wild shores of singapore

Sharing Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal shores with youth leads

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 06:17:00 +0000

An amazing coral reef has naturally settled on the seawalls of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal with seagrasses in the artificial lagoon. These happened without planting. They are the babies from unseen Mother Shores that lie in the far west.

We shared these with youth leads and hope they will be inspired to bring others to see other East Coast shores too. This shore is now strictly off limits without a permit. But we felt the youth leads should have a chance to see for themselves. The visit was arranged with permission.

This is part of Love Our Mother Shores. And how to Explore, Express and Act for them.

Thanks to Nasry for kickstarting the visit with an overview of the shore, using Google Earth. Thanks also to Jayden for organising the participation, sad that he could not come in the end.

We started at the lagoon to look at the seagrasses there. There is a thick pile of marine debris on the high shore. More about where this trash is likely to come from.

Grateful to have Lon who knows more about East Coast marine life than anyone else I know. And Richard, an experienced and professional nature guide. Thanks to them and Nasry, we saw Spider conch, Big top shell snail and small turban snail, sand dollars dead and alive, Common sea star. Thanks also to Samuel, who found a nudibranch! The seagrasses were doing well.

We rushed over the reefy seawall at the minimum of a not-so-low tide. It was a little hard to see the full extent of the corals. Hope the team got a sense of it. Thanks to Lon and Nasry for sharing more about them.

Where did all these corals come from?

The babies of these corals are from Singapore reefs! This chart shared in the Long-Term Plan Review shows coral larvae (babies) dispersal in our waters from mass coral spawning. This highlights the importance of protecting our 'mother reefs' so that they can continue to produce babies that settle all along our shoreline.

Thanks to everyone for making time for the brief visit despite not ideal tides! This is what we saw on a good low tide in May 2026. If you would like to join the effort to share about East Coast shores that have regenerated from babies of our Mother Shores, do consider joining the October talk and guiding workshop.

What is the fate of this shore?

Massive reclamation is planned near the area we surveyed today as outlined recently in the Long-Term Plan Review.

Let's guide for our Mother Shores: Oct workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:22:51 +0000

Join a talk about Our Mother Shores, participate in a hands-on workshop, then go on a field session at the coral reefs and seagrass meadows at East Coast Park.

Discover how to have fun being a nature guide. Then start sharing your love for nature! So more can learn about our Mother Shores and their babies that have resettled naturally on artificial shores in East Coast Park.

Places are limited by room size: register here

If there is interest, this can be organised again for November (and even December). So don't stress if you cannot make it for this October series.

You can also visit East Coast Park shores on your own. Here's more details.

More about Love Our Mother Shores. And how to Explore, Express and Act for them.

Public talk: "Love Our Mother Shores"
Date: 24 Oct (Sat) 10am-12.30pm
Venue: https://www.juspace.sg/
116 Lavender Street, #02-08, Singapore 338730
Near Bendemeer and Lavendar MRT

At East Coast Park, there are coral reefs, seagrass meadows and even mangroves. Growing on seawalls and artificial lagoons. These came from babies produced by the vast unseen natural shores in the west. These are our Mother Shores, continuously seeding new life in our southern waters. From Tuas to Tanah Merah, and the smaller Southern islands in between. Ria will share what she has seen at the Mother Shores and their babies at East Coast Park. What is their fate with plans for Long Island and 'Western Island'? Let's discuss!

Attendance at the talk, priority to those attending the guiding workshop.

The talk will be opened to others once the guiding workshop places are full.

Classroom workshop: "Let's Guide for Our Mother Shores!"
Date: 25 Oct (Sun) 10am-1pm
Venue: https://www.juspace.sg/
116 Lavender Street, #02-08, Singapore 338730
Near Bendemeer and Lavendar MRT

Always wanted to be a nature guide? Want to have fun guiding, instead of being stressed? This workshop is for you! With lots of hands-on activities. Brainstorm ways to overcome your deepest nature guiding worries. First timers and existing nature guides are welcomed. Let's share and learn from each other.

NOTE: The classroom workshop will include ZERO information about our shores. For background information, it is recommended that you attend the "Love Our Mother Shores" public talk on 24 Oct (Sat).

The Outdoor Field Sessions will test your newfound approach at an East Coast shore.

Outdoor Field Sessions
Priority to field sessions to those who attended the talk on 24 Oct (Sat) and classroom workshop on 25 Oct (Sun). You can attend both field sessions or just one.

28 Oct (Wed): East Coast PCN
Time: 4pm-8pm

Meeting Point: Park area opposite the gate to National Service Resort And Country Club (NSRCC)
10 Changi Coast Walk 499739

29 Oct (Thu): East Coast National Sailing Centre

Time: 5.30pm-8pm
Meeting Point: Carpark G National Sailing Centre, 1500 East Coast Parkway 468963

Semakau fish farm finally to be removed?

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 03:56:10 +0000

Said to be the largest in Singapore, this fish farm near Pulau Semakau is finally going to be dismantled and removed. More than three years after the farm was abandoned.

Photo taken on our last survey in Apr 2026.

Barramundi Group's abandoned fish farm is located very close to natural mangroves, reefs and seagrass meadows at Pulau Semakau North. We have checked it out every time we survey there. On our last survey in Apr 2026, the farm remains totally abandoned and in a state of decay. Since our Apr 2025 survey, the big barge with equipment and supplies, and floating dorm for workers were gone. Cages were falling apart and derelict small boats nearby.

In Jul 2023, it was reported that Barramundi Group will stop stocking its sites off Pulau Semakau, Pulau Senang and St John’s Island until “an efficacious vaccine is available” against the scale drop disease virus (SDDV). SDDV was first formally described in Singapore farmed fish in 2011 and can kill more than half of the barramundi raised in a cage. The virus has caused “significant mortalities and financial losses” for Barramundi Group's Singapore operations, which recorded a loss of $31.9 million for FY2022.

An MPA notice announced that works will be conducted end of the year, to dismantle the farm.

From Port Marine Notice NO. 109 OF 2026 dated 2 Sep 2026

REINSTATEMENT FOR FARM SPACES KELONG AT:

a) EASTERN JOHOR STRAITS (E63); AND

b) SEA-BED FARM OFF PULAU SEMAKAU (PSM1)

Applicable to: Mariners operating in the vicinity Off Eastern Johor Straits and Off

Pulau Semakau

Date : With effect from 02 Sep 2026 to 31 Dec 2026.

Location : At sea within the working area bounded by the following coordinates (see

attached Chartlet):

a. Mobilize the plant, equipment and materials. Carry out water quality testing. Install the silt curtain around the designated work area.

b. Remove and demolish the above water structure, section by section. Certified divers will be deployed to remove underwater structures.

c. Bundle the demolished debris on site and load it onto the barge for transportation and remove silt curtain and load onto barge.

d. Transport the debris and unload it at the approved disposal facility.

The above process will continue until the completion of the reinstatement works.

A safety boat will attend all times to warn and re-direct craft in the vicinity to keep clear of the working area.

Further enquiries relating to the project can be directed to Mr. Lai Wee Siong, Project Manager at Tel: 9474 7522 Email: franklai@oung.com.sg or Mr. Ho Goon Yeen, Asst. Project Manager at Tel: 8347 3266 Email:goonyeen@oung.com.sg

Sharing Marina East mangroves with youth leads

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 03:08:00 +0000

A patch of wild mangroves has settled naturally on the Marine East seawall! We shared these with youth leads and hope they will be inspired to bring others to see it too. This is part of Love our Mother Shores: visit baby mangroves in the East!

We went at a high tide (about 2m) and it was still possible to see a lot of things. Thanks to Nasry for sharing about the mangrove plants and their ecology.

Photo by Jayden Kang.

Thanks to Jayden for organising the event, and special thanks for flying the drone and giving us awesome views of these mangroves with MBS and the Central Business District. WOW!

Along the way, we pass the much smaller mangrove that has settled on the lower portion of the seawall. They seem to be doing well, with fiddler crabs and other little animals living there. The high tide also seems to result in a much large pool collecting on the lower seawall. Lon noted probably this is because the lower seawall sloped downward at the base of the upper seawall. Who says Singapore doesn't have rock pools to explore!

