed that we have been seeing much fewer Noble volutes that in the past. So we are now going to document every live Noble volute that we see. Marcus, Richard and Tammy saw some on Changi, from small ones to large ones. This large beautiful snail is restricted to our part of the world, in particular, Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. We have a duty to protect them. Hopefully, our sightings will help encourage further study into whether the populations on our shores are okay.

Richard Kuah is the only team member who regularly and faithfully checks up on Punggol shores, which remains alive! This narrow strip of rocky shore still has healthy Spoon seagrass, while the boulders nearby are still coated with colourful sponges and other encrusting animals. Which are eaten by nudibranchs. He even saw a small octopus!

Jayden Kang checked out the seagrass meadows and coral reef that have settled naturally on the artificial shore in front of the East Coast PCN. A wide variety of seagrass are still there, and seem healthy. The corals also seem to have recovered from the impact of the 2024 Pasir Panjang oil spill and mass coral bleaching. The large patch of Branching montipora looks pristine! They saw a seahorse! And some other reef life too.

Photos by the team

Richard Kuah checked up on Punggol on 4 Jun

Rui Quan Oh checked out Marina East on 6 Jun

Rui Quan Oh and Zen Xuan He visited Pulau Ubin on 13-14 Jun 2026

Zen Xuan He

Rui Quan Oh

Richard Kuah checked out Changi on 15 Jun 2026

Marcus Ng checked up on Changi Point on 16 Jun

Tammy Lim visited Changi on 19 Jun 2026

Jayden Kang checked out the corals at East Coast PCN on 19 Jun

Rui Quan Oh checked out Admiralty Park on 23 Jun

Rui Quan Oh checked out Sungei Buloh on 27 Jun

Rui Quan Oh checked out Pasir Ris on 29 Jun

Responses to preparatory work for Long Island

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 22:20:27 +0000

The Preparatory works for Long Island will involve removal of seabed obstructions, construction of temporary sand bunds and sand infilling. Phase 1 will begin end-2026, while Phase 2 will take place after the end of the SEA Games 2029. East Coast shores are alive with sea turtles, fish and corals and seagrasses have settled naturally on the artificial lagoons and sea walls.

Ang Qing reports that scientists, nature groups and anglers have raised concerns about potential blind spots. Some stakeholders shared concerns about the speed of the planning process. They were surprised by the announcement, as authorities had previously stated that technical studies for the multi-decade project would only conclude around 2029.

Ang Qing says "the four-week public feedback window on the study that ends on July 28 will be a major test of process. Time will tell how much of a difference community feedback can actually make when a mega-project’s timeline appears to be set in stone."

Share your feedback here https://form.gov.sg/675fc8ff28a3ca9ebd83c21b

Media articles and press releases on the Preparatory works for Long Island including EIA

Other responses include:

Lester Tan, chair of the Nature Society Singapore’s Marine Conservation Group, pointed out the absence of specific assessments for vulnerable coastal horseshoe crabs that nest along East Coast Park.

“Early involvement of nature groups in scoping the study and developing mitigation measures would have been highly beneficial in surfacing blind spots before a timeline for the works was set,” he said.

Echoing this, Muhammad Nasry Abdul Nasir, executive director of Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity, questioned what he felt was the rushed nature of the engagement for the works, given the many unanswered questions from the community.

Why conservationists are concerned about Singapore’s Long Island mega climate project
Qing Ang Straits Times Green Pulse 7 Jul 2026

As sea levels rise, how does a land-scarce island nation protect its shores without compromising nature?

Singapore announced on June 30 that it will begin work on another massive engineering project at the end of 2026 that is designed to help the Republic weather climate change. Tentatively dubbed Long Island, the reclamation will create roughly 800ha of land off East Coast Park to shield the low-lying nation from rising sea levels while creating space for development.

The works will take place in two phases so part of the waters can still be used for recreation.

An environmental study commissioned by the Government deemed that the overall impact of the project would be minor. However, scientists, nature groups and anglers have raised concerns about potential blind spots.

Some stakeholders I spoke with after the two-phase works were revealed shared concerns about the speed of the planning process. They were surprised by the announcement, as authorities had previously stated that technical studies for the multi-decade project would only conclude around 2029.

While the East Coast sits on land reclaimed up until the 1980s, corals, seagrass and mangroves have naturally returned to its shores over the decades. This organic recovery has sparked calls from naturalists to ensure that marine life can continue to thrive alongside the Long Island development.

Today, this stretch has even become a nesting ground for globally critically endangered hawksbill turtles, which are being studied by researchers from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Given the small population of Singapore’s hawksbills, NTU research fellow Lyndsey Tanabe called for the study to assess the shallow coastal waters where female turtles rest, the exact areas where works are expected to begin.

During my visit to fishing hotspot Bedok Jetty on June 30, anglers shared their concerns about a rich diversity of local fish that the current environmental report does not appear to fully consider. While anglers will still be allowed to use nearshore fishing areas and Bedok Jetty, the report anticipated that works could impact fish and reduce catch rates.

Lin Jiayuan is a student who has fished at Bedok Jetty since 2007. He noted that the report omitted key sightings at the jetty, including a globally critically endangered shovelnose ray caught in 2022.

Lin has authored more than 25 biodiversity records published by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. He and his friends showed me 40 different species of fish they had caught in just four hours at Bedok Jetty.

“It’s a shame to let this iconic landmark of marine biodiversity go without documenting whatever it has,” shared fellow fishing hobbyist Tan Yen Yi, 32, a bird scientist at the museum.

With more coastal projects in the pipeline to protect Singapore’s shores from rising sea levels, how the Republic navigates these environmental trade-offs will set an important precedent.

The four-week public feedback window on the study that ends on July 28 will be a major test of process. Time will tell how much of a difference community feedback can actually make when a mega-project’s timeline appears to be set in stone.

Anglers, researchers race to document East Coast fish species ahead of Long Island works
As preparatory works for Singapore's Long Island coastal protection project draw closer, fishing enthusiasts are working to record species that may one day become harder to find.
Natalie Ong and Marcel Pereira Channel NewsAsia 06 Jul 2026 11:24AM

SINGAPORE: Stretching far into the waters off Singapore's East Coast, Bedok Jetty has long been a popular spot for anglers.

For some fishing enthusiasts, each visit is also an opportunity to document the country's marine biodiversity.

With preparatory works for the Long Island project set to begin in waters west of the jetty by the end of 2026, some are racing to record the fish species found there before the coastline changes.

The upcoming works are the first step in Singapore's long-term coastal protection plans against rising sea levels and will be carried out in phases. A second phase is planned for waters east of the jetty after the 2029 SEA Games, which will be held in Singapore.

A RACE AGAINST TIME

Nanyang Technological University Bioengineering undergraduate Lin Jiayuan is among a small group of anglers helping to document fish species.

He visits the jetty at least twice a month, and rather than targeting large food fish, he searches for those that are rarely recorded in Singapore's waters.

When he catches something significant, the 24-year-old shares it with researchers at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) for identification and preservation.

Over the years, Mr Lin has helped document at least 15 fish species new to Singapore's waters, of which seven were recorded at Bedok Jetty, adding to the country's biodiversity records.

With months to go before preparatory works begin, he said there is "definitely a sense of urgency" because many of the species found there inhabit murkier waters, making them difficult for divers and people exploring intertidal areas to spot.

One species Mr Lin hopes to document is the demon stinger, a rare relative of the stonefish that uses its free pectoral fin rays to "walk" along the seabed.

“This is probably the easiest place you can catch them in Singapore. Not saying they are common – they are very rare,” he added.

Even after works begin, Mr Lin intends to continue visiting the area.

"Personally, I will still fish here. I will observe what the changes are," he said.

ADDING TO SINGAPORE'S BIODIVERSITY RECORDS

Singapore has recorded about 700 to 800 fish species across its marine and freshwater habitats, according to Dr Tan Heok Hui, LKCNHM's senior collection manager of fishes.

Dr Tan described documenting Singapore's biodiversity as "a continual process".

"With proper documentation, you only realise what you've lost or what you may lose," he said.

The museum also receives records from anglers such as Mr Lin and other members of the public, which are verified by experts before being added to Singapore's biodiversity records.

Such specimens become part of the museum's collections.

NEW STUDY COULD TRACK CHANGES TO FISH COMMUNITIES

Separately, the National Parks Board (NParks) is discussing a potential study with marine fish researchers from local institutes of higher learning to better understand fish communities along reclaimed shorelines, such as along the East Coast.

Sources say the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and NUS are involved.

Replying to CNA’s queries, NParks said the study was first conceptualised in 2025 to understand how these environments change over time.

It will also help inform the design and management of future nearshore fish habitats that support both biodiversity and community use.

NParks' group director of the National Biodiversity Centre, Dr Karenne Tun, said the findings are expected to further inform the Long Island project and deepen understanding of fish communities along East Coast Park.

Associate Professor Jeffrey Kwik, a fish biologist at SIT, said no comprehensive survey has covered the entire East Coast shoreline in recent years.

"While there have been historically a lot of studies, you know, here and there, a full study of the entire stretch (along East Coast) has actually not been done enough, and definitely not in this current time, more recent times along the whole stretch."

"There'll be a lot of surveys, and these surveys will be done … over time, so that we understand any seasonal patterns in the size of the fishes, the species of fishes, and along the entire shoreline, adjacent to Bedok Jetty," he added.

He said such research would improve understanding of how fish use different coastal habitats and could contribute to environmental management and monitoring plans in the area.

The study is expected to start just before the preparatory works begin.

Govt study says Long Island works will have minor impact on environment
Ang Qing Straits Times Jun 30, 2026, 10:00 PM

SINGAPORE - Preparatory works for the reclamation of Long Island off East Coast Park are predicted to have an overall minor impact on the surrounding environment, though some nature groups and scientists worry about possible “blind spots”.

Released on June 30, the 557-page environmental impact assessment (EIA) was commissioned by the National Parks Board (NParks) on behalf of the Housing Board.

It assesses the impact of the two-phase works to prepare for the reclamation of about 800ha of land – roughly twice the size of Marina Bay – from Tanah Merah to Marina East, centring around the popular Bedok Jetty.

The works that involve removing seabed obstruction and sand infilling are slated to begin from end-2026.

The report, prepared by consultancy DHI Water and Environment based on surveys conducted between June 2025 and February 2026, found works would yield minor negative impacts on the environment.

The majority of coral and seagrass areas outside the project’s footprint, as well as mangroves, intertidal fauna and most marine fauna, are expected to remain largely unaffected, HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said in a statement.

However, the works could impede globally critically endangered hawksbill turtles from reaching nesting sites along East Coast Park, as well as disorient hatchlings, according to the report.

The report deemed this impact minor, noting that sections of the shoreline will remain available for nesting alongside ongoing egg relocation efforts by NParks.

Nanyang Technological University sea turtle biologist Lyndsey Tanabe acknowledged the need for coastal protection, but stressed that Singapore’s hawksbill turtle population is small, making every individual critical to the species’ survival.

“While the environmental study identifies disturbance to nesting beaches as a concern, it is equally important to assess impacts to inter-nesting habitat in the shallow coastal waters where female turtles rest between clutches (of eggs),” she pointed out.

The research fellow welcomed clarifications on additional protective measures, and said she looks forward to working constructively with the project team.

Angler Lin Jiayuan, a 24-year-old student who has fished at Bedok Jetty since 2007, noted the report omitted key records at the jetty, such as a 2022 sighting of the globally critically endangered shovelnose ray.

He has observed more than 150 fish species in the sediment-laden waters of the site over the past eight years.

“It’s a shame to let this iconic landmark of marine biodiversity go without documenting whatever it has,” added fellow fishing hobbyist Tan Yen Yi, 32, who is a bird scientist by training.

The pair and their friends caught 40 species within four hours on June 30. These included the imposter trevally, a species newly recorded in Singapore at Bedok Jetty in 2022.

Lester Tan, chair of the Nature Society Singapore’s Marine Conservation Group, pointed out the absence of specific assessments for vulnerable coastal horseshoe crabs that nest along East Coast Park.