The grasslands at the top of the seawall is also full of life. With wildflowers of all kinds. As well as a very large Mangrove fern in the middle of the patch - suggesting it is a wet area which probably shelters birds and wildlife. Even if we can't see animals, we come across signs of them, like the shell of freshwater snails eaten by birds, or poop - maybe of civet cat? Thanks to Jeff and Jayden for sharing more about the amazing birds that can be seen here.

As we approached the mangrove area at the eastern end of the seawall, it was rather alarming to see a gap in the treeline, with excavators and cleared land. When we got closer, the work seems limited to clearing the edges of the canal. It seems they mainly killed the Rhu/Casuarina trees, and stopped short of the mangrove area.

Aerial view of the clearance, thanks to Jayden's drone. Mangroves are spared (for now?).

Photo by Jayden Kang.

Amazingly, this tiny patch of mangroves has some plants now rare in Singapore. We managed to show all of them to our friends. The Critically Endangered Gedabu was producing flower buds and had nice healthy fruits. The huge (about 2m tall) Critically endangered Mentigi is still huge and had some flowers. The small Critically Endangered Tumu Berau was fine, producing fat propagules. Nasry found the fruit of Nyireh - the highlight of the trip. I rarely see one. Nearby, we saw a Endangered Nyireh batu. I also came across a few red Saga seeds, probably from a tree growing further inland. The Saga tree grows by the sea but cannot stand in saltwater like mangroves do.

The usual common mangrove trees and plants were still there and doing well.

The aerial view of this same spot is stunning!

Photo by Jayden Kang.

There seemed to be a much higher load of marine litter today. Perhaps it's the usual seasonal inflow of trash. Do they eventually flow out again? Because on our part visits, the load didn't seem so high.

What is the fate of this shore?

There will be massive 800ha reclamation for 'Long Island' off the East Coast.

The preparatory works already begun. 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.

More photos by Jayden Kang including drone views

Love Our Mother Shores: Help make nudibranchs!

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 03:30:00 +0000

These handmade nudibranchs are given out as prizes and gifts during Love our Mother Shores events: talks, walks, exhibitions.

I need help making lots of them as we try to share with as many people as possible about Our Mother Shores.

You are the person to help us if

You Love Our Mother Shores and her Babies.
You can thread a needle and knot it in 30secs.
You love hand sewing (these nudis cannot be made by machine sewing)
Have time to produce at least 60 nudibranchs a month.

Sign up here!

All materials will be provided.

I will arrange a few group sessions at a central location for volunteers to learn how to do this. But will leave it to you to make them on your own. I will pick up your nudis when you have a good quantity completed.

More about Love Our Mother Shores
https://www.wildsingapore.com/mothershores/index.html

Any questions, please contact me, Ria Tan
hello@wildsingapore.com
or FB messenger https://www.facebook.com/wildsingapore/

Love Our Mother Shores: EXPLORE!

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 01:44:00 +0000

Visit and see for yourself. Bring your family and friends!

The survey team's Family Day at Pulau Hantu.

Choose from leisurely island visits for the family, to low tide walks and dives. On Mother Shores and her babies on the East Coast.

Community organised visits are happening spontaneously!

Established companies are offering low-tide walks to Pulau Hantu.

You can visit some East Coast shores on your own.

More details on all these below.

More about Love Our Mother Shores. And how to Explore, Express and Act for them.
Pulau Hantu

Low-tide exploration at Pulau Hantu for families and kids offered by Young Nautilus at cost, covering only logistics, manpower and transport. In doing so, they hope communities can experience, appreciate, and understand the importance of our intertidal biodiversity in the face of the 'Western Island' plan.

Visit on your own!

Marina East Mangroves
In the shadow of Marina Bay Sands, a small mangrove has settled on top of the seawall. With animals commonly seen in mature mangroves. As well as some rare mangrove plants. These are the babies of vast unseen Mother Shores in the west. Anyone can visit this amazing mangrove at almost any tide! Where and what will you see? More details.

East Coast Park Sailing Centre, NSRCC and PCN canal
East Coast Park shores are easy for ordinary people to explore at low spring tide. Amazing marine life have naturally regenerated on these artificial shores. There are living sandy shores, seagrass meadows and even patches of coral reefs! But beware of the Stonefish. More details.

Love Our Mother Shores: EXPRESS

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 01:42:18 +0000

Share about Our Mother Shores. Especially after your visit. Your friends trust you more than any other source, you have the power to influence them!

Sharing after Family Day at Pulau Hantu.

Speak up for our shores. Agencies now actively seek your feedback online and at in-person engagements. Make time to attend and share your thoughts and hopes.

Latest agency engagement opportunities will be listed here.

More about Love Our Mother Shores. And how to Explore, Express and Act for them.
Here's some heartfelt hopes and dreams for Pulau Hantu after a Family Day visit in Sep 2026. From the littlest ones and the youths, to the young at heart. Full photos in this flickr album Pulau Hantu Guestbook.

Love Our Mother Shores: ACT!

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:40:39 +0000

Here are the latest ways you CAN make a difference for Love Our Mother Shores.

Join the October guiding workshops to start guiding! more

Volunteer to be a nature guide. Help to monitor shores. Contribute your time and talent in any and all ways!

Be a leader! Community organisers needed to initiate walks, talks, exhibitions, booths.

Support by hosting such events. Volunteer to help out.

Have an idea but don't know how to start?
I will gladly try to help you out. Contact Ria hello@wildsingapore.com or on Facebook messenger.

Want to list your activity?
Glad to do so. Contact Ria hello@wildsingapore.com or on Facebook messenger.

List of latest opportunities below.

More about Love Our Mother Shores. And how to Explore, Express and Act for them.

Current volunteer opportunities

Volunteers needed to handsew nudibranch plushies for Love Our Mother Shores events. More details here

Upcoming activities

October 2026

24-29 Oct: Let's Guide for Our Mother Shores! more

24 Oct (Sat): "Love Our Mother Shores" talk by Ria Tan

25 Oct (Sun): Classroom Workshop

Outdoor field sessions

28 Oct (Wed): 5pm-8pm at an East Coast location.

29 Oct (Thu): 5pm-8pm at an East Coast location.

Apr 2027

9-11 Apr: "Heart of Our Mother Shores" booth at ADEX
Volunteers will reach out to divers about Pulau Hantu. More details later.

Completed

Nature Guiding Workshop with Republic Poly, Sep 2026

Love Our Mother Shores pamphlets

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:13:26 +0000

10,000 copies coming soon! One side of the pamphlet showcases the amazing corals, seagrasses and mangroves that have settled naturally on the East Coast. Even at the doorstep of condos.

New shores at East Coast Park
click on image for larger view

The other side of the pamphlet highlights Our Mother Shores, the vast unseen natural shores in the west. And how they continuously seed new life in our southern waters. From Tuas, East Coast Park to Tanah Merah, and the smaller Southern islands in between.

Mother Shores and how their babies seed the southern waters.
click on image for larger view.

The pamphlets will be given out free at talks, walks, exhibitions. Hoping they will be ready for the talk and guiding workshops I am planning in October!

If you would like copies to give out, do contact Ria Tan hello@wildsingapore.com.

More about Love Our Mother Shores. And how to Explore, Express and Act for them.

The cover of the pamphlet highlights the corals growing on the seawalls at East Coast Park. While the back of the pamphlet outlines how each of us CAN make a difference. Links to more info are consolidated on wildsingapore's Love Our Mother Shores page. As well as on Nature Hungry.

You open the pamphlet to a map of the area affected by the 'Western Island' plan announced on 23 Aug 2026. It highlights that Our Mother Shores are old and irreplaceable: “Reefs at Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau are 8,000 years old. Corals that can be transplanted will not come close to what we now have. The 'Western Island' plan could impact the majority of Singapore’s remaining natural coral reefs.” Quoting Dr Huang Danwei, Director of NIMOS, 25 Aug 2026. Also that Our Mother Shores are rich, despite reclamation since the mid-1970’s which buried many south-western reefs, adding 1,700ha. Reefs, vast seagrass meadows and untouched mangroves remain. With photos and inserts that highlight natural Pulau Semakau north and east, as well as Pulau Jong - the last unspoilt island.

The middle of the pamphlet features the Heart of our Mother Shores! Pulau Hantu is the only Mother Shore that the public can easily visit. Allowing regular people to explore the amazing reefs at low tide, to diving and snorkelling. Also, how Our Mother Shores are tough: “Reefs of Pulau Hantu, Pulau Semakau persist in the face of human activity. They recovered from global-scale coral bleaching events in 1998, 2010, 2016 and 2024." Quoting Dr Huang Danwei, Director of NIMOS, 25 Aug 2026. Photos and inserts highlight dugong feeding trails, and mangroves settling naturally on seawalls at Pulau Hantu.

The last panel of the inside page explains how babies from Our Mother Shores spread out in the currents. From government data that shows how coral babies spread from during Mass Coral Spawning to settle in our southern waters. Including artificial structures on the mainland from Tuas to Tanah Merah. Also explaining how marine babies look nothing like adults. Just as a caterpillar changes into a butterfly, corals and marine life babies often look nothing like the adults. Born as tiny blobs and bits, they float in the currents. Before finally changing into their adult form when they settle down. Often on shores far away. Besides animal babies, seagrass seeds and mangrove seedlings also float away from Mother Shores. To settle on our southern islands and mainland shores, forming new mangroves and seagrass meadows.

The outside page gives glimpses of the amazing seagrasses and mangroves that have settled naturally on artificial shores in the shadow of Marina Bay Sands. And awesome reefs that settled at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and a 2.5 km long seawall from East Coast Area B to Marina Bay.

Can ‘Long Island’ become Singapore’s ‘Great Barrier Reef’?! Although ‘Long Island’ may destroy all existing regenerated corals, mangroves and seagrasses. Our Mother Shores in the west may make it possible for marine life to return eventually. As it did after the first reclamation in the 1970s. How exciting if we could watch a new reef settle on ‘Long Island’ naturally, for free, without planting! Uniquely Singapore!

The pamphlets will be given out free at talks, walks, exhibitions.

If you would like copies to give out, do contact Ria Tan hello@wildsingapore.com

More info and events on wildsingapore's Love Our Mother Shores page. As well as on Nature Hungry.

$60m NIMOS to help “make good decisions supported by science”

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:40:00 +0000

NIMOS director Huang Danwei hopes the institute can help decision-makers weigh the value and services that ecosystems provide, especially for the upcoming Long Island and western island developments.

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, said NIMOS will help Singapore “make good decisions supported by science”. Said Chee: “I think members of the marine research and conservation community would agree with me that this is something that we need to do our best, to preserve as much as possible to minimise the impact as far as we can.”

New $60m marine science institute launched to help Singapore, region with ocean challenges
Ang Qing Straits Times Sep 22, 2026, 01:00 PM

SINGAPORE – A landmark national research initiative on marine science was officially launched on Sept 22, with a remit to help Singapore and the broader South-east Asian region deal with challenges ranging from coastal development to climate change.

The $60 million National Institute for Marine and Ocean Sciences, dubbed NIMOS, was established by the National Parks Board (NParks) with the National University of Singapore (NUS).

This builds on two earlier marine research programmes, which were funded to the tune of $25 million each. The five-year programmes focused more on applying science to domestic challenges, such as identifying sustainable engineering measures and solutions to create new marine habitats.

The launch event for NIMOS at the NUS University Hall Auditorium was attended by Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, as well as some 150 other guests, including researchers, university representatives and government officials.

NIMOS director Huang Danwei, a coral biologist, said the launch of the new institute comes as several changes are expected in Singapore’s sea spaces. Regionally, too, the waters of South-east Asia are under stress from coastal development and climate change.

Huang pointed to the recently announced plans for a new western island in Singapore as an example of how partnerships between scientists and government agencies will be paramount for securing a sustainable sea space for the country.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had in August announced plans to merge several southern islands to reclaim a new western island for industry, energy and defence needs.

At the same time, Singapore will soon welcome its second marine park at the nearby Lazarus-South Kusu reef. This park was first announced in May 2024, but has not been officially gazetted.

Said Huang: “As a small, highly urbanised island nation at the centre of one of the world’s most intensively used marine regions, Singapore can serve as a living laboratory for the future of tropical coastal environments.

“Our goal is therefore larger than understanding Singapore’s seas. It is to develop the science and tools for sustaining marine ecosystems alongside economic development – solutions that Singapore can demonstrate locally and contribute to a rapidly changing South-east Asia.”

He noted that coastal cities in South-east Asia are expanding and becoming more urbanised, taking the path that Singapore took years earlier.

Huang added that the Republic has played a prominent role in the High Seas Treaty, a hard-fought global deal that aims to protect the marine life of two-thirds of the ocean.

Speaking to the media at the launch event, Huang said he hopes NIMOS can help decision-makers weigh the value and services that ecosystems provide, especially for the upcoming Long Island and western island developments.

Long Island will be reclaimed off the East Coast shoreline to create new land while serving as a buffer to protect the country from rising sea levels.

NUS said in a statement that NIMOS will start by operating as a virtual institute while its longer-term facilities are being developed.

NIMOS’ permanent home on the NUS campus is expected to be ready by 2028, and will include wet science laboratory facilities and collaborative office space for project teams.

Huang said NIMOS will not compete for limited funding and resources through competitive grant calls.

Instead, research teams will be assembled to take on projects co-developed by principal investigators, NIMOS and NParks.

Outlining the objectives of NIMOS for the years ahead, Huang said it will develop tools to enable marine ecosystems to withstand multiple stressors while continuing to provide the essential services on which Singapore relies, among other things. Ecosystems provide natural benefits like improving water quality and supporting populations of marine life.

The objectives include understanding which organisms and processes are critical for maintaining ecosystem functions, and whether ecosystems are performing the functions society depends on.

Over the next decade, NUS and NIMOS will also offer 22 post-graduate research scholarships supporting the growth of local expertise and projects.

Addressing guests, Chee said NIMOS will help Singapore “make good decisions supported by science”.

On the western island, he noted that it is important for the Republic to plan ahead for its future strategic national needs even as it recognises that the area is rich in biodiversity.

Said Chee: “I think members of the marine research and conservation community would agree with me that this is something that we need to do our best, to preserve as much as possible to minimise the impact as far as we can.”

He added that NIMOS’ work can deepen Singapore’s understanding of the marine environment, assess the choices and trade-offs, and help make informed decisions about how its limited marine space is used.

NIMOS’ approach will help the Republic better understand the cumulative effects of climate change, human activity and other pressures on Singapore’s marine environment over time, he added.

He pointed out that the waters around Singapore have always been important to its development as a nation.

“How we understand, protect and manage them will become even more important in the decades ahead as the demands on our limited marine space continue to grow,” said Chee.

“Our investments in marine science today are therefore investments in Singapore’s future. The better we understand our marine environment, the better equipped we will be to make sound decisions.”

NIMOS’ projects will be grounded on existing marine research projects, according to Huang.

These initiatives were funded by Singapore’s previous research programmes and local universities. Several of them were showcased at the launch.

They include a project by NUS Assistant Professor Tang Hao which took stock of how much planet-warming carbon dioxide can be absorbed by Singapore’s mangroves and seagrasses.

These habitats have been impacted by past land reclamation and coastal development works.

About 16 per cent of ecosystems lost between 1986 and 2005 have naturally recovered or been restored, he said, citing Pulau Semakau as an example of the successful replanting of mangroves to sequester carbon.

The island was also highlighted for harbouring one of the three largest seagrass meadows here by NTU research fellow Clarence Sim who is studying the resilience of such ecosystems.

“I think we can look at Singapore from an optimistic point of view where we still have a bank of very resilient habitats... making it a hot spot for finding super-resilient seagrasses and corals,” added the scientist, who was awarded a scholarship under the Marine Science Research and Development Programme.

Another project, led by biologist Zeehan Jaafar, found that Singapore’s offshore islands in the Singapore Strait south of the mainland are important homes and feeding grounds for marine mammals, especially dugongs.

NParks’ group director for the National Biodiversity Centre, Karenne Tun, said NIMOS will help translate science to management strategies, informing environmental impact assessments with the latest science.

She said “One of the biggest issues that we need to face moving forward is the way climate change is going to interact with (man-made) impacts.