Tan, who also sits on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Horseshoe Crab Species Specialist Group, said he was surprised by the scale of the preparatory works.

“Early involvement of nature groups in scoping the study and developing mitigation measures would have been highly beneficial in surfacing blind spots before a timeline for the works was set,” he said.

Echoing this, Muhammad Nasry Abdul Nasir, executive director of Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity, questioned what he felt was the rushed nature of the engagement for the works, given the many unanswered questions from the community.

The environmental study report is open for public feedback at this website for four weeks from June 30.

HDB said mitigation measures will be implemented to minimise indirect impacts to surrounding habitats. These include deploying temporary containment bunds and silt screens to control sediment plumes.

A dedicated Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan will also be put in place to track conditions and manage potential effects on the surrounding marine environment, including seagrass beds.

Associate professor Peter Todd from the National University of Singapore’s Department of Biological Sciences lauded the monitoring efforts for spanning the duration of the preparatory works and beyond.

“Given the scale of the project, some impacts are inevitable, but it seems that substantial efforts are being made to mitigate these,” he said.

Todd, who studies the use of artificial structures to bring back marine life, added that Long Island presents opportunities to create new marine habitats for corals and mangroves.

However, he noted that combining natural elements into hard-engineered structures, also known as “hybrid shorelines”, remains a new and challenging field.

HDB and URA said they will thoroughly evaluate the feedback and incorporate suitable suggestions before finalising mitigation measures.

See East Coast shores for yourself!

It's fun and easy to explore these shores. More details in East Coast Park - Surprising intertidal adventures for the family.

Return to Buran bravely

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:30:00 +0000

Terumbu Buran is surrounded by strong currents. The last time we surveyed was in 2010, and I was so traumatised by landing and departure that I refused to ever go again.

16 years later, Kok Sheng persuaded a few of us to return. I was still too scared to join them - the photo of them landing today still frightens me. But they saw corals hard and soft, a lot of corallimorphs and the usual marine life common on our rocky shores. Here's a compilation of their sightings.

This tiny C-shaped terumbu that lies just at the doorstep of Sentosa Cove. A sliver of rocks stick out above the water, with most of the shore submerged.

All our shores, no matter how barren they might look from afar, have life! The team were visited by a Great billed heron. The Marine spider which breathes air and can only forage at low tide, is suprisingly found on all the shores we survey. The team saw various fishes, the usual snails, crabs and colourful marine life seen on our southern rocky shores. They also saw a large shark cruising by, no photos unfortunately.

There were a lot of corallimorphs of various kinds. As well as Giant carpet anemones, some with 'Nemo' and anemone shrimps! There were also many Frilly anemones and a Wriggly reef anemone was also seen.

There are not a lot of hard corals on the shore. The team saw the usual boulder shaped corals commonly seen. As well as common disk-shaped and branching corals too. They also saw a small cluster of bright orange Cave corals that grow in dark places.

There were also some Leathery soft corals, zoanthids of various kinds and feathery soft corals and hydroids.

It will be a while before we revisit this rather treacherous shore. So we hope it stays safe until then.

Photos by the team

Loh Kok Sheng

Che Cheng Neo

Rui Quan Oh

Richard Kuah

Tommy Tan

Others on this survey: Ian Mun, Yan Le Su, Anya

Long tape seagrasses at Sentosa Palawan

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:16:00 +0000

There is a patch of long Tape seagrass growing at Sentosa Palawan! A nice surprise to see on an artificial beach and 'islet' facing the busy port! Sentosa is indeed a precious refuge for seagrasses and rare mangrove trees.

Over the weekend, the survey team and I also checked out the Great Sentosa exhibition at Vivocity. Once completed, Greater Sentosa is projected to attract about double the current 17 million visitors a year. I do hope our marine life will be given a chance to be a part of this Greater Sentosa. So hopefully it won't come to a point where we can only see Sentosa's rare plants and animals in a glass jar.

More of my thoughts on Greater Sentosa at the end of this post. Which I have submitted as my feedback to the Greater Sentosa masterplan. Submit your feedback too here https://form.gov.sg/6a44c40969c66ca0ff78bbc6

I saw the long Tape seagrass in the narrow channel that remained flooded at low tide, between the main island and the islet. I surveyed while the rest of the team checked out Terumbu Buran.

The patch was not extensive or very dense, but it just warms my heart to see long Tape seagrass. I couldn't see any that were flowering though.

The Sentosa Palawan seagrass is a pale shadow, but reminds me the vast beds of Tape seagrass at Pulau Semakau that grew in a kind of shallow lagoon between the high shore, and the reef edge. Since the 2010s, all the Tape seagrasses at Pulau Semakau, Cyrene and other southern shores got cropped and never recovered since.

Surprisingly, the only Tape seagrass that remain long today are mostly found on artificial shores: Seringat Kias, East Coast Park B and PCN, Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Long Tape seagrass also remain at Sentosa Tg Rimau (probably the largest meadow of long Tape seagrasses that remain today), as well as at Labrador. These seem quite resilient and survived the 2024 Pasir Panjang Oil Spill!

Other than Tape seagrass, I didn't see much else at Palawan. There were some fishes swimming among the seagrasses. On the sandy shore, the usual signs of Sand bubbler crabs, Ghost crab, and lots of Bazillion snails.

What is the fate of Sentosa shores?

Sentosa Tg Rimau is among our last natural cliffs with rare trees, reefs and probably the largest meadow of long Tape seagrasses that remain today.

This shore will be impacted by efforts to stabilise the slope. And the deployment of "a few hundred" one-tonne concrete blocks (XblocPlus) “at the toe of the slope to mitigate wave erosion".

The other rich shore on Sentosa is at Serapong. The first phase of the Greater Sentosa begins with the construction of a transport hub linking Sentosa and Pulau Brani in Keppel Harbour. The timing of this phase has yet to be decided. But Brani Port Terminal currently on Pulau Brani are expected to move to Tuas in 2027. These transport hub plans are very close to the last remaining wild reefs at Serapong shores - among the best near the mainland. Wouldn't be great if the plans could allow people to see the reefs at Serapong (yellow area), and allow mangroves to settle naturally on Brani (blue area).

Here's what the team saw in the yellow area in Apr 2026. We surveyed the entire Serapong in Jun 2026.

Hopefully, the development on Brani can make the reefs on Serapong a feature and not a bug? So people using the people mover to cross from Brani to Sentosa can view the corals on Serapong the same way that people using Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal can see the corals that settled naturally on the seawall there.

On the Brani side of the seawall (blue area), perhaps mangroves can be encouraged to settle naturally on the seawall? The way they have done so at Pulau Hantu, without any planting or need to care for them. The Hantu mangroves come in a wide variety including possibly one Nyireh laut! At the exhibition, we saw a live young Nyireh laut which the talented Sentosa horticultural team have propagated. How amazing it would be to replant them on Brani as well!

Wouldn't it be great if Brani and Sentosa shores can become a mother shore to allow natural regeneration when major reclamation and coastal protection is implemented nearby. Reclamation at Keppel-Tanjong Pagar expected to start end of 2027.

And there are long terms plans such as the Greater Southern Waterfront coastal protection plan - a “continuous line of defence” at the South. Construction is slated to begin in the 2030s.

I have submitted this as my feedback to the Greater Sentosa masterplan. Submit your feedback too here https://form.gov.sg/6a44c40969c66ca0ff78bbc6

Giant clam overdose on Terumbu Pempang Laut

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 03:30:00 +0000

This humungous submerged reef lies next to Jurong Island and major shipping lanes. And yet, it has seagrass meadows, corals and lots and lots of Giant clams.

Today, we also saw lots of dugong feeding trails, special anemones and the usual colourful marine life. The corals seem alright, and seagrasses remain the same.

Today, we saw the most number of Giant clams ever in one trip: 14 Burrowing clams and 3 Fluted giant clams. Teresa Tay and her Giant clam team deconflicted our sightings (thank you!) and came up with the total number. Her team of course made the bulk of the sightings, but our team also contributed a few. Well done everyone!

As usual, the rest of the team make all the special finds. Two anemones that might be rarely seen ones, we are still not sure. And Magnificent anemones have settled on this terumbu. Also a lively swimming file clam, special brittle star, a little pipefish. There were lots of stingrays, also colourful slugs and flatworms. As well as Marine spiders and even large octopuses even though we visited in full daylight.

With Jurong Island taking up the entire northern horizon, how amazing to see lots of dugong feeding trails on the seagrasses growing on this large submerged reef! So glad the dugongs are back. The last time we saw the trails was in Dec 2018. The first time I noticed them was in May 2012.

As in Jul 2025, I saw many dugong feeding trails here. These trails are formed when dugongs chomp up seagrasses including their roots, leaving a shallow meandering furrow of about equal width and depth. I also noticed that the seagrass seems to grow more densely next to one of the feeding trails.

The seagrass situation seems good! Similar to our survey in Jul 2025, there is a meadow of Spoon seagrass in the sandy centre of the reef flat. Although the leaves are tiny, they are fresh and green. So much so that a band of green could be seen from a distance. There were sprinkles of seagrass on almost the entire reef flat from the reef edge to the centre. On the sand bars and among the more reefy parts. In some large parts, the seagrasses were growing more densely. Most were fresh and green. The most common were Spoon seagrass (mostly small leaves, but also some with large leaves) and small sparse patches of Sickle seagrass leaves also cropped. I saw some clumps of Tape seagrass, still cropped short.

There has never been a lot of hard corals on this shore. Most are boulder shaped corals.

I checked out the area near the beacon today. Here, there is a good variety of common corals with some forming quite large colonies. Similar to our survey in Jul 2025, I saw scattered colonies of Sandpaper corals, Cauliflower corals, Anemone corals, Disk corals. Also a few clumps of Branching montipora, sparsely distributed - not yet forming a 'field'. Most seemed healthy and were not bleaching.

Similar to our survey in Jul 2025, towards the reef edge near the Beacon, I saw a wider variety of colonies of leathery soft corals. Some of them formed quite large clusters. But not as large as those on nearby Terumbu Pempang Tengah.

Today, I saw two abandoned fish traps in the middle of the reef flat, one was more broken than the other. Richard saw what looks like a functing fish trap on the reef edge.

The ongoing Sudong reclamation is still busy with many large vessels in the water and vehicles on the land. But it seems the sand pile is no longer as tall as what we saw in May 2026 from Terumbu Pempang Tengah. Thanks to Zen Xuan He for this great shot of the reclamation site today.

Here is the location of Terumbu Pempang Laut and other nearby shores in relation to the Sudong reclamation.

What is the fate of Terumbu Pempang Laut?

Pulau Hantu and all the terumbus west of it are slated for massive reclamation outlined recently in the Long-Term Plan Review. Singapore's submerged reefs are often out of sight under the high tide and thus forgotten.

The Blue Plan highlights that Pulau Semakau and its associated patch reefs comprise many ecosystems: coral reefs, mangrove areas, intertidal sandflats, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. The subtidal area of Pulau Jong is larger than the terrestrial area. Pulau Hantu is a popular dive site has seen increasing interest in the past decade due to biodiversity awareness. If protection is accorded to these three islands, zonation plans for use can be implemented to manage tourism and human impacts.

DOWNLOAD the Plan, SUPPORT the Plan! More on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 site.

Photos by others on the survey

Richard Kuah

Jaeden Lim

Zen Xuan He

Rui Quan Oh

Rachael Goh

Tommy Tan

Dylan Sng

Others on this survey: Mud Nasry, Ian Mun, Jason Ooi, Yan Le Su, the Giant Clam team

Berlayar Creek boardwalk closed 3 Jun 2026 to 31 Mar 2027

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:59:43 +0000

Berlayar Creek boardwalk at Labrador Nature Park will be closed for improvement works from 3 Jun 26 till 31 Mar 27.

More details from the NParks website below

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BERLAYAR CREEK BOARDWALK CYCLICAL MAINTENANCE 3 JUNE 2026 TO 31 MARCH 2027

1. With the boardwalk currently inaccessible, what is the fastest way to get to Reflections at Keppel Bay from Labrador Park MRT Station?
You may wish to take the public transport along West Coast Highway or alight at Telok Blangah MRT Station; it is closer to Reflections at Keppel Bay in terms of walking distance.

2. Where is the next nearest shelter since the pavilion will be closed during this period?
The nearest shelter will be at Labrador Park MRT station.

3. What is this cyclical maintenance about?
We are conducting improvement works, which are in line with our cyclical maintenance cycle for boardwalks and shelters. The works include re-decking and ensuring structure stability of the boardwalk, replacement of railing and lights, and overall cleaning and painting of the boardwalk and pavilion.

4. Why does this cyclical maintenance need so long to be completed?
Berlayar Creek is one of the few unique mangrove habitats in Singapore and is part of Labrador Nature Park, a biodiversity-rich area buffering the Labrador Nature Reserve. Hence, improvement works need to be carried out sensitively and with more care and supervision to ensure minimum impact to the mangrove forest.

5. Will the mangroves along the boardwalk be affected by this cyclical maintenance?
There will be minimal disturbance to the mangroves as the works are limited to the footprint of the existing boardwalk. There will be no excavation or removal of vegetation in the mangrove. Noise will be kept to a minimum during the work duration, and all disposal of debris will be arranged to be taken off-site promptly.

6. Will there be new designs/features to the finished boardwalk?
Due to the sensitive habitat at Berlayar Creek, it will be a one-to-one replacement of the current boardwalk as the current design serves to balance between environment protection and recreational needs.

7. Is cycling allowed on the boardwalk?
Cycling is not allowed on the boardwalk as it poses a safety risk to visitors and may damage/loosen the planks.

Your feedback sought for preparatory work for Long Island

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:27:00 +0000

Preparatory works will involve removal of seabed obstructions, construction of temporary sand bunds and sand infilling. Phase 1 will begin end-2026, while Phase 2 will take place after the end of the SEA Games 2029.

An Environmental Impact Assessment indicates up to minor impact on some terrestrial and marine biodiversity. Some coral and seagrass beds found near the work site may experience short-term and localised impact from the sediment plumes. However, the majority of coral and seagrass in the vicinity, including Sisters’ Island Marine Park, are largely unaffected.

The area that is used for preparatory works is not reflective of the future land profile of ‘Long Island’.

This project will span a few decades, agencies will continue to engage Singaporeans and stakeholders to shape the plans and design for ‘Long Island’ at various stages of the planning process in the years ahead.

Share your feedback here https://form.gov.sg/675fc8ff28a3ca9ebd83c21b

Full EIA available on the HDB website here

Minister Chee Hong Tat speaks on Facebook.

Joint HDB-URA statement
Preparatory Works for 'Long Island' Project to Commence From End-2026; Measures to Be Implemented to Mitigate Impact on the Environment and Community
HDB website 30 June 2026

Preparatory works for ‘Long Island’, Singapore’s large-scale critical coastal protection strategy, will commence from end-2026. The Housing & Development Board (HDB), the appointed reclamation agent for ‘Long Island’, will implement measures to mitigate the impact of preparatory works on the environment and community, based on findings from an Environmental Study. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) also reiterated the Government’s commitment to continue engaging stakeholders on the planning and design of ‘Long Island’ before finalising reclamation plans.

Preparatory works to be carried out progressively, with measures to minimise disruption

2 ‘Long Island’ is a critical coastal protection measure to safeguard lives and livelihoods, as rising sea levels increasingly affect low-lying coastal areas, including Singapore’s East Coast. Given the scale of the project, preparatory works are essential to lay the groundwork for the future land reclamation for ‘Long Island’. This is to support the timely implementation of ‘Long Island’ to respond to climate risks and meet our national needs.

3 The preparatory works will take place in the waters off the East Coast, and primarily involve the removal of seabed obstructions, followed by the construction of temporary sand bunds and sand infilling. The works will be at least 130m away from the shoreline and will be clearly demarcated by silt screens and/or floating barriers.

4 The preparatory works will be conducted in phases. The first phase will start in end-2026 and will be carried out in the waters west of Bedok Jetty. The first phase will cover an area of approximately 570 ha, and it will span around 7km in length from east to west, and up to 1km wide from north to south.

5 The second phase of preparatory works will be carried out in the waters to the east of Bedok Jetty, and will cover an area of approximately 155 ha. To facilitate the continued use of part of the sea space fronting East Coast Park for water sports and the hosting of major international sporting events, including the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2029, the second phase will only commence after the completion of these events. More details on the commencement date of the second phase will be shared when ready.

6 Members of the public can continue to access the beaches along East Coast Park throughout the preparatory works. Beaches will remain open and accessible for near-shore swimming, while all exercise paths and tracks will remain accessible for jogging and cycling. However, sea users are advised to maintain a safe distance from the marine vessels deployed for the works and the designated work area which will be cordoned off to ensure public safety. Safety advisories will be put up at East Coast Park and on agencies’ websites(1).

Mitigation measures to guide sensitive implementation of preparatory works

7 HDB commissioned an Environmental Study for the preparatory works to study the potential impact of works on the environment and the community. The Environmental Study identified mitigation measures that should be adopted to address the potential environmental impact. As part of the Environmental Study process, HDB consulted the nature groups on the scope of study.

8 The Environmental Study identified the following key findings and mitigation measures for the preparatory works:

a) No significant changes to water quality, which will continue to meet the prevailing marine water quality criteria;

b) Slight localised changes to the currents and waves near Bedok Jetty, which are expected to have minimal impact on existing water-based activities. Near-shore activities such as swimming can continue along the entire stretch of the East Coast;

c) Up to minor visual and ambient air quality impact from sand infilling operations are expected, with intermittent sediment plumes and dust. To minimise impact, silt screens will be deployed to contain the sediment plumes and dust levels will be closely monitored;

d) Up to minor impact on some terrestrial and marine biodiversity as there are some coral and seagrass beds found near the site of the preparatory works that may experience short-term and localised impact from the sediment plumes. However, the majority of coral and seagrass in the vicinity, including Sisters’ Island Marine Park, are largely unaffected.

e) Some sea sports users will be displaced, due to reduction in sea space along East Coast. The impact will be mitigated by the phasing of preparatory works, with kiteboarding being the most affected, and minor to moderate impact on other sea sport users. Agencies will continue to work closely with affected sea sport users to explore alternative sites to continue their activities within the sea space to the east of Bedok Jetty in the interim, and elsewhere in Singapore.

9 An Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan (EMMP) (2) will be put in place to closely monitor environmental conditions throughout the preparatory works, including water quality, suspended sediment levels, noise and dust.

10 The Environmental Study report is available for public feedback for four weeks from 30 June 2026. Agencies will thoroughly evaluate the feedback received and incorporate suitable suggestions, before finalising the mitigation measures that will be adopted.

Detailed plans and design for ‘Long Island’ to be further developed through subsequent technical studies and continued public engagement before the start of reclamation works

11 The area that is used for preparatory works is not reflective of the future land profile of ‘Long Island’. Agencies will continue to develop detailed plans for ‘Long Island’, including its final reclamation profile which will continue to be refined through ongoing technical studies and upcoming public engagements.

12 The main reclamation works for ‘Long Island’ will be undertaken later, and will only commence after agencies have completed the relevant technical studies, determined mitigation measures, and reviewed and incorporated feedback from further public engagements. The technical studies will cover further environmental and engineering assessments for the actual reclamation profile and works, and are expected to be completed over the next few years.

13 As this project will span a few decades, agencies will continue to engage Singaporeans and stakeholders to shape the plans and design for ‘Long Island’ at various stages of the planning process in the years ahead. Drawing on ideas gathered from more than 14,000 people to date, agencies will begin the next phase of public engagement from end-2026. This phase will build on collective aspirations for ‘Long Island’ to strengthen Singapore’s flood resilience, support sensitive and sustainable development, and preserve flexibility to meet the evolving needs of current and future generations. To shape a shared vision for ‘Long Island’, agencies will invite Singaporeans and stakeholders to explore key topics, including potential recreational activities along the new coastline and within the future reservoir.

14 More information on ‘Long Island’ and the upcoming preparatory works can be found at go.gov.sg/long-island.

(1)Safety advisories can also be found on go.gov.sg/long-island and www.nparks.gov.sg/visit/parks/park-detail/east-coast-park.

(2)The EMMP outlines the mitigation measures, monitoring requirements, roles, and responsibilities required to manage and mitigate environmental impact, ensuring that the project's environmental impact remains within the levels predicted in the environmental assessment.

Preparatory works for 'Long Island' to start from end-2026
An environmental study found that the preparatory works are predicted to have an “overall minor impact” on the surrounding environment.
Erin Liam Channel NewsAsia 30 Jun 2026 12:00PM

SINGAPORE: Preparatory works for “Long Island”, Singapore’s large-scale coastal protection strategy, will start from the end of 2026.

It follows the completion of an environmental study commissioned by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), which found that the preparatory works are predicted to have an “overall minor impact” on the surrounding environment, HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said in a joint press release on Tuesday (Jun 30).

The preparatory works, to be carried out in two phases, will primarily involve removing seabed obstructions and constructing temporary sand bunds and sand infilling.

The works will be at least 130m away from the shoreline, in the waters off East Coast, and will be demarcated by silt screens and/or floating barriers.

They will lay the groundwork for future land reclamation of the decades-long, 800 ha project – dubbed "Long Island" for now – that is aimed at protecting Singapore from sea-level rise.

As a low-lying city state, Singapore needs to “plan early and act decisively” to mitigate the impact of climate change, said Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat in a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday.

Long Island would also strengthen water resilience with an additional reservoir and create new land for future needs, he added.

“It is a complex project that requires many years of careful planning and implementation. This is why we are starting preparatory works in the waters off East Coast later this year,” he said.

IMPACT ON BEACH, SEASPORTS COMMUNITY

The preparatory works will be conducted in phases to facilitate the continued use of part of the sea space fronting East Coast Park.

The first phase will start at the end of 2026 and be carried out in the waters west of Bedok Jetty. It will cover an area of about 570 ha – the size of about 800 football fields – and will span around 7km in length from east to west, and up to 1km wide from north to south.

Works for the second phase, which spans about 155 ha, will only start after the 2029 Southeast Asian Games.

HDB, as the appointed reclamation agent for Long Island, will implement measures to mitigate the impact of preparatory works on the environment and community, HDB and URA said.

The study, conducted by DHI Water and Environment, identified that there would be no significant changes to water quality, which will “continue to meet the prevailing marine water quality criteria”, the agencies said.

It started in February 2025. As part of the process, agencies engaged nature groups the following month and they provided input and feedback to refine the scope of the study.

While nearshore swimming conditions are expected to remain unaffected, sea users are advised to maintain a safe distance from the marine vessels deployed for the works and the designated work area, which will be cordoned off to ensure public safety, HDB and URA said.

Beaches along East Coast Park will remain open and accessible for near-shore swimming, while all exercise paths and tracks will stay accessible for jogging and cycling.

However, the preparatory works may cause “slight localised changes” to the currents and waves near Bedok Jetty, which will have a minimal impact on existing water-based activities, HDB and URA said.

Some sea sport users will be displaced due to a reduction in sea space along East Coast.

“The impact will be mitigated by the phasing of preparatory works, with kiteboarding being the most affected, and minor to moderate impact on other sea sport users,” the agencies added.

In response to queries from CNA, Sport Singapore (SportSG) said it recognises that East Coast Park is an "important recreational space with shared memories".

"Agencies have been engaging the affected groups and will continue to work closely with them to explore alternative sites to continue their activities. This includes the sea space to the east of Bedok Jetty, as well as other locations such as Changi, Pasir Ris, Sembawang and Sentosa," SportSG said.

The agency added that in the longer term, the new reservoir and Long Island coastline could potentially support a range of water-based activities and sports. This is being assessed as part of the ongoing technical studies, it said.

IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT, BIODIVERSITY

The agencies said that minor visual and ambient air quality impact from sand infilling operations is expected, with intermittent sediment plumes and dust.

HDB and URA said this will be minimised through the use of silt screens to contain the sediment plumes, in addition to close monitoring of dust levels.

The agencies added that the impacts on the natural environment are “generally slight and localised”.

In response to queries from CNA, HDB said that seagrass habitats are generally resilient to periodic turbidity - the cloudiness or haziness of the waters - and are expected to recover without long-term degradation.

It added that there are no sensitive coral communities or intertidal habitats within the project footprint of the preparatory works, and mobile species such as fish are expected to move away from the area where works are conducted.

Macrobenthic communities within the infilling area, including small organisms such as worms, marine snails and clams on the seabed, will be displaced.

“However, the affected area is small relative to similar habitats in surrounding waters, and recovery is expected outside the work footprint,” HDB and URA said, adding that there are no corals and seagrasses within the work footprint.

While the majority of coral and seagrass beds found outside the preparatory work are largely unaffected, those in specific locations such as Marina East and the eastern parts of East Coast may be “slightly affected” by suspended sediments.

Mangroves, intertidal fauna and most marine fauna are “largely unaffected”, the agencies added.

Additionally, while offshore-feeding birds may temporarily be affected due to reduced water space and increased turbidity, they are able to move away from the area, HDB and URA said.

The agencies added that turtle nesting at East Coast Park may be affected, although nesting areas to the east of Bedok Jetty remain accessible during the first phase of preparatory works.

The National Parks Board (NParks) ongoing turtle egg relocation efforts to Sisters’ Island will also support hatching survival over the longer term.

HDB and URA said that no harmful algal blooms or release of heavy metals are expected, and that the risk of oil spills is low given the small number of vessels involved and the mitigation measures in place.

HDB and URA said an environmental monitoring and management plan will be put in place throughout the preparatory works to monitor environmental conditions such as water quality, suspended sediment levels, noise and dust.

This ensures that the project’s environmental impact remains within the levels predicted in the environmental assessment, HDB and URA said.

The environmental study report is available for public feedback for four weeks from Jun 30.

“Agencies will thoroughly evaluate the feedback received and incorporate suitable suggestions, before finalising the mitigation measures that will be adopted,” HDB and URA said.

FURTHER STUDIES, ENGAGEMENT

The agencies said the first stage of the environmental study assessed the potential impact of preparatory works. The second stage, which is ongoing, will assess the potential impact of reclamation and is expected to be completed over the next few years.

The area that is used for preparatory works is not reflective of the future land profile of Long Island, HDB and URA said.

The main reclamation works for Long Island will only commence after agencies have completed the relevant technical studies, determined mitigation measures, and reviewed and incorporated feedback from further public engagements.

When completed, around 20km of new waterfront parks could be added to East Coast Park, which will triple the length of waterfront parks in the area and could add waterfront living concepts, according to URA’s website.

To date, more than 14,000 people have shared ideas on the project. The next phase of engagement will start from end-2026, where the public and stakeholders will be invited to explore key topics, including potential recreational activities along the new coastline and within the future reservoir.

Further technical studies will cover environmental engineering assessments for the actual reclamation profile and works, and are expected to be completed over the next few years.

Works for Long Island to begin off East Coast Park end-2026
Ang Qing and Ng Keng Gene Straits Times Published Jun 30, 2026, 12:00 PM

SINGAPORE – Works to prepare for the reclamation of land off East Coast Park will start end-2026, after which sea sports will only be allowed east of Bedok Jetty.

Some impact on biodiversity, including the critically endangered hawksbill turtle that nests at the park, is expected from the works, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Housing Board (HDB).

Further details about the reclamation project, tentatively dubbed Long Island, were revealed by both agencies on June 30, when a report detailing the environmental impact of the works was released.

The preparatory works will take place in two phases around fishing hot spot Bedok Jetty, said the agencies.

The first phase to the west of the jetty will begin from end-2026, covering an area of about 570ha and spanning some 7km in length.

The second phase to the east of the jetty will start after the completion of major international sporting events hosted by Singapore, including the South-east Asian (SEA) Games in 2029, to allow for water sports off East Coast Park.

Sport Singapore (SportSG) said in a statement the waters to the east of Bedok Jetty will remain available for sea sports activities until at least 2029.

The government agencies did not reveal when the works will end.

Altogether, the sea space covered by the works amounts to about 725ha, or roughly twice the size of Marina Bay.

A HDB spokesperson told The Straits Times that these works had to be undertaken progressively near the reclamation site to ensure the timely completion of Long Island that is expected to take decades to plan, design and implement.

“We are phasing the preparatory works to reduce the impact on existing water-based activities off East Coast Park while the works are carried out,” she added.

Unveiled as part of the long-term plan for Singapore’s development in 1991, Long Island has evolved into a large-scale coastal defence against rising sea levels, which will also create an additional reservoir and land for future needs.

The preparatory works include clearing seabed obstructions, constructing temporary sand bunds, and transporting sand for infilling at the site.

The agencies said the date for the second phase, which covers about 155ha, will be shared once the timeline is firmed up.

“There are currently no plans to carry out preparatory works in a third area,” the agencies told ST.

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said on social media that people can keep using beaches, exercise paths and tracks along East Coast Park while works are ongoing.

Some sea sports users, however, will be displaced due to the reduction in sea space along the East Coast, with kiteboarding being the most affected, according to URA and HDB.

According to the Kitesurfing Association of Singapore, the sport is allowed at East Coast Park from Bedok Jetty up to Marina South – the area that will be impacted by works during phase one – during the south-west monsoon season.

SportSG said the agencies will work with affected groups to continue their activities at alternative sites. This includes the sea space to the east of Bedok Jetty, as well as other locations like Changi, Pasir Ris, Sembawang and Sentosa.

The agency said it recognises that East Coast Park is an important recreational space with shared memories, noting that ongoing technical studies are assessing if ‘Long Island’ and the new reservoir can support a range of water-based activities and sports.

Meanwhile, anglers will still be allowed to use nearshore fishing areas and Bedok Jetty, although the works could impact fish and reduce catch rates.

Those who swim near the shore of East Coast Park will also be allowed to do so, as the works will take place at least 130m away from the shoreline.

The agencies said land-based park users will experience minimal impact, apart from the potential rise in visible wind-blown dust. This is unlikely to cause significant discomfort or require protective measures.

These findings were based on the first stage of an environmental study by consultancy DHI Water and Environment that commenced in February 2025.

Nature groups were consulted in March 2025 to refine the scope of the study, including suggestions on where and when to survey the presence of seasonal migratory birds, said the HDB and URA.

The study anticipated minor impact on some terrestrial and marine biodiversity from the works, as some coral and seagrass beds closer to the site at locations like Marina East and eastern East Coast Park could experience short-term and localised impact from suspended sediments.

However, most of coral and seagrass in the vicinity, including Sisters’ Island Marine Park, the likely source of Singapore’s coral diversity, will be largely unaffected, according to the report.

The URA and HDB said: “Infilling will be carefully monitored to contain sediment plumes within the work area and away from the shoreline.”

They added that nesting areas to the east of Bedok Jetty will remain accessible to turtles during the first phase of the preparatory works. Ongoing egg relocation efforts to Sisters’ Island will also support the survival of hatchlings.

The agencies said the area used for preparatory works is not reflective of the future land profile for Long Island, and will be clearly demarcated with silt screens or floating barriers.

They added that the second stage of the environmental study, which assesses the potential impact of reclamation works, is ongoing.

The agencies said: “Detailed plans for ‘Long Island’, including its development footprint and final reclamation profile, will continue to be refined through ongoing technical studies, including the environmental study for reclamation works, and the next phase of public engagements.”

In November 2023, then National Development Minister Desmond Lee had said that government agencies will carry out technical studies for the Long Island project over five years, starting early 2024.

The current plan is for three elongated tracts of land to be reclaimed in the area, extending from Marina East to Tanah Merah, with a large tidal gate and pumping station built between each new land mass.

Civil and environmental engineering assistant professor Chew Soon Hoe said the first phase will likely take at least three to four years, while the second phase could last for up to three years.

“These timelines are indicative and could vary depending on the final construction methodology, resource allocation, and the rate at which reclamation materials can be sourced and delivered,” added Chew, who teaches at the National University of Singapore’s College of Design and Engineering.

Actual reclamation works involve much more than the placement of sand, he said, noting that sand infilling alone does not produce land that is structurally ready for development. Reclamation works include seabed improvement, ground treatment and other measures necessary to create land that is stable and suitable for long-term development.

He added: “Given the scale and long-term nature of the Long Island project, which is expected to be implemented progressively over several decades, it is likely that further quantities of additional sand will still be required during the subsequent reclamation phases.

“The preparatory works should therefore be viewed as an enabling step that facilitates and accelerates future reclamation works.”

The URA and HDB said the next phase of public engagement for Long Island will begin from end-2026, building on ideas gathered from more than 14,000 people in the first phase.

Topics to be discussed include potential recreational activities along the new coastline and within the future reservoir.

The URA told ST that government agencies have been offering shorter tenancy extensions to businesses at East Coast Park to provide greater flexibility during the works. It did not share how many tenants took up shorter leases.

“We will continue to engage tenants closely and support their transition plans, where necessary,” it said.

How East Coast Park will be affected by Long Island works from end-2026
Ang Qing and Ng Keng Gene Straits Times Jun 30, 2026, 12:20 PM

SINGAPORE - From end-2026, preparatory works for the reclamation of Long Island will start in two phases in the waters off East Coast Park.

The works involve the clearing of seabed obstructions and movement of materials like sand.

Altogether, the sea space covered by the works amounts to about 725ha, or nearly twice the size of Marina Bay.

The Straits Times unpacks how the park’s users and businesses will be affected.

Sea sports

Sea sports are not allowed within the Phase 1 work area. These include sailing, windsurfing and kayaking.

Sport Singapore said that government agencies will work with affected groups to continue their activities at alternative sites. This includes the sea space to the east of Bedok Jetty, as well as other locations like Changi, Pasir Ris, Sembawang and Sentosa.

The statutory board said waters to the east of Bedok Jetty will remain available for sea sports activities until at least 2029.

According to the Kitesurfing Association of Singapore, the sport is allowed at East Coast Park from Bedok Jetty up to Marina South – the area that will be impacted by works during phase one – during the south-west monsoon season.

The second phase of preparatory works off the east of Bedok Jetty is slated to start after the completion of major international sporting events, including the South-east Asian (SEA) Games in 2029. More details will be shared when the agencies are ready.

Fishing

Fishing near the shore and at Bedok Jetty can continue.

However, the works could displace fish and reduce catch rates in the area.

Agencies will put up early communication and signs to keep anglers informed.
Swimming

The preparatory works will be clearly demarcated by silt screens and floating barriers.

Swimming near the shore will be allowed, as works will take place at least 130m away from the East Coast shoreline.

Users of the sea are advised to maintain a safe distance from marine vessels deployed for work. The designated work area that will be cordoned off to ensure public safety.

Land-based activities and businesses

Beaches, exercise paths and tracks will remain open and accessible.

An increase in visible wind-blown dust is anticipated near the project. This is not expected to cause significant discomfort or require protective measures.

The URA told ST it does not expect land-based activities to be affected by the works, but the government agencies have been offering shorter tenancy extensions to businesses at East Coast Park to provide greater flexibility during this period of works for Long Island.

It did not share how many tenants took up shorter leases.

“We will continue to engage tenants closely and support their transition plans, where necessary,” the agency added.

Muted mass coral spawning in 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:20:50 +0000

This year's annual mass coral spawning at Pulau Satumu was a muted affair. “While some coral colonies were observed spawning, the overall activity appeared relatively muted compared with the spawning activity previously observed in some years, where a larger number of species had spawned,” said Karenne Tun, group director of the National Parks Board’s (NParks) National Biodiversity Centre.

Scientists said this could be due to global mass coral bleaching in 2024 and a smaller-scale bleaching event at Pulau Satumu in September 2025. Coral scientists worldwide are expecting mass coral bleaching in 2026-2027.