“We know that research is showing that in about 25 years time, our waters are going to exceed some of the thermal tolerance limits... so we have about two decades to find solutions.”

Love Our Mother Shores: visit baby mangroves in the East!

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 23:54:24 +0000

In the shadow of Marina Bay Sands, a small patch of wild mangrove has settled on top of the seawall. With animals commonly seen in mature mangroves. As well as some rare mangrove plants.

These are the babies of vast unseen Mother Shores in the west. Anyone can visit this amazing mangrove at almost any tide! Even at 2m high. Where and what will you see? More details below.

A good variety of the usual common mangrove trees can be found here. Including the usual animals seen in mature mangroves, such as Mud lobsters and their mounds!

Rhu or Casuarina trees (Casuarina equisetifolia) form a thick border outside of the mangrove area. The seeds sprout in hot, open sand above the high-water mark and the young plants grow quickly, often form a thicket that eventually forms a Casuarina forest. The trees cannot tolerate salt water, the way that mangroves can. So the margin between mangroves and Casuarina probably reveals the limit of seawater intrusion into the reclaimed land.

Amazingly, this tiny mangrove patch has some very rare mangrove plants. The highlight is the huge (about 2m tall) Critically endangered Mentigi (Pemphis acidula). The stronghold for this plant is Pulau Biola, just off Raffles Lighthouse (Pulau Samutu). Referring to the list of mangrove plants recorded by the Southern Island Biodiversity Survey (SIBS) 2025 this plant also occurs on Mother Shores Pulau Salu and Pulau Semakau.

There is one small Critically Endangered Tumu Berau (Bruguiera sexangula). This might be the first record of this species in the South as it was not recorded in SIBS. It is not common even on our northern mangroves.

Also a small Critically Endangered Gedabu (Sonneratia ovata) tree. These are mainly found in our northern mangroves. SIBS records this at Pulau Semakau.

There is also small sapling of Endangered Dungun (Heritiera littoralis). SIBS records this at Pulau Semakau.

There are also a few small Endangered Tengar merah (Ceriops zippeliana) SIBS also records this at Mother Shores like Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau.

There are also tall Endangered Teruntum merah (Lumnitzera littorea) trees, some small Chengam (Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea) shrubs. There also also some well formed Nyireh bunga (Xylocarpus granatum) complete with lovely sinuous buttress roots.

There are small Vulnerable Bakau pasir (Rhizophora stylosa).

As well as Tumu (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza) and some Bakau minyak (Rhizophora apiculata) from shrubs to very tall trees.

There are many great specimens of common mangroves, tall Bakau putih (Bruguiera cylindrica) and Api-api bulu (Avicennia rumphiana) (plus many smaller ones of these two species), many small Api-api putih (Avicennia alba).

Also several tall Perepat trees (Sonneratia alba), and many small to medium sized Vulnerable Nipah palms (Nipah fruticans) as well as Buta-buta (Excoecaria agallocha) shrubs.

Animals encountered

There are the usual fiddler crabs, little mangrove snails. We also encountered otters here before. As well as many different birds.

Some Malaysian Plovers nest on the seawall at Marina East. Laying eggs directly on the rocks, no twigs - so watch your step! There are also many other kinds of birds in the mangrove forest.

Photo by Jayden Kang

How to get there

From Marina East Park, simply walk eastward (towards East Coast Park) along the top of the seawall until you reach the forested area of tall Casuarina trees.

Along the way, you might have a look at a much smaller mangrove that has settled on the lower portion of the seawall. But be careful, the lower seawall is quite slippery.

At high tide, large pools collect on this lower seawall. Who says Singapore doesn't have rock pools! But be careful, the lower seawall is quite slippery.

The grasslands at the top of the seawall is also full of life. With wildflowers of all kinds. As well as a very large Mangrove fern in the middle of the patch. Even if you can't see animals, you might come across signs of them, like the shell of freshwater snails eaten by birds, or poop - maybe of civet cat?

Location of the mangroves is in the yellow circle. Mangroves on this artificial shore seems to be quite resilient and has survived massive development as well as the Pasir Panjang oil spill and other impacts.

Looking at Google Earth over the years, it seems there was always a wild patch in that area since 2007, remaining there despite the massive works in the area through the decades. To me, it seems the area became more conducive to mangrove settlement after the jetty was constructed in 2014. This created an 'elbow' and a small beach on the eastern most end of the seawall.

The mangroves and seagrasses on this artificial shore have returned after every massive coastal works. These are the mangroves seen near the Marina Barrage in 2008. Growing on the western most end in the seawall. These were lost due to works for the MCE.

What is the fate of this shore?

There will be massive 800ha reclamation for 'Long Island' off the East Coast. The preparatory works already begun.

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? Imagine what's possible! Reefs and natural marine ecosystems at our doorstep, for all in the City to enjoy.

Finding your way to Marina East Park
MRT: Brown Line Gardens by the Bay station. Cross Marina Barrage to Marina East Park.
Cab: drop off at Marina East Park via Marina East Drive.
Drive: Park at Marina Barrage. Cross Marina Barrage to Marina East Park.

Check for closure of Barrage (thus preventing crossing) and other activities in the vicinity.
https://www.pub.gov.sg/Public/Places-of-Interest/Marina-Barrage/Notices

Preparing for a visit

Safety on the shore!

Lighting and rain: Immediately evacuate to one of the park shelters at the first signs of the weather turning bad. Lightning can occur without rain. Get the latest weather situation here: radar readings updated every 10 mins.

Don't touch! All animals defend themselves from predators or they will be eaten up and soon become extinct. Some of these animal defences can cause humans irritation, pain or even worse injuries and death. As with any nature walk, it is important to respect the wildlife: do not touch animals, don't poke them, leave them alone. Cover all skin that can be exposed to the water; wear covered shoes. Do not walk on bare feet. Closely supervise young children who may accidentally touch animals, then rub their eyes or put fingers into the mouth.

At the same time, our visit also affects the safety of the shores. Our shores are fragile. Many small sea creatures live in the sand and mud. These are killed when we step on them, no matter how gently we walk. These small sea creatures form the base of the entire food chain on our shores. Seagrass have delicate roots and take a long time to recover when trampled on.

If we are not careful, we can damage the shore when we visit. Be gentle. Watch your step. Avoid wading into deeper murky waters as you won't be able to see what you are stepping on. Don't poke animals or dig them up or bring them home. Take only photos.

Sharing your photos is one way to give back for the damage you cause to the shore. No matter how careful you are, you will cause some damage.

MORE tips for safety on our shores and FAQs about shore visits.

Links to more

East Coast Park - Surprising intertidal adventures for the family
Posts about the Long Island project
Our surveys of Marina East mangroves and seagrasses
Southern Island Biodiversity Survey (SIBS) 2025 by NParks

Preparatory Works for Long Island: Update by HDB

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:42:02 +0000

HDB updated its environmental study with more data on fish communities, horseshoe crabs and sea turtles. The impact on these 'unlikely to be significant'. Agencies will work closely with experts to explore measures to minimise harm to nesting turtles during the preparatory works.

Works will be conducted at least 130m away from the shoreline. Infill materials, which include sand, will be placed in a controlled manner using a pipeline system, minimising disturbance to shallow shoreline habitats. A timeline for when the works will commence has not been revealed.

HDB will explore creating suitable habitats along the future coastline to support turtle nesting, as well as future recruitment of coral larvae and seagrass fragments. It will also assess early transplantation of coral or seagrass communities ahead of the long-term plans for Long Island to allow more time for marine biodiversity to grow and thrive.

While the formal consultation period has closed, the public is welcomed to continue sharing feedback at this website. The next phase of public engagement is planned to start from end-2026.

Long Island works: Calls to retain East Coast Park’s recreational value, minimise impact on nature
Ang Qing Straits Times Sep 17, 2026, 02:25 PM

SINGAPORE – Ahead of works to prepare for the Long Island reclamation off East Coast Park, parkgoers have appealed to the authorities to ensure that activities at local recreational haunts can continue even while works are ongoing.

These areas include fishing hot spot Bedok Jetty and a surfing haven known as “Longkang Point”. A timeline for when the works will commence has not been revealed.

This was a key theme of feedback submitted to the Housing Board (HDB), which on Sept 16 said that it had received 430 responses to an environmental study for preparatory works that was published more than two months ago.