Muted coral spawning in Singapore in 2026 may reflect lower resilience across reef
Shabana Begum Straits Times Jun 21, 2026, 12:00 PM

SINGAPORE – The annual mass-mating of corals in Singapore’s waters in April and May 2026 was a muted affair.

The reduced release of eggs and sperm at one of Singapore’s richest coral reefs off Raffles Lighthouse could reflect an overall reduced resilience across the reef, said Karenne Tun, group director of the National Parks Board’s (NParks) National Biodiversity Centre.

This needs further investigation, she added.

Scientists said the lacklustre reproduction could be an effect of the 2024 marine heatwave – which caused more than 40 per cent of corals to bleach and turn white at one point – as well as a small-scale bleaching event at Pulau Satumu, where Raffles Lighthouse is located, in September 2025.

Mass spawning events occur once a year, and are usually a spectacular underwater show in which the coral reefs appear to “snow” as they release bundles of coral eggs and sperm.

The phenomenon usually happens a few nights after the full moon following the spring equinox, which generally occurs here around late March.

The larger the “snowy blizzard”, the more likely it is that fertilisation will occur. The eggs and sperm then join to form larvae, which are carried by the water until some find a hard surface to latch on to and grow on.

NParks held its annual coral spawning surveys at the southern island of Pulau Satumu from April 4 to 6 with researchers from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) and the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory.

“While some coral colonies were observed spawning, the overall activity appeared relatively muted compared with the spawning activity previously observed in some years, where a larger number of species had spawned,” said Tun.

NParks and the researchers returned to Satumu in May to see if more spawning happened. After April’s turnout, they initially suspected that the spawning was split across two months.

But no significant activity was seen in May.

The muted reproductive event was similar to what happened in 2025, a few months after reefs were hit with mass bleaching in 2024 because of the warming El Nino climate phenomenon.

Back then, NParks and NUS said corals that had recovered from the 2024 episode may not have had enough energy to reproduce.

On the latest spawning episode, Tun said: “The reduced spawning capacity may, however, reflect an overall reef-wide reduced resilience, which requires further investigation.”

Some species continued to reproduce despite the recent environmental stressors, including the Diploastrea moon coral and the Montipora velvet corals.

Higher sea temperatures stress coral reefs, forcing them to expel the algae that give them their striking colours.

This causes corals to bleach, or turn ash-white.

The ordeal in 2024 – part of the severe fourth global mass bleaching episode – killed 5 per cent of corals in Singapore. Between early 2023 and mid-2025, 84 per cent of the world’s coral reefs were affected by the marine heatwave.

Research fellow Lionel Ng from TMSI – who was among the NUS scientists involved in the surveys in April and May – said the combined effects of the 2024 bleaching event and a smaller-scale bleaching episode at Satumu in September 2025 may have reduced reef health or modified the physiological responses of the corals.

“The reef’s reproductive ability may not have been able to fully recover in time for the mass spawning event,” he said.

While more studies need to be done, scientists suspect that the 2025 bleaching at Satumu is due to a strong south-west monsoon bringing in more water rich in river run-off from the Strait of Malacca.

The organic-laden, cloudy water may have reduced the amount of light entering the corals in deeper zones, causing them to bleach.

Ng said: “It may be useful to understand how successive (environmental) disturbances also impact reproductive capacity and the early life stages of our corals. These have long-term consequences for reef replenishment and key ecological functions.”

Coral scientists worldwide are dreading another global marine heatwave that could emerge with the upcoming El Nino, which is predicted to be stronger than the previous one from 2023 to 2024.

Back-to-back mass bleaching can further aggravate the health of coral reefs, but is an emerging pattern with climate change.

The Meteorological Service Singapore forecasts that El Nino conditions will develop from June to July. Nearly every El Nino event since 1998 has coincided with mass coral bleaching that also affected Singapore’s waters. The last super El Nino in 2015 and 2016 caused 10 per cent of local corals to die.

To boost the reproduction of local reefs, scientists here are trying to fertilise corals in the laboratory.

In April, the researchers based at St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory and staff from NParks collected some of the spawn to fertilise them.

“Corals grow very slowly and juvenile corals are more vulnerable, requiring more care during the early stages,” said Ng.

Sexual reproduction increases genetic diversity among coral babies.

“This is important for improving our chances of producing corals that possess certain traits which afford resilience during environmental disturbance,” Ng added.

Sentosa Tg. Rimau: Interlocking 1-tonne blocks to be deployed

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:05:03 +0000

"A few hundred" one-tonne concrete blocks (XblocPlus) will be deployed at Sentosa Tanjung Rimau's natural cliffs. The interlocking blocks will be placed “at the toe of the slope to mitigate wave erosion". PUB said the location was identified together with Sentosa Development Corporation which is planning to do slope stabilisation works there.

"The blocks’ high porosity will also provide safe havens for marine life while effectively dissipating wave energy." This project will mark local construction firm Woh Hup Engineering’s first foray into the coastal protection industry, with the goal of ensuring the product is cost-effective enough for nationwide use.

Sentosa Tg Rimau has among our last natural cliffs with natural rocky shores. A natural coastal forest cloaks the cliff. Hardy plants grow here. Sentosa's coastal forest has some of the last of Singapore's now rare coastal plants.

Among them is Nyireh laut which is Critically Endangered in Singapore and we probably have less than 10 trees on our shores. On our last survey in Jan 2026, the mother tree looks a little less leafy, but otherwise seems okay. Her oldest Daughter no. 1 next to her is still alright with fresh green leaves. The next younger Daughter no. 2 growing near the pill box is growing tall with fresh green leaves. Daughter no. 3 which I last saw as a sapling in Apr 2014 has grown really tall with fresh green leaves. Today, I managed a look at her trunk! And Nasry pointed out what could be Daughter no. 4 nearby!

Living Lab: $14 million awarded for testing coastal defence projects in Singapore
Ang Qing Straits Times Jun 17, 2026, 01:00 PM

SINGAPORE – An eco-friendly seawall that seals its own cracks and gradually adapts to rising sea levels is among five projects slated for testing along Singapore’s coastline from 2027.

Backed by an injection of about $14 million from national water agency PUB’s Living Lab platform, these coastal protection projects could evolve from pilot projects into scalable solutions in the Republic.

The initiative was announced by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on June 17, at the Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders Summit at Singapore International Water Week.

Developed by universities, contractors and consultants, these test-bedded solutions are designed to fortify Singapore’s coastal and flood defences, for which the Government set aside $10 billion in 2020.

Fu said: “By bringing together universities and industry players in these R&D projects, we can turn promising ideas into deployable solutions, and deployable solutions into infrastructure at scale.

“As Singapore and cities around the world confront growing coastal and flood risks, one thing is clear: None of us can do this alone. But together, we can move faster and further.”

The projects will be tested at Sentosa’s Tanjong Rimau, Changi, Yishun Dam and East Coast Park, PUB said in a statement. These sites were chosen based on technical, operational and environmental factors.

Over three years, the Living Lab’s findings will determine the solutions’ viability for long-term, large-scale coastal protection.

Off the coast of Changi, a team will trial a “living seawall” designed to incrementally respond to gradual sea level rise while ensuring that marine biodiversity thrives.

Yang Zi Qian, managing director of Delta Marine Consultants, said the approach could upend the traditional view that vertical seawalls are at odds with nature, while providing flexibility to gradually extend the wall as the sea rises.

“The concept of an incremental build is going to be one of the essential elements of our coastal protection policy,” said Yang, who leads one of the project’s six partnering entities. “We don’t build a giant seawall all at once, nor do we under-protect. We build what we need, monitor future forecasts and structurally scale it up accordingly to adapt to a changing climate.”

The consortium also includes Japanese engineering firm Kajima Corporation, the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Singapore Institute of Technology, Samwoh Innovation Centre and Oung Construction.

The integrated wall will draw on Kajima’s experience building an eco-friendly seawall in Tokyo, said Hiroyuki Takasuna, strategic adviser for Kajima Technical Research Institute Singapore. The Tokyo wall was planned with local biodiversity of fish, crabs and other marine life in mind, through the design of grooves, tide pools and other features.

This will be adapted to Singapore’s tropical climate, factoring in the Republic’s humidity, temperature, tidal conditions, solar radiation and sea level projections, Takasuna added.

Samwoh Corporation director Ho Nyok Yong said the low-carbon structure will, like the human body, be able to seal itself whenever a crack surfaces, using an embedded network containing a patented sealing agent that acts like a blood coagulant.

He added: “The strength of the (sealing agent) is equal to or even better than the original concrete, allowing it to stand forever.”

On Sentosa, another project will deploy an interlocking concrete armour system of blocks that blunts the impact of waves and erosion.

Originally created to protect the Netherlands, where 75,000 such blocks are already in use, the modular defence system known as XblocPlus will be tested for its effectiveness in tropical urban waters with lower wave energy.

A few hundred blocks, each weighing about a tonne, will be placed off Tanjong Rimau, where one of Singapore’s last remaining coastal cliffs and rocky shores is located.

Because the armour requires only a single layer, it significantly reduces the material needed for coastal defence, said NUS civil and environmental engineering professor Adrian Law.

His team will use remote sensing software and other monitoring methods to assess the barrier’s strength.

The blocks’ high porosity will also provide safe havens for marine life while effectively dissipating wave energy.

This project will mark local construction firm Woh Hup Engineering’s first foray into the coastal protection industry, with the goal of ensuring the product is cost-effective enough for nationwide use.

Addressing concerns from nature experts that construction near Tanjong Rimau could disrupt wildlife habitats, PUB said the location of its project was identified by the agency and Sentosa Development Corporation for integration with planned slope stabilisation works.

The works to address slope integrity at Tanjong Rimau are aimed at protecting the area’s valuable ecological and historical features, PUB told The Straits Times.

It added: “Deployed at the toe of the slope, XblocPlus will serve as a coastal protection measure to mitigate wave-induced erosion to preserve the stability and effectiveness of the slope stabilisation works and safeguard public safety.”

These five projects bring the total number of projects under PUB’s Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research Programme to 38.

New rulebook on how landowners can defend coast from rising seas launched, to be mandatory from 2028
Coastal landowners with more than 30 years left on their lease must plan their defences against a projected rise in sea level by 2.15m.
Ang Hwee Min Channel NewsAsia 17 Jun 2026 01:00PM(Updated: 17 Jun 2026 01:32PM)

COASTAL PROTECTION SOLUTIONS

Apart from the new code, Ms Fu said PUB has also awarded S$14 million to five projects to test coastal protection solutions.

These measures will be implemented at selected locations along Singapore’s coastline from 2027, said PUB in a factsheet.

The results from the five projects will be assessed over three years to determine if they can be used for future coastal protection works, the agency said.

For example, a team comprising individuals from the National University of Singapore (NUS), construction company Woh Hup and Delta Marine Consultants has deployed an interlocking concrete armour system to protect against waves and erosion at Sentosa, said Ms Fu.

This design achieves better protection with less concrete, which reduces costs, carbon footprint and Singapore’s reliance on imported materials, she added.

Another adaptive, eco-friendly seawall project involves Japanese construction company Kajima, and local firms Samwoh Innovation Centre and Oung Construction, as well as NUS, the Singapore Institute of Technology and Delta Marine Consultants.

Building on Kajima’s eco-friendly seawall work in Tokyo, the project will test the use of prefabricated elements, with low-carbon materials, smart sensors and self-healing mechanisms to reduce emissions and maintenance costs, Ms Fu said.

“As Singapore and cities around the world confront growing coastal and flood risks, one thing is clear. None of us can do this alone. But together, we can move faster and further.”

Source: CNA/hw(nj)

Terumbu Raya in the face of Sudong reclamation

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:23:44 +0000

We return to Terumbu Raya East for the first time in 4 years! Although it lies just off the petrochemical plants on Pulau Bukom it is still very much alive. With sprinkles of corals and seagrasses.

The rest of the team saw sharks, sea turtles, special anemones and other marine life.

As usual, the rest of the team make all the special finds. Large colourful reef fish, groups of many squids at the reef edge, even octopus despite the daylight. There were colourful echinoderms like feather stars, large Diadema sea urchins and special brittle stars. We regularly only see a few nudibranchs in the south (a much wider variety in the north), the team saw all the common ones. Unfortunately, seem that only one small Noble volute was seen. Ian captured a lot of sharks hanging around the reef edge from his drone.

Tammy captured this rare glimpse of a sea turtle. The rest of the team also heard sea turtles during the survey. We often do encounter sea turtles on our surveys, but they are too fast to capture. We first hear the explosive sound as the animal emerges at the surface to exhale. And generally only get a few seconds glimpse of it before it inhales and dives down again.

The rest of the team also came across what seems to be two Leathery sea anemones which are quite rarely encountered. They also saw a bubble tip anemone, some Magnificent anemones (not yet forming fields it seems). Almost every member saw 'Nemos' in the Giant carpet anemones - I totally failed to see any.

The Giant clam team was with us and they found 11! The team took photos of some of the clams, including one dead clam. This is unfortunately common: we regularly find our favourite large clams dead.

There have never been a lot of corals on this shore. Some scattered medium sized boulder-shaped coral colonies. Most seemed alright.

Similar to what I saw in May 2022, the reef edge facing Pulau Semakau no longer had a lot of live corals as in the past. But there were still scattered colonies mostly boulder shaped with some less commonly seen kinds like Anchor coral, Lettuce coral, Brain coral. There were more live corals turning the corner to the shore facing Beting Bemban Besar, with even a Tongue mushroom coral.

The team also saw special corals that I missed, plus a patch of many circular mushroom corals. They also took great photos of the reef edge which is rich with corals.

There are not a lot of leathery soft corals on this shore, mostly medium to small colonies of various kinds. I saw several Giant carpet anemone (no 'Nemos') and one Fire anemone. Also one Asparagus flowery soft coral. None of them were bleaching. The Giant clam team was with us and found a lot! I happened to be nearby when they found this large one.

The seagrass situation is probably similar to what we saw in May 2022 and Aug 2021. Most of the centre of the flats are still bare sand. There were denser patches seagrasses toward the seaward edges, mostly heavily covered in epiphytes. All the Tape seagrasses I saw were cropped short.

Zen came across two abandoned net. They look quite recent (not much algae growing on them), one had a fish trapped in it. Fortunately they were not super long. It has been quite some time since we came across abandoned nets here.

The Sudong reclamation worksite looks similar to what we saw in May 2026 from Beting Bemban Besar. Tall piles of sand with lots of large heavy equipment on the sand and in the water.

The reclamation site is not yet showing up on Google Earth but an aviation news site Alert 5 has shared an image dated 13 Jun 2026 from the Copernicus system.

Here is the location of Terumbu Raya and other nearby shores in relation to the Sudong reclamation.

What is the fate of Beting Bemban Besar?

Large areas nearby are also slated for massive reclamation outlined recently in the Long-Term Plan Review.

Blue Plan highlights that Pulau Semakau and its associated patch reefs comprise many ecosystems: coral reefs, mangrove areas, intertidal sandflats, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. The subtidal area of Pulau Jong is larger than the terrestrial area. Pulau Hantu is a popular dive site has seen increasing interest in the past decade due to biodiversity awareness. If protection is accorded to these three islands, zonation plans for use can be implemented to manage tourism and human impacts.

DOWNLOAD the Plan, SUPPORT the Plan! More on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 site.

Photos by others on this survey

Tammy Lim

Lon Voon Ong

Adriane Lee

Richard Kuah

Zen Xuan He

Rui Quan Oh

Dylan Sng

Tommy Tan

Others on this survey: Lester Tan, Ian Mun

A restricted East Coast Park site continues to thrive

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:01:21 +0000

Corals have settled on a 2.5km long seawall at East Coast Park stretching to Marina Bay! Seagrass meadows carpet the lagoon behind the seawall, while mangroves settled on the breakwaters. This shore was hit by by mass coral bleaching and the 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill in 2024.

Fortunately, we already noticed recovery in Nov 2025, which seems to be continuing today. Well formed corals were seen at the seawall, lush seagrass meadows on the artificial lagoon and mangroves growing on the seawall were doing well. Thanks for permission from agencies to survey this shore.

Today, our Human Climbing Crabs were surveying Changi Bay, so no one really looked closely at the seawall. I had a closer look by feebly walking along the low shore. There were some large coral colonies which were well formed and had no dead patches.

We came across 2 Spiny sea stars and 1 young Purple-legged crab: these are common in the North but less so in the south. I also saw a moon snail in the process of eating a struggling bivalve. Sponges, colourful hydroids and zoanthids also grew on the seawalls, while we saw a moult of a horseshoe crab, and shell of a Fan clam. There was one Diadema sea urchin among the seagrass.

At the 'elbow' of a breakwater, floating things will gather and pool. Such as mangrove seedlings, seagrass seeds. Indeed, there are lush seagrass growths here, as well as mangroves. While corals grow on the seawall too.

Some mangroves have settled naturally on the back of the breakwater wall. In Jun 2024, the seawall was heavily coated in oil and there was a large 'pancake' of oil at the base of the wall. The prop roots of the two bigger trees were heavily coated in oil. Smaller saplings were festooned with oil-slicked litter.

As they did on our last survey in Nov 2025, the mangrove trees were free of oil, prop roots looked fresh and clean, and they were flowering and producing propagules. Even the little sapling survived and seem to have grown a little!

Today the tide was very low, exposing a large expanse of seagrasses growing in the artificial lagoon formed behind the 2.5km long seawall. There remains many patches of Needle seagrass (both skinny and broad leaf blades) and Spoon seagrasses (both small and large leaf blades). I saw a small patch of Sickle seagrass. Lester confirmed there were still sprinkles of of Fern seagrass which we saw here for the first time in Nov 2025 - the first time outside of Changi and Chek Jawa.

Since our Nov 2025 survey, most abundant seagrass remains Noodle seagrass! They formed dense patches everywhere on the shore and low water mark, with very long (20cm) fresh green leaves. On our Jun 2024 survey, I only saw a few patches on them. There were also many patches of Serrated ribbon seagrass everywhere. These two species also dominate the East Coast (Sailing Centre) shore that we surveyed a few days ago. These two species are not as commonly seen on our other shores, not sure what is going on.

Similar to our Jun 2024 and Nov 2025 survey, I saw many clumps of Tape seagrass, both on the low water mark and in deeper water in the middle of the lagoon. Even inside the canal! All had nice long leaves, I didn't see any with cropped leaves. One clump had developing female flowers. I also noticed that the leaves 'stood' straight up from the ground. Not sure whether the cropping we see on Tape seagrasses growing elsewhere is due to the leaves laying flat against the ground? Must observe them more closely.

This shore is closed to the public and thus not cleaned as regularly as our recreational beaches. There has thus always been a large and growing pile of litter here. I also saw an abandoned net, overgrown with seaweeds, washed up on the shore. Today, it was super low and I noticed a line of litter that accumulates at the low water mark as well. Among the litter were many single-use water cups, which commonly wash up on beaches along the ferry routes. These are not commonly used by beach goers or the local boating or fishing community. But these single-use water cups are apparently given out to passengers on ferries. It seems no facilities are provided at any of the piers/terminals under MPA's charge for vessels to responsibly dispose of trash generated during their operation. More in this post.

We spent a bit of time in the public area waiting for the tide to fall low enough for safe access to the restricted area. The public area has a smaller representation of corals on a seawall and seagrasses on an artificial lagoon. The corals were doing well, seagrasses growing lush, against a backdrop of condos, and the angry red glow in the distance is flaring at Penggerang Johor that we saw yesterday at Beting Bronok!

This shore will also be affected by plans for Long Island.

Photos by others on this survey

Dylan Seng

Others on this survey: Jason Ooi, Nasry, Lester

Artificial shores at Changi Bay are alive!

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 02:48:00 +0000

Thanks for to the tiny team of our Human Climbing Crabs for taking on the challenge to survey this large artificial shore that is quite hard to get to and slippery and tricky to survey.

On the seawall, corals have settled naturally, and on the shallow berm, it seems even seagrasses have flourished with what seems to be a dugong feeding trail. An astonishing variety of marine life has settled here from colourful slugs to fishes, crabs and echinoderms.

The seagrassy area seems lush and even had what looks like a dugong feeding trail! As well as the usual animals associated with seagrasses like seahorses, swimming anemones, short spined black sea urchins. There were even animals commonly seen in soft shores like sea pens and cerianthids. Seems the seagrasses are mostly Spoon seagrass with some Needle seagrass.

People don't believe me when I say, Changi is among the best shores to see a wide variety of nudibranchs. No need to dive! Once again, the team proves this is true. From the commonly seen Jorunna nudibranchs busy chomping up a big blue sponge and then busy mating to make more sponge-eaters. To a wide variety of flatworms too.

Seems there is a good variety of echinoderms on the shore. From sea stars commonly seen on seagrasses to those found on hard surfaces. Brittle stars tiny to large. Diadema sea urchins more commonly associated with reefs - big one and smaller juvenile. To heart urchins which are burrowing and rarely seen above ground. As well as sea cucumbers, including many Big synaptid sea cucumbers more often seen on reefy shores.

A variety of corals have settled naturally on the seawall. Seems to be mostly commonly seen boulder shaped and plate-forming corals. There was also a large sea fan.

How wonderful to see fishes more commonly associated with reefs like juvenile Batfishes, special scorpionfishes and reef gobies. But there were also the usual northern fishes like Estuarine moray eel, filefishes, rabbitfish and more.

There were also sea anemones that are more commonly seen in the South, near reefs. Like the Giant carpet anemone and Frilly anemones. As well as South reef-associated crabs like the Teddy bear crab and some swimming crabs. But there were the usual hermit crabs, shrimps and other crabs common at Changi.

Where is Changi Bay shore?

Accessible via the PCN and only exposed at super low tides, the artificial seawall is just off Aviation Park Road. Here's a view of Changi Bay shores in relation to better known Changi Carpark 6 and Carpark 7 shores.

What is the fate of Changi Bay?

The planned reclamation off Aviation Park will bury the marine life here. Although it is reported that "corals within the project’s footprint and a surrounding buffer area will be transplanted elsewhere before development works begin". No timeline was given for the reclamation.

Here's a view of the planned Aviation Park reclamation overlaid on the locations of Changi shores.

The Lost Coast on the eastern most point of the area is already being reclaimed and much of the marine life there already lost.

See Changi shores for yourself !

They are easy to get to, and enjoyed by many people. It remains rich in marine life. More details in "Changi - an easy intertidal adventure for the family". This reefy part of Changi needs a very low spring tide of zero to minus zero.

Photos by those on the survey

Loh Kok Sheng

Jianlin Liu

Rui Quan Oh

Tommy Tan

Earlier visits to this shore

Loh Kok Sheng 4 Jan 2026

Loh Kok Sheng on 28 Jun 2025

Loh Kok Sheng 9 Jul 2024

Loh Kok Sheng 24 Jan 2023

Loh Kok Sheng 31 Jan 2022

Beting Bronok still alive

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:23:29 +0000

Our annual survey to this reefy northern flat is bitter-sweet. Like visiting our favourite grandma and watching her painfully, slowly fade away. I feel privileged to have seen her at her best.

Despite the ongoing reclamation works on Pulau Tekong nearby, and flaring at Penggerang Johor, it remains alive. Seagrasses remain abundant as much of the shore has become very soft and silty. The small patch rich with delicate colourful animals is still there although faltering a bit. The rest of the team spot special sea stars, sea horses, moray eel and many other interesting marine life.

The rest of team had lots of seahorse sightings. After trying my best to deconflict the photos of the same individual (difficult for the plain brown ones), it seems they saw at least 10 different individuals! Most seem to be the Estuarine seahorse, and one seems to be the Tiger-tailed seahorse more commonly seen in the south. Adriane saw the most number: 4 individuals including a pair - we do often see yellow and brown seahorse close to one another.