Members of public had called for the recreational nature of East Coast Park to be retained and the impact on affected stakeholders to be limited.

In response, HDB reiterated that it will minimise disruption to existing recreational activities along the East Coast.

The preparatory works will be conducted at least 130m away from the shoreline and in phases starting in the waters west of Bedok Jetty. This means that public access and activities can still continue at beaches and shoreline facilities like the jetty.

The HDB also said it expects limited disturbance and minimal changes to wave conditions in the current surfing areas during the preparatory works.

It stressed that there will be close monitoring of key environmental conditions like water quality, suspended sediment levels, noise and dust, to ensure that impacts remain at acceptable levels for public use.

When completed in the coming decades, the reclamation of some 800ha of land for Long Island will protect low-lying areas from Marina East to Tanah Merah against rising sea levels, create an additional reservoir as well as land for future needs.

The amount of land that will be reclaimed is about twice the size of Marina Bay.

Another key theme of the feedback centred on concerns about the impact of the works on marine fauna like sea turtles, bottom-dwelling fish and coastal horseshoe crabs.

Members of the public had called for more information to show how these species and the vicinity’s natural habitats, including corals and seagrass, would be affected and protected from the development.

In response to these queries, HDB said it had updated its environmental study for the preparatory works that had been released on June 30 with more data to better characterise the fish communities within the study area and specific impact on coastal horseshoe crabs.

Even with inclusion of this data, the overall impact on fishes that dwell near and at the bottom of the sea, as well as the nesting habitat of coastal horseshoe crabs is unlikely to be significant, the Housing Board said.

It added that infill materials, which include sand, will be placed in a controlled manner using a pipeline system, minimising disturbance to shallow shoreline habitats.

It noted that the works are not expected to affect most of the coral and seagrass in the East Coast Park area, or significantly affect recreational fishing or the fish and marine fauna community as a whole.

HDB said: “Seagrass habitats are also generally resilient to periodic turbidity and are expected to recover without long-term degradation.”

With East Coast Park known to be a popular site for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle to nest, HDB said that agencies will work closely with experts to explore other measures to minimise the risk of harm to nesting turtles during the preparatory works.

This will be in addition to the National Parks Board’s efforts to search for turtle nests along the East Coast Park shoreline and re-locate the eggs laid there to a hatchery on the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park.

HDB noted that most feedback providers had recognised the need for coastal protection and asked if alternative coastal protection measures could be considered to retain the ecological and recreational value of East Coast Park and avoid the need for land reclamation.

It said that agencies had considered building a new seawall of up to 3m in height fronting East Coast Park from Marina East to Tanah Merah, with tidal gates and pumping stations expected to take up the size of 15 football fields.

However, HDB said this was ruled out as it will take up significant space within the existing East Coast Park and severely impede accessibility for recreational, sports and park users.

This could also potentially create significant impacts on some ecosystems at the shoreline and intertidal areas along the East Coast.

HDB said it will explore the feasibility of creating suitable habitats along the future coastline to support turtle nesting, as well as future recruitment of coral larvae and seagrass fragments.

The Housing Board will also assess the need for early transplantation of coral or seagrass communities ahead of the long-term plans for Long Island to allow more time for marine biodiversity to grow and thrive.

While the formal consultation period for the preparatory works for Long Island has closed, the Housing Board welcomed members of the public to continue sharing their feedback at this website.

It said the next phase of public engagement is planned to start from end-2026.

ST has contacted HDB for information on when the preparatory works are scheduled to begin.

Also on HDB's Facebook page

Corals in murky waters could produce heat-tolerant babies

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:57:00 +0000

Coral reefs around the world are in decline, with many reef areas shrinking as increasingly frequent marine heatwaves leave them less time to recover in between. But a new report found that reefs in the East Asian Seas, which includes Singapore, are bucking the global trend, with coral cover holding steady over the past four decades.

Marine biologist Huang Danwei, deputy head of NUS’ Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said corals which thrive even in harsh environments, such as those that live in the murky waters around Singapore, often have a higher degree of tolerance against marine heatwaves.

Such corals could produce offspring that are naturally resilient to warmer sea surface temperatures. When these coral babies disperse and settle in neighbouring reefs, it could confer them greater resilience against heat waves, he added.

Corals in East Asian Seas holding out as world’s coral reefs shrink due to more frequent marine heatwaves
Chin Hui Shan Straits Times Sep 14, 2026, 05:00 AM

SINGAPORE — Coral reefs around the world are in decline, with many reef areas shrinking as increasingly frequent marine heatwaves leave them less time to recover in between.

But a new report has found that reefs in the East Asian Seas, which includes Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of South-east Asia, are bucking the global trend, with coral cover holding steady over the past four decades.

The Aug 31 report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, an international network of scientists, managers and organisations, also showed that there has not been any documented increase in macroalgae, or seaweed, in this region.

This is another encouraging sign of reef health in the East Asian Seas, as macroalgae is known to hinder reef recovery by competing with corals for space to grow.

The East Asian Seas is home to the Coral Triangle, one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity hot spots located around Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. About 30 per cent of the world’s coral reef area is found here.

Experts here told The Straits Times that the findings show that reefs in the region could have certain traits that make them more tolerant of hotter temperatures.

For instance, they may have heat-tolerant genetic traits, or could have microorganisms living in them that confer the coral with greater heat resilience.

Marine biologist Huang Danwei, deputy head of NUS’ Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said corals which thrive even in harsh environments, such as those that live in the murky waters around Singapore, often have a higher degree of tolerance against marine heatwaves.

Such corals could produce offspring that are naturally resilient to warmer sea surface temperatures. When these coral babies disperse and settle in neighbouring reefs, it could confer them greater resilience against heat waves, he added.

Huang, as well as Karenne Tun, group director of National Parks Board’s (NParks) National Biodiversity Centre, are among the Singapore-based authors who contributed to the global report.

Called Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025, the 296-page report was based on more than 40 years of data from 36,886 sites across 124 countries and territories. The last time a similar report was published was in 2021.

Corals support about one-quarter of marine life, including thousands of fish species. About a billion people depend on coral reefs, directly or indirectly, from the ecosystem services they provide.

But the report noted that coral reefs are experiencing bleaching events so frequently that they no longer have time to recover before the next one strikes.

Bleaching happens when corals – which get their vibrant colours from microscopic algae that live in their tissues – expel the algae when they are stressed by rising sea temperatures, turning them ashen white.

The algae supply the corals with nutrients, so when bleaching occurs, the corals become vulnerable to disease. The corals may eventually die if the bleaching event is prolonged, as they are deprived of a key source of nutrition.

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 events – a climate phenomenon that warms sea surface temperatures and lifts global temperatures.

Scientists have warned that another coral bleaching event may be on the cards in 2026, as the world is in the grips of a severe El Nino event that could extend to 2027.

The report showed that the average global hard coral cover dropped from 30.2 per cent in 1980 to 27.3 per cent in 2024.

Hard coral cover refers to the proportion of the coastal habitat that is covered by hard coral.

In comparison, coral reef cover in the East Asian Seas region remained stable between 1980 and 2009, with an average hard coral cover of about 30 per cent. This dipped to 27 per cent after the 2010 bleaching event, but recovered to close to 1980 levels between 2010 and 2020.

The report’s lead author Manuel Gonzalez Rivero said that the gap between bleaching events once stretched for decades, but now averages just five or six years. For instance, prior to the 1998 global bleaching event, the first widespread mass bleaching occurred during the 1982-83 El Nino, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

And while the report showed that reefs in this region have shown a “remarkable stability” in hard coral cover over the past four decades, Huang said that climate-driven ocean warming remains the greatest threat to coral reefs even in the East Asian Seas region.

Moreover, reefs in the region face other stressors that could impact their health. “The other main threats to East Asian reefs include nutrient pollution that causes macroalgae to overgrow corals, marine plastics, overfishing, increased sedimentation and water turbidity, coastal development and land reclamation,” he said.

NParks’ Tun said that the apparent stability of East Asian reefs could also be because any decline in one part of the region is balanced out by an increase in coral cover somewhere else.

For example, declines in Southern Java and Sunda and parts of the Northern Coral Triangle were offset by gains in the Central Coral Triangle and Kuroshio, according to the report. This suggests that apparent regional stability may mask important local variability and vulnerability, it said, noting that resolving such patterns will require consistent data collection at the local level.

Data collection at the local level could also help scientists keep an eye on other aspects of reef health beyond coral cover.

For instance, Tun noted that while coral cover may remain stable, the types of species found in an area could change. Such shifts in coral communities can affect how reefs function and the ecosystem services they provide, she added.

Rare bowmouth guitarfish recorded in Singapore waters

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:55:59 +0000

“Observations of angler catches over the years tell us that Singapore’s nearshore waters house a rich diversity of threatened marine taxa (a group of animals), including sharks and rays.” said Maryam Kolakkodan, a research assistant at the National University of Singapore’s department of biological sciences.

This observation was documented by Kolakkodan along with her co-authors, marine biologist Zeehan Jaafar and Lin Jiayuan, co-founder of the Ichthyological Society of Singapore.

Members of the public who come across large marine animals in Singapore, such as dolphins, dugongs, turtles, sharks and rays, can report their sightings at public submission database MegMaLS at this website.

Rare bowmouth guitarfish recorded in Singapore waters after nearly 30-year absence
Ang Qing Straits Times Sep 14, 2026, 12:00 PM

SINGAPORE – The bowmouth guitarfish – a pet cause of billionaire Jeff Bezos and Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio because it is critically endangered across the world – has been officially detected in Singapore waters after an absence of nearly 30 years.

The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, the only museum of its kind in Singapore, recently published a report of the sighting.

“We were ecstatic,” Maryam Kolakkodan, a research assistant at the National University of Singapore’s department of biological sciences who co-authored the Aug 31 report, told The Straits Times.

She recounted how the footage obtained from the social media user who posted the video captured the creature’s faint silhouette.

On Oct 29, 2022, anglers at Bedok Jetty saw and filmed one of these creatures, estimated to be between 1.5m and 2m in length.

After cruising in the water for three to five minutes, the solitary fish swam away. This observation was documented by Kolakkodan along with her co-authors, marine biologist Zeehan Jaafar and Lin Jiayuan, co-founder of the Ichthyological Society of Singapore.

This is the first formal record of the bowmouth guitarfish since now-defunct Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Wanbao reported in 1995 that a 1.83m-long specimen weighing about 40kg was caught in a shrimp net in the sea off Marine Parade.

The species is often dubbed the shark ray as it has a sleek, shark-like body, prominent dorsal fins and ray-like pectoral fins.

Among the world’s jawed animals with backbones, it ranks as the most genetically unique lineage facing an extreme risk of extinction. This is driven by wildlife trafficking, overfishing, habitat degradation and other threats.

A 2024 paper said the extinction of the bowmouth guitarfish could result in the loss of 88 million years of evolutionary history, as it is the only surviving species of the genus Rhina, a lineage of rays.

Internationally, the bowmouth guitarfish has received increasing conservation attention and is currently the focus of global protection and rewilding efforts by initiatives such as Shark Ray 360 and the Phoenix Species Project. The latter is backed by Bezos and DiCaprio.

In June, the Singapore Oceanarium partnered the Taiwanese authorities to release a bowmouth guitarfish into its ancestral waters off Taiwan, making the oceanarium the first facility to breed, raise and release the animal.

The Aug 31 record shows that Singapore’s busy waters remain a corridor for critically endangered species such as the bowmouth guitarfish, Kolakkodan said.

According to satellite-tagging efforts by the rewilding collective ReShark, bowmouth guitarfish are known to travel more than 100km from their original locations, she added.

“Other studies have documented occurrences of this species in the open ocean, away from coastal waters,” Kolakkodan said. “These findings reiterate the interconnectivity of the seas and the importance of international collaboration. Protection across the distribution range will likely be a more effective conservation strategy than fragmented protection in singular areas alone for a transboundary species such as the bowmouth guitarfish.”

The Bedok Jetty record is part of a broader research project funded by Mandai Nature. It aims to understand the distribution of sharks and rays within the territorial waters of Singapore, as well as the impact of recreational fishing on these threatened animals.

Kolakkodan, who is analysing the project’s data, said: “Observations of angler catches over the years tell us that Singapore’s nearshore waters house a rich diversity of threatened marine taxa (a group of animals), including sharks and rays.”

Since 2022, the bowmouth guitarfish has apparently been spotted again in Singapore waters.

Zeehan Jaafar, a senior lecturer at the NUS department of biological sciences, said that the team was alerted in August to a May 24 sighting of the marine animal.

That day, the fish was hooked by anglers fishing from a vessel and later released. The more recent sighting has not yet been officially recorded.

“Important sightings such as this are often shared by members of the public and are valuable in furthering our understanding of local biodiversity,” said Jaafar.

The team is seeking avid anglers for focus group interviews to share their experiences and thoughts on how to sustainably fish sharks and rays here.

Lin, who has been fishing for nearly two decades, said it was satisfying to formalise recent records of the species, citing other social media footage that the fish had been around over the past decade.

The Nanyang Technological University bioengineering student said: “Its presence in our waters warrants future research on this species, whether it is resident or whether it’s passing by and stopped for food, to better aid in conservation for both this species and marine fauna of Singapore.”

Members of the public who come across large marine animals in Singapore, such as dolphins, dugongs, turtles, sharks and rays, can report their sightings at public submission database MegMaLS at this website.

Singapore in prep for Phase 1 of nuclear power

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:34:57 +0000

In looking at possible pathways to meet its long-term climate and energy goals, Singapore is studying whether nuclear energy could be viable and is building its capabilities to assess advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors.

"The INIR mission is not a commitment to adopt nuclear energy. But it is a way to help determine whether Singapore has the expertise, institutions, and frameworks to make an informed decision,"

Singapore approaching nuclear energy with 'open mind' but mindful of constraints: Grace Fu
Any decision will weigh safety, environmental sustainability, economic viability and public confidence, among other considerations, says the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment.
Emil Chan Channel NewsAsia 14 Sep 2026 09:51PM

SINGAPORE: Singapore is approaching nuclear energy with an open mind while recognising its constraints as a small and densely populated city-state, the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Monday (Sep 14).

Representing Singapore at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Ms Fu said the country, in looking at possible pathways to meet its long-term climate and energy goals, is studying whether nuclear energy could be viable and is building its capabilities to assess advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors.

"We approach this with an open mind, but also with a clear recognition of our circumstances as a small, densely populated, and alternative energy disadvantaged city-state," she said.

Ms Fu said the country’s approach will be "deliberate, structured, and rigorous", with assessments covering nuclear safety, security and safeguards, environmental sustainability, economic viability, public confidence and Singapore's international obligations.

Before any decision is made, Singapore must have the scientific, technical, institutional and regulatory capabilities needed to evaluate reactor technologies objectively, she said.

To that end, Singapore is steadily developing these capabilities across government, research institutions and its regulatory system, while also strengthening cooperation with nuclear regulators and international partners to learn from their approaches to governance, regulation and safety.

As part of this process, Singapore will embark on the first of three phases of a nuclear readiness review - known as an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) with the IAEA in 2027.

The review will allow Singapore to benchmark its capabilities against the IAEA's milestones approach, assess the country’s readiness to make an informed decision on deploying nuclear energy, and identify areas that require further development.

"The INIR mission is not a commitment to adopt nuclear energy. But it is a way to help determine whether Singapore has the expertise, institutions, and frameworks to make an informed decision," said Ms Fu, who is also Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations.

She said regional cooperation would become more important as interest in nuclear energy and other nuclear applications grows across Southeast Asia.

As such, Singapore will work with ASEAN member states and the IAEA to strengthen emergency preparedness and response, put regional protocols into operation, expand radiation monitoring networks and information-sharing arrangements, and conduct readiness exercises.

“These efforts build confidence, improve coordination, and strengthen the region's ability to respond to a nuclear or radiological emergency,” said Ms Fu, adding that Singapore welcomes the strengthening of regional cooperation through the proposed ASEAN-IAEA strategic partnership on nuclear energy, safety, and governance.

Beyond its consideration of nuclear energy, Singapore believes that building human capital, institutional capabilities and technical expertise is essential for the effective and sustainable application of nuclear science and technology, Ms Fu said.