Lots of small frogfishes were seen! Zen alone saw 10. In various colours and patterns. There was also a Brown spotted moray eel as well as the Estuarine moray eel. Colourful fishes associated with reefs were also seen: two different kinds of butterflyfish, damselfish, gobies. Also the spotted scat, and lots of rabbitfishes, filefishes.

Good to know Beting Bronok remains quite starry. The team found 3 Bordered sea stars - these pale blue stars with narrow arms are only commonly seen on Beting Bronok. They also saw some Cake sea stars large and small, some Painted sand stars and Red scaly sea stars. It was a relief to know the Biscuit sea stars are still there - hope these small ones grow up to be big and strong. Unfortunately, we have not seen the Knobbly sea stars here for some years already.

A northern reefy shore will usually have a wider variety of nudibranch and slugs than a southern one. Among the special nudis seen was the Sibogae nudibranch that eats hydroids, the Armina nudibranch that eats sea pens, lots of Bushy slugs which suck the sap of seaweeds. Also many colourful flatworms.

Adriane encountered an explosion of small Swimming anemones among the seagrasses. Here's his awesome video of them swimming. The team also saw a Haeckel's anemone, a Snaky anemone, many transparent Glass anemones and one with reddish tentacles. One anemone had captured a small fish. All the usual sea pens were seen but most abundant were Spiky sea pens, some with the very cute porcelain crabs that are only found in these sea pens. There was also a Black mouth cerianthid that we usually only see in the south.

There is small reefy patch on Beting Bronok that I call the 'sponge garden'. In Jun 2024, there was mass dying of sponges in this area. In Jun 2025 there seemed to be some recovery with a wide variety of healthy sponges, especially on the seaward side. Today, the area with healthy sponges seems smaller and I saw fewer clumps of healthy sponges elsewhere on the reef flat. Yellow bumpy sponges remain the most abundant kind but most were heavily coated in silt.

The most abundant cnidarian remains Button zoanthids which still cover large areas of the flat, very densely in some parts. The stinging hydroids were particularly abundant and large, many standing upright out of water like shrubs with evil intent. There were a lot of Spangled flatworms, individual sprinkled all over the reef flats. I saw one Ball flowery soft coral, one Pink flowery soft coral and one sea fan. Also one spiky sea pen, a few Haddon's carpet anemones. I saw one large Cake sea stars, but the rest of the team saw echinoderms of all kinds. I will update with their observations later.

I still saw small healthy Boulder pore corals colonies, but much fewer. In Jun 2024 at the height of mass coral bleaching, I saw about 40 corals: 100% were bleaching. In Jun 2025, I saw about 20 corals, half were okay, the rest were stressed or had large dead portions and even a bit of bleaching. Today, I saw 10 corals all okay except 2 that were very pale. I also saw a Small goniopora coral, and some tiny Neat hexa corals.

The rest of the team saw several different kinds of corals that I totally missed! Including Anemone corals and other kinds of Merulinid corals. They all seemed fine.

Recently, I sensed that we have been seeing much fewer Noble volutes that in the past. So we are now going to document every live Noble volute that we see. As a team, we saw only 6 live volutes at Beting Bronok today - mostly large ones, no egg masses seen. This large beautiful snail is restricted to our part of the world, in particular, Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. We have a duty to protect them. Hopefully, our sightings will help encourage further study into whether the populations on our shores are okay. We didn't see any live Bailer volutes, only a few empty shells.

Thick layers of soft sediments have built up even more compared to our previous visits. Over the years, I sense that Beting Bronok has gradually become larger. With 'new' soft silty areas growing on the south-west edge, where seagrasses have started to grow. Since Jun 2025, I noticed the 'stingray' lagoon to the north-west has become shallower.

Seagrasses seem to thrive on this sediment layer and now dominate all parts of the reef. They continue to grow on large areas of the southern tip and elsewhere. All Spoon seagrasses (with most large leaf blades but also some small) grow lush and fresh and green (no epiphytes). I have seen this since Jun 2018. Since our last survey in Jun 2024, I noticed more of them in the lagoon in the middle of the reef flat, today, there are even more. There were also many large patches of Parasol green seaweed.

Thanks to the team for also taking much better photos of the lush seagrasses that have settled on the shore. And the birds that turned up at daybreak to forage on the shore.

Over the years, the reefy patch on Beting Bronok seems to wax and wane. Beting Bronok remains a pale shadow of itself. Here's what Beting Bronok looked like twenty years ago in 2003.

Beting Bronok in 2003.

There used to be a wondrous variety of sea fans.

Sea fans on Beting Bronok in 2004.

Here's more old photos of marine life at Beting Bronok. Lost forever probably are the wonderful Sunflower mushroom corals and other corals that we used to see here.

Where is Beting Bronok? What is its status and future?

When the 2030 landuse plan by the Ministry of National Development was announced, it was also announced that Beting Bronok and Pulau Unum have been granted 'Nature Area' status. As I understand it, this status means the area "will be kept for as long as possible until required for development". Here's an earlier about 'Nature Area' status seem to mean.

Today, we started our survey before dawn. And throughout, there was massive flaring at petrochemical plants at Pengerang Johor. This has been going on for years now. This petrochemical complex that was rejected in Taiwan for environmental and health reasons.

The flaring is so intense, it looks like a 'false dawn'. Real dawn on the left.

We will continue to keep watch over this special little reef and hope for the best.

Photos by others on this survey

Loh Kok Sheng

Jianlin Liu

Tammy Lim

Adriane Lee

Richard Kuah

Jayden Kang

Rui Quan Oh

Zen Xuan He

Dylan Sng

Jason Ooi

Others on this survey: Lester Tan

Two East Coast sites in one super low tide

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:37:28 +0000

On a very early super low tide, a small team surveyed Bedok Jetty AND East Coast Park Sailing Centre. These shores were impacted by the 2024 Pasir Panjang oil spill. It was a relief to see that they remain very much alive.

I returned to a small sand bar in front of a canal for the first time since 2009! And found seagrasses and special snails. I will update with the team observations, as usual, they make all the special finds.

Seems like we only survey Bedok Jetty once every 10 years: in Jun 2013 and Jun 2009. Thanks to Kok Sheng who inspired us to make this survey! Here's a sneak peek at Kok Sheng's photos of the colourful encrustations on the Jetty legs. There were special nudibranchs and cowries as well as crabs. I will update once the rest of the team updates their photos.

While the rest of the team checked out Bedok Jetty, I checked out the sandy shore that grown in front of the canal near the East Coast Lagoon Food Village (Carpark E2). I was last here in 2009. Seems there were major works at the canal in 2021 to 2022, so the marine life I saw today must have settled very recently.

West of the canal, there is a series of sand bag seawalls. These seem to provide a different kind of habitat for marine life, compared to granite seawalls which were covered with oysters. The lowest part of the sand bag seawall had dense growths of red seaweed, and in some places, there were pools of water on the sand bag. There were many small hermit crabs among the seaweeds, and at the base of the sand bags, many small Horn eyed ghost crabs.

The outermost western sand bar had much finer sand than the one directly in front of the canal. I saw some Olive snails that I rare see (conical spire) as well as the commonly seen Weasel olive snail (short spire). There were also some live Button snails (probably emerging from the sand to escape the predatory Olive snails, and some whelks that I seldom see. Also small Horn-eyed ghost crabs, moon crabs and some small Cake sand dollars.

On the seaward side of this sand bar there were dense growths of fresh green Needle seagrass (narrow leaf blades) and Spoon seagrass (large leaf blades). The most abundant animals there were small hermit crabs.

We then flew to the Sailing Centre for the remainder of the low tide. The seagrasses here are doing very well! There were still lots of fresh green seagrass growing along both sides of the long sandbar. Mostly Needle seagrass (both narrow and broad leaf blades) and Spoon seagrass (large leaf blades so dense that the leaves are growing upright). Growths seem denser compared to our surveys in Aug 2024 and Sep 2024 just after the Pasir Panjang oil spill in June. There are now larger patches of both Serrated ribbon seagrass and Noodle seagrass - I first saw these in May 2021 are still there, these two species are not as commonly seen on our shores. I saw one small clumps of Tape seagrass with long leaves and female flowers.

I only checked out the central area of this shore which seems rather quiet. I saw were fewer animals and lower variety than at our last survey in Nov 2024.

But Kok Sheng the Human Climbing Crab documented hard corals and sea fans growing on the seaward side of the seawall! He also saw special snails, the 10-armed feather star with a commensal brittle star. While Jayden found a Cake sea star! Here's a sneak peek compilation of his photos. I will update once the rest of the team updates their photos.

Once again, I notice many very straight narrow furrows in the seagrass. Finally convinced myself they are NOT dugong feeding trails. Probably left by dragging sailing vessels in low water. I saw similar trails near the pontoon at the seawall. I did not see any meandering furrows more typical of dugong feeding trails.

There seems to be a lot less litter collecting on the shores today. Not sure why.

This shore will also be affected by plans for Long Island.

Natural regeneration on Singapore's artificial shores and structures is already happening now. Unintentionally, with zero replanting. Can we plan coastal works to allow reefs, mangroves and seagrasses to naturally regenerate? Naturalise canals leading to the sea for a continuum of freshwater wetlands to mangroves? Imagine what's possible! Reefs and natural marine ecosystems at our doorstep, for all in the City to enjoy. More about this idea in my feedback to the Draft Master Plan 2013.

The Singapore Blue Plan 2018

Check out the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 which outlines community recommendations for all these shores. DOWNLOAD the Plan, SUPPORT the Plan! More on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 site.

See these and other East Coast shores for yourself. It's fun and easy to explore these shores. More details in "East Coast Park - Surprising intertidal adventures for the family".

What the shore looks like in daylight.

Photos by others on this survey

Loh Kok Sheng

Jayden Kang

Rui Quan Oh

Jason Ooi

Others on this survey: Lester Tan

The entire Serapong surveyed!

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 06:44:33 +0000

One of the best reefs nearer the mainland is found on the undisturbed shore off Serapong Golf Course at Sentosa. These shores were impacted but clearly survived the mass coral bleaching and 400tonne Pasir Panjang oil spill in 2024 and the 23 tonne diesel leak opposite Sentosa Serapong in 2025.

Special thanks to Leanne from SDC, we got a second look this year to check up on the entire Serapong shore from the causeway bridge to the eastern beacon. In the dark as the tide started at 3am and ended before sunrise! I did the eastern stretch and the corals seem mostly okay. I will update later with the rest of the team's special finds and what they saw on the western stretch.

Updating with observations, especially by the team who checked up the western shore. Kok Sheng documented many larger colonies of corals here including some less commonly seen ones like Acropora corals, Branching horn coral, and clusters of many mushroom corals.

Here's more corals that Kok Sheng saw. Including many clumps of flowery soft coral. Unfortunately, he also saw large Boulder pore corals with bluish-grey freshly dead tissue. Which we also encountered on the Eastern shore.

There were explosions of various kinds of animals especially on the western shore. A great many Diadema sea urchins, forming dense clusters on the reef edge! Lots of Red feather stars festooned corals and sponges. Kok Sheng also documented other feather stars: orangey, white, black and big brown one. The team covering the Western shore saw an explosion of Olive flatworms - not sure why, maybe mating? Elsewhere, we saw the usual flatworms encountered on reefs.

The team on both eastern and western shores saw a wide variety of reef fish, suggesting a healthy shore. From sharks cruising the reef edge (spotted by Jaeden), to tiny frogfish 'waddling' on the sea bottom (by Dylan). There was a lovely closeup of a moray eel (by Rui Quan). Also a very cute juvenile Harlequin sweetlips with comical spots and clumsy swimming. Despite the murky water, a great photo of the Eight-banded butterflyfish (by Zen). And also a seahorse and Nemo in Magnificent anemone (not often seen in this anemone). There were lots of Blue-spotted fantail rays and other small colourful fishes found on healthy reefs.