It has partnered with the IAEA since 2000 through the Singapore-IAEA Third Country Training Programme to share expertise and strengthen capabilities in the region in areas including nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, radiation protection, accelerator applications, radiochemistry, environmental monitoring and climate-related measurements.

“We are a long-standing supporter of the Technical Cooperation Programme in helping member states harness nuclear science and technology for development,” said Ms Fu.

“We have once again pledged our full TC Fund target share for 2027. We urge all member states to pay their contributions in full and on time.”

Ms Fu said Singapore remains “gravely concerned” over nuclear safety and security amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“Any attack on nuclear power plants will pose significant and undeniable risks to nuclear safety,” she said.

“We urge all parties to respect the seven indispensable pillars and refrain from actions that could compromise nuclear safety and security of nuclear energy facilities devoted to peaceful purposes.”

Singapore also remains concerned by "unresolved issues surrounding Iran’s compliance" with its legally binding safeguards obligations, Ms Fu said, adding that any nuclear material not accounted for presents a proliferation risk.

She said that Singapore also continues to be concerned by North Korea’s "unconstrained development of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes", given the considerable risks these pose to regional and global peace, security, and stability.

As Singapore assumes the ASEAN chairmanship in January 2027, the country looks forward to working with other ASEAN member states and the IAEA to strengthen regional and international cooperation on the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear technology, said Ms Fu.

Last look at Tg. Rimau before slope works begin

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 03:04:00 +0000

A large team surveyed a 400m stretch of Sentosa Tanjong Rimau before it is affected by slope stabilisation work. This shore has among our last natural cliffs with natural rocky shores. And the largest natural meadows of healthy Tape seagrass that remains, since the loss of these in most of our other southern shores.

It was a little challenging to survey in complete darkness. The tide turned at sunrise. The rest of the large team made lots of special finds. I will update with their sightings later.

As usual, the rest of the team make all the special finds! It's a little challenging finding and photographing animals at night. The usual rocky shore snails and crabs were seen. Including many Jeweled chitons. Rui Quan got a shot of a Marine spider which caught another kind of spider. Also seen, a special moon snail, a very long ribbon worm and flatworms.

On the plus side, at night, fishes and other animals are usually out and about. Zen observed a wide variety of colourful fishes commonly seen here. Rui Quan got a photo of Pygmy squid which caught a shrimp almost as big as itself. The rest of the team saw octopus and reef squids.

There have never been a lot of corals on this shore. On Jan 2026, there was already a sense that there were even fewer corals than before. Today, it seems this remains the case. Nevertheless, there are still a variety of common corals, mostly boulder-shaped ones including a few large colonies. As well as some small leathery soft corals.

A good variety of common sea anemones were seen. As well as corallimorphs.

Samuel Lau took great aerial shots of the shores the next morning, at a higher tide. Thank you!

Tg Rimau has the last best and largest natural meadow of Tape seagrass with long leaves. All Tape seagrasses are now completely gone or severely cropped short on Cyrene, Semakau and the other large southern submerged reefs. Surprisingly, long Tape seagrass is quite abundant on artificial shores like East Coast Park and Eagle Bay (Lazarus Island). Today the Tape seagrasses were still longish (about 30-40cm), some with shorter cropped leaves that stick out of the water. There were a lot of female flowers that had just bloomed, probably the day before, their long white petals still attached but withering. I could see any male flowers floating on the water surface or their bracts at the base of the leaves.

The patch of Sickle seagrass near Rasa Sentosa is still growing lush, leaves not cropped. Throughout the shore there were good sprinkles of Spoon seagrass (small leaves) and Needle seagrass (narrow leaves).

This shore is only one of the two Southern shores where we can see the Critically Endangered Nyireh laut. We probably have less than 10 of these trees on our shores. The mother tree seems okay. Her oldest Daughter no. 1 next to her is still alright. The next younger Daughter no. 2 growing near the pill box is now tall. All three of the trees are distinctly less leafy with bare branches and only a few yellow leaves. Another related species Nyireh batu, seasonally drop all their leaves after turning yellow. I suspect this is what is happening here. Daughter no. 3 which I last saw as a sapling in Apr 2014 has grown really tall and today had fresh green leaves. I couldn't find the small sapling that Nasry found on our last survey in Jan 2026. Hopefully it has been 'rescued' and is now being raised in the plant nursery?

The Critically Endangered Delek air is still doing very well, with lush leafy branches bearing lots of fruits. While the Vulnerable Raffles pitcher plant are still there, though only the crispy parts show up in the photo in the dark. Like many coastal forest plants of Singapore, they are now only found in a few places in Singapore.

I didn't see any signs of work starting, aside from a few poles on the shore, one had fallen over, and another seemed to have propped up a signboard that has separated from the pole. . On a positive note, I'm glad that we have been assured that very large litter will be removed as part of the works.

My thoughts about upcoming works on this shore

Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has made a good effort to regularly update and discuss with the nature community on the plans for this shore. We are grateful. I am glad that slope protection works are being done. Erosion, slope failure and rock slides are a natural aspect of such cliffs. Although these form the picturesque rock formations on the shore that we find so attractive, these can kill also the precious plants and trees that grow here. Here's some photos of ongoing slope failure that I saw on our last survey in Jan 2026.

On other islands like St. John's in the past, the engineering solution was to simply pour a sheet on concrete on the slope. This eliminates any possibility of plants growing back on the slope. The current plan for Tg. Rimau is to create grid beams that will allow plants to continue to grow after stabilising the slope. This seems a far more reasonable approach.

Of most concern are the impact of the working footprint so heavy equipment and materials can be brought to the slope. According to the EIA for the works found that more than 12 per cent of seagrass meadows may be lost. SDC has reassured the community that the working site will be minimised as much as possible, and works monitored to ensure they don't go beyond the site.

The other worry are the Xblocs: 0.7m (height) × 1.3m (width) × 1.7m (length), weighing 1-tonne each - similar to the photo. "A few hundred" interlocking blocks will be placed “at the toe of the slope to mitigate wave erosion". SDC reassured one reason XblocPlus was chosen was that it assembles more quickly, which shortens the construction impact period. Also, engineers will work to "replicate the structural complexity of existing natural rocky shores, and to support the diversity of intertidal fauna and algal communities already present at Tanjong Rimau."

We wish SDC and team all the best for this well intentioned effort to stabilise Tg. Rimau shores for the future. Works are expected to start soon.

Related blog posts
Sentosa Tg Rimau: EIA on slope stabilisation works Jul 2026
Sentosa Tg. Rimau: Interlocking 1-tonne blocks to be deployed Jun 2026

Photos by others on this survey

Zen Xuan He

Lai Chee Kien

Jaeden Lim

Rui Quan Oh

Rachael Goh

Lon Voon Ong

Jayden Kang

Jason Ooi

Asher Mako

Le Xuan Foong

Mathias Luk

Others on this survey: Yan Le Su, Dr Clarence Sim and students, Jason Ooi and students, Ang Qing, Lester Tan.

Western Island timeline, reclamation profile TBD: Chee Hong Tat

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 21:38:03 +0000

Details of the upcoming western island, such as its reclamation profile, land use plans, construction methods and timeline, have yet to be determined, said Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat in a written response to Parliamentary Questions raised by 13 MPs from both sides of the House.

Pulau Jong and The Landfill from natural Pulau Semakau
all enclosed in the profile announced by the PM.

The Government will conduct technical studies to inform development plans, including the reclamation profile. “We have been and will continue to engage stakeholders early, including nature groups, domain experts and descendants of former island communities and community representatives,”

Timeline, reclamation profile of new western island not yet determined: Chee Hong Tat
Ang Qing Straits Times Sep 08, 2026, 10:15 PM

SINGAPORE – Details of the upcoming western island, such as its reclamation profile, land use plans, construction methods and timeline, have yet to be determined, said Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat on Sept 8.

In a written response to parliamentary questions raised by 13 MPs on both sides of the House about the planning and impacts of the new development, Chee noted that a project of this scale is complex and technically challenging.

The Government will conduct technical studies to inform development plans, including the reclamation profile, he said. At the same time, it will also continue to engage stakeholders, including nature groups and descendants of former island communities, on the plans for the area.