The team checking up the western shore saw lots of Magnificent anemones, as well as a Snaky anemone. They also saw a Cone snail and special reef crabs. Throughout the shore, there were a lot of octopuses large and small, many Bigfin reef squids, as well tiny pygmy squids catching prey as large as themselves. And a cuttlefish too. The usual reef nudibranchs were seen including one Blue dragon.

I did the eastern shore starting at the beacon. The area between the beacon and the sluice gate still has a patch of densely packed leathery soft coral colonies of various kinds. Pretty much like what I saw when we first started surveying the shore. The enormous leathery soft coral colony that we have been seeing since we first started surveying the shore is still there and seems fine. Some clusters of leathery soft corals were quite large too. Towards the Jetty, there were lots of Spiky flowery soft corals. And many large colonies of Asparagus flowery soft coral - although most seemed rather pinkish and not as purply as usual. I also saw 3 Leathery sea fans. The situation seems similar to our our last survey in Jul 2025.

A good variety of corals were still present. Most were boulder shaped, but there were also many large plate-forming corals all looking healthy without dead patches, as well as many tiny ones - which suggests recruitment on the shore. I saw one large colony of Sandpaper corals which was mostly live and healthy - they are usually the first to bleach. There also a few colonies of special corals like Anchor corals, Boulder horn coral, tiny to small Circular mushroom corals. Although I saw many small healthy Cauliflower coral colonies sprinkled along the shore, I didn't come across fields of them as I did in the past. This is similar to our last survey in May 2025.

Some of the animals seen include a Blue-lined hind spotted by Leanne. There were also 'Nemos' in Giant carpet anemones. Theresa found the Fluted giant clam (nearly 40cm long) and it was fine, although covered with soft corals. As usual, the most abundant echinoderm on the shore remains Red feather stars which hang onto corals at the reef edge. There was also one Brown feather star. Although they are rivaled by the many Diadema sea urchins throughout the reef edge, I saw one with very short spines. The cluster of Magnificent anemones seems to have fewer individuals. Today, it was great to see some medium-sized to large healthy Barrel sponges, including some really small ones - these suffered badly during the mass dying at Serapong in 2018. The situation seems similar to our our last survey in Jul 2025.

There were still many large (2m x 2m) living healthy colonies of Anemone corals, from the reef edge to quite close to the seawall. The large (6m long) cluster of Ridged montipora corals near the Jetty were still there, mostly healthy, only a few with bleaching tips. They are still festooned with lots of Red feather stars. Although the 'field' of Branching montipora corals near the sluice gate was no longer there, I saw a large patch (5m x 5m) from the low water mark to the seawall. Seems to be an improvement for these corals since our last survey in May 2025. Alas, I couldn't see any colonies of Acropora corals near the beacon or opposite the sluice gate. The water was very murky, so maybe I just missed them.

Boulder pore corals are still abundant on the shore, with many large colonies from the reef edge to the seawall. Most were nice and brown with no or hardly any dead patches. But I saw some small ones that were bleaching, and with recently dying tissues (blue-grey and smells bad). Not sure what is going on.

I only saw a tiny cluster of Sickle seagrass at the usual place near the beacon among the leathery soft coral patches. Perhaps the soft corals are overwhelming them? It is a little disconcerting that it's June and the Sargassum hasn't totally died out on Serapong. There are still many 'bushy' patches on the low shore. Not sure what is going on.

What is the fate of Serapong shores?

The Greater Sentosa Master Plan for a transport hub linking Sentosa and Pulau Brani in Keppel Harbour is likely to seriously impact the western stretch of Serapong. Here's what the team saw here in Apr 2026. Once completed, Greater Sentosa is projected to attract about double its current number of visitors, now about 17 million visitors a year.

These shores are also likely to be impacted by the reclamation at Keppel-Tanjong Pagar expected to start end of 2027.

As well as more long term plans such as the Greater Southern Waterfront coastal protection plan - a “continuous line of defence” at the South. Construction is slated to begin in the 2030s.

Photos by others on this survey

Loh Kok Sheng

Zen Xuan He

Rui Quan Oh

Dylan Sng

Tammy Lim

Adriane Lee

Jaeden Lim

Jason Ooi

Others on this survey: Anya, Teresa

Citizen science project on seahorses and pipefishes in Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:42:55 +0000

Over the next two years, a citizen science project hopes to learn more about our seahorses and pipefishes. Singapore is home to three species of seahorses – the spotted seahorse, tiger tail seahorse and Japanese seahorse – as well as 19 pipefish species. There are plans for workshops for the public, to teach volunteers how to identify seahorses and photograph them.

The data will give researchers a sense of species loss and whether it is happening in tandem with the country’s coastal development. It is led by senior research fellow Neo Mei Lin from the National University of Singapore’s Tropical Marine Science Institute, in collaboration with Adam Lim, director of Save Our Seahorses Malaysia.

Spotted a seahorse or pipefish in local waters? Singapore researchers want to know
Letitia Chen Straits Times Jun 08, 2026, 05:00 AM

SINGAPORE – Hidden among seagrass meadows and coral reefs, seahorses and their slender cousins, the pipefish, have gone relatively unnoticed, and not much is known about them locally.

A Singapore marine scientist hopes to change that.

Over the next two years, senior research fellow Neo Mei Lin from the National University of Singapore’s Tropical Marine Science Institute will be heading a citizen science project to uncover more about the diversity and distribution of these elusive creatures in local waters.

The project is funded by Mandai Nature, the conservation arm of Mandai Wildlife Group, under the Singapore Conservation Impact Grant, where applicants can apply for up to $50,000 for a project spanning more than one year but not more than two years.

From June, researchers will be carrying out reviews of previous research to identify hot spots, as well as working with community partners and nature groups to carry out field surveys.

“We know that these creatures are around on our shores, but we don’t know what species there are and how they are doing,” she said. “Even though seahorses are iconic fish, they are really hard to spot, which results in them being often overlooked.”

The seahorse and pipefish often serve as flagship species for marine conservation because of their iconic features. They are also important predators of organisms at the bottom of the sea.

Singapore is home to three species of seahorses – the spotted seahorse, tiger tail seahorse and Japanese seahorse – as well as 19 pipefish species.

As little is known about them, only six of these fishes received a conservation status on the Singapore Red List, which assesses and classifies local flora and fauna based on the risk of extinction.

The three seahorse species were listed as critically endangered, while the three pipefish species that received a status were listed as vulnerable. Meanwhile, the remaining species of pipefish were determined to be data deficient, which means there is inadequate information to make an informed assessment.

“We don’t have enough ecological data on how many of them are truly out there, how often they reproduce, their survival rates… All these are still knowledge gaps,” said Neo.

She added that the survey will help to give researchers a sense of species loss and whether it is happening in tandem with the country’s coastal development.

“Even though some of these projects may not be near to some of the key habitats of seahorses and pipefish, it may still have a chronic impact on their population,” she said.

“We hope that once we get a better idea of the distribution and ecology of the species and their numbers, we can put them together to build a stronger picture of information that can be used to inform conservation assessments.”

Through this project, Neo said, she hopes to raise more public awareness and excitement about these cryptic creatures, while also getting people involved in helping to look for them.

“There are only so many low tides in a year and places that each of us can go, but with citizen scientists, we can divide and conquer and cover more areas,” she said.

“I’ve seen lots of citizen science volunteers who are really good at finding creatures, and we’re tapping their power to build a stronger database.”

Neo also hopes to create a community of citizen science volunteers, which in turn can help build a longer runway to protect marine biodiversity.

The seahorse and pipefish belong to a family of fish known as syngnathids, which comes from the Greek words for “fused jaw”. All creatures in this family have an elongated snout and an exoskeleton of bony plates that act as armour instead of scales.

Syngnathids also have a unique method of reproduction, where males will carry and incubate the eggs laid by females until they are ready to hatch.

The project was developed in collaboration with Adam Lim, director of Save Our Seahorses Malaysia, a non-profit organisation dedicated to seahorse research and marine conservation in the neighbouring country.

“Adam and I also wanted to see if there’s potential to have a stronger regional partnership and collaboration, so that we’re not studying in silos but also building regional relevance,” she said, adding he will be helping with seahorse identification workshops later in 2026.

Neo, who is a giant clam expert, began research work on these massive molluscs in 2006 to better understand their threats and how to save them. She also encountered seahorses on her surveys and worked with marine conservation organisation Project Seahorse.

“I feel there’s so much I’ve learnt from working with giant clams that I can take what I’ve learnt and apply it to a different animal, and hopefully build a similar conservation programme to raise awareness,” she said.

Moving forward, she hopes to start workshops for the public, including teaching volunteers how to identify seahorses and photograph them, as well as the safety considerations.

While syngnathids are masters of camouflage, members of the public should be mindful of proper etiquette when visiting coastal habitats, such as treading carefully and refraining from touching, chasing or removing marine creatures from their habitat.

“To further marine conservation, citizen science efforts are very valuable,” Neo said.

“It can bring on board people who do not have prior training to work along with scientists, and get them to understand and become capable of collecting data and appreciating it.”

Dead dugong spotted at Bedok Jetty (Jun 2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:29:59 +0000

Identified as a juvenile dugong by Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, the body was found off Bedok Jetty on 6 Jun 2026. The Museum will only extract samples and not the whole carcass due to its highly decomposed state. And the Museum already have the carcass found in 2021 off Pulau Hantu.

Members of the public who spot large marine animals like dugongs, rays and turtles can aid research into them here by submitting their sightings to the Mega Marine Life in Singapore database at this website.

Dead dugong spotted at Bedok Jetty; first recorded sighting since 2021
Ang Qing, Straits Times Jun 06, 2026, 10:30 PM

SINGAPORE – A dead dugong was found floating in the waters off Bedok Jetty on June 6, marking the first local record of the marine mammal since 2021.

Republic Polytechnic student Jeremy Mark Ang, 19, was fishing at the popular East Coast Park spot with friends when they spotted a large, pale shape bobbing in the water at about 4.50pm.

Initially mistaking it for a big fish, the group was shocked to realise it was the bloated carcass of a dugong – a marine mammal that is considered to be critically endangered here. Ang estimated it to be 2m long.

Also known as sea cows, dugongs are elusive creatures that typically graze on seagrass meadows. They are classified globally as vulnerable to extinction as they are particularly susceptible to human threats because of their long lifespans and slow reproduction rates.

“I really couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. It was quite sad because I know that they’re really rare, both in Singapore and in general,” Ang said.

He added that he felt even worse when he saw what appeared to be plastic wrapped around the animal’s abdomen and tail.

A few children unsuccessfully tried to pull the carcass closer using fishing hooks, he recalled.

The dugong eventually washed ashore and was discovered farther along the East Coast Park beach by passers-by Saachi Iyer and Naina Dadlani at about 7.30pm.

Marcus Chua, a mammal curator at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, identified the animal as a juvenile. Before this, the last known record of the species in Singapore was another carcass found off Pulau Hantu in 2021.

“Dugong sightings or strandings are rare in Singapore, and it is rather unfortunate as we would rather see them alive on our shores,” Chua said.

Excluding those which have inconclusive autopsy findings, dugongs that need help or are found dead in Singapore tend to be linked to vessel strikes and entanglement with fishing gear, said Sirius Ng, a dugong researcher at NUS.

He noted that calves account for a majority of such records here, mirroring a concerning global trend.

“Increased calf stranding rates have been observed in dugong populations throughout South-east Asia and the Arabian Gulf,” he added.

To glean more information from the carcass, Chua said samples had been extracted with the help of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. These samples will be preserved for research at the museum.

However, the museum will not be recovering the rest of the animal’s remains.

Said Chua: “Because we have the recent specimen from 2021 and due to the highly decomposed state of this one, we will not be salvaging the carcass.”

In January, the National Parks Board said it was drawing up an advisory that informs developers on ways to avoid harming marine mammals that frequent Singapore’s coastal waters.

Members of the public who spot large marine animals like dugongs, rays and turtles can aid research into them here by submitting their sightings to the Mega Marine Life in Singapore database at this website.