“These include feasibility studies, site investigations and surveys, as well as engineering and environmental studies, to better understand development possibilities and their preliminary impact on areas like geology, hydrology and biodiversity,” Chee said.

He said the Government recognises that the existing islands and surrounding waters are an important part of natural biodiversity, and hold historical and cultural significance for former island communities, including the Orang Pulau and Orang Laut.

“We have been and will continue to engage stakeholders early, including nature groups, domain experts and descendants of former island communities and community representatives,” he added.

The plan to merge several southern islands to form a new industrial island, dubbed the western island, for future energy, industry and defence needs was first mooted by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the National Day Rally on Aug 23.

A preliminary outline of the development area, which is near Jurong Island, showcased during the rally showed that some of the affected islands could include Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom and Pulau Sudong.

Following the announcement, scientists, nature and heritage groups, descendants of former islanders, as well as other stakeholders of Singapore’s marine community, called for more details about the developmental plans. They also expressed concern that the works could impact the area’s rich marine biodiversity and result in the loss of heritage.

Ahead of the September parliamentary sitting, MPs asked about the environmental impact of the plans, how the Government will incorporate heritage and community considerations, as well as its plans to consult different stakeholders.

For instance, Charlene Chen (Tampines GRC) had asked whether the Government will consider conducting cumulative environmental impact assessments where multiple reclamation, dredging or coastal development projects may affect the same marine ecosystems.

Chee said in response that government agencies will “coordinate closely to comprehensively manage the cumulative environmental impact of projects in close proximity”.

WP Non-Constituency MP Andre Low had also asked whether the studies will be made public.

Chee said the environmental study report will be made available for public feedback. Inputs from stakeholders will be carefully considered before plans are finalised, he added.

He said: “As with any development decision, the Government will need to consider many factors, such as ecological and heritage impact, as well as the needs of current and future generations, before making a final decision.”

Separately, Valerie Lee (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC) and Edward Chia (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) had asked the Ministry of Trade and Industry why Jurong Island could not accommodate the activities that the upcoming western island is envisioned to host.

Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng said in a written response on Sept 8 that Jurong Island spans about 3,000ha, of which less than one-third remains available for development.

“The remaining vacant land has been earmarked to support our growth focus on specialty chemicals and sustainable materials, and to cater for new energy development, decarbonisation solutions, and low-carbon data centres,” he added.

Tan said the new western island will give future generations the space to meet new requirements and pursue opportunities “beyond what can be seen and imagined today”.

He said as part of the planning process, the Government’s studies will enable better understanding of the various development possibilities and their implications on biodiversity, hydrodynamics, marine navigation as well as existing business operations.

He noted that the Government has begun engaging stakeholders to gather their views and reiterated that their feedback will be carefully considered before any development plans are finalised.

MPs ask about better protection for children and youth, impact of western island reclamation plans
Wong Yang Straits Times Sep 07, 2026, 09:04 PM

SINGAPORE - Protections for children and youth and plans to merge several southern islands through reclamation will be on the agenda when Parliament sits this week.

. . .

Plans to create a new “western island” by reclaiming land to merge several southern islands will also come under scrutiny, with at least seven questions filed on the topic.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had announced at the 2026 National Day Rally that an island for industry, energy and defence needs would be reclaimed in the coming decades.

The area for potential reclamation, which covers about 592.8ha, contains marine habitats like coral reefs and seagrass meadows.

Charlene Chen (Tampines GRC) asked if the Government will consider conducting cumulative environmental impact assessments where multiple reclamation, dredging or coastal development projects may affect the same marine ecosystems.

WP’s He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) asked how government agencies are engaging with former residents of the islands affected by the planned reclamation.

She also asked how heritage and community considerations arising from the islands’ history will be factored into land use and design plans for the reclaimed area.

Building a city for both people and nature
Our responsibility is not to choose one objective at the expense of the other, but to plan carefully for both.
Chee Hong Tat Straits Times Sep 07, 2026, 05:00 AM

Recent discussions about places such as Maju Forest, Gillman Barracks and our western islands reflect something important: many Singaporeans care deeply about the natural environment around us.

I do too. Our forests, mangroves and coastlines are not simply undeveloped land waiting for another use. They are habitats built up over decades, sometimes much longer. They support biodiversity, cool our city, connect ecological systems, and provide places of respite and wonder.

So when Singaporeans ask whether a City in Nature should conserve more of these existing habitats, it is a fair and important question.

There is no simple answer. In land-scarce Singapore, we also have to provide for the many needs of current and future generations – homes, jobs, transport, energy, climate resilience and national security. And as a city-state, these pressures are especially intense, because we have no hinterland where we can site a nation’s needs.

Our responsibility is therefore not to choose one objective at the expense of the other. It is to plan carefully for both.
Making room for future generations

Mature forests, mangroves and coastal habitats have ecological value that cannot simply be replaced by planting new trees or creating new parks.

We want our children to be able to immerse themselves in nature, marvel at the rich biodiversity around them, and experience the calm that nature provides.

But we also have a responsibility to plan for their other needs.

Our children will need good jobs made possible because we create space for new industries. They will require transport, energy and climate infrastructure built ahead of time. They should inherit a nation that remains safe and secure. All of these require land.

Housing is another pressing need. Households are getting smaller, with many more people wanting homes of their own, including singles and seniors, while staying near family for mutual care and support.

Access to good and affordable public housing for every Singaporean has been part of our social compact since independence, and remains a commitment of this Government. To fulfil these aspirations, we have to plan ahead and ensure sufficient housing supply.

The difficult question is: How do we meet these needs while ensuring that nature remains an integral part of Singapore?

Planning for both

We cannot answer this by looking at each parcel of land in isolation.

Nature functions as a connected system. Ecological networks link our forests, waterways, mangroves and coastal habitats.

Our development needs are interconnected too. Homes require transport and amenities. Businesses require infrastructure. Energy and climate resilience require land and coastal space. National security requires areas for critical capabilities.

There will be occasions when development must proceed to meet an important national need.

There will also be occasions when conservation should prevail. And in many cases, thoughtful planning allows us to do both – changing the footprint of a development, retaining important habitats and ecological connections, and weaving nature into the places we build.

This is where science guides how we balance development and conservation.

The National Parks Board’s Ecological Profiling Exercise identifies our important biodiversity areas and the ecological corridors connecting them. This gives us an islandwide picture of how different habitats relate to one another.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Long-Term Plan and Master Plan in turn map out Singapore’s future needs, including an islandwide network of parks, nature areas, waterways and ecological links. This provides a long-term vision for where nature will be conserved, restored and expanded as Singapore develops.

At the site level, developments that may have significant environmental impacts are also subject to environmental impact assessments, which help agencies understand ecological value, assess potential impacts and develop mitigation measures.

Development and conservation decisions are integrated holistically within this broader framework.

We do not start from the assumption that every piece of land identified for possible development must be fully developed. Environmental studies and public feedback can and do change our plans.

For example, the upcoming Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park was initially planned for industrial use. After careful study, we decided to conserve it due to its close ecological connection with Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. It will become one of Singapore’s larger nature parks.

Where development does proceed, we work with stakeholders to minimise ecological impact and incorporate nature wherever possible. Bidadari is one example where HDB worked with the Nature Society Singapore to retain an important hillock used by migratory birds. HDB also planned housing and community spaces to be seamlessly connected to Bidadari Park and Bidadari Greenway, so residents can enjoy daily contact with nature.

Moving past binaries

This illustrates another important point. Our choices are not always binary: develop and lose nature, or conserve and gain nature. Nature can regenerate. Ecological connections can be strengthened. And development itself can sometimes create the conditions for new ecological value to emerge.

Sungei Api-Api in Pasir Ris is a good example. We created this canal to improve drainage capacity and manage stormwater flows more effectively. But we also carefully designed it to harness natural tidal processes and sediment flows. Together with the planting of native mangroves, these conditions enabled the habitat to regenerate and expand over time.

Today, it is a thriving mangrove ecosystem.

That is why we should look at Singapore’s ecological balance sheet as a whole.

We have to consider the ecological value of each site, but we also have to consider the larger picture – how Singapore’s natural systems fit together, and how they change over time.

Today, more than 7,800ha of land is set aside for green spaces. This will increase to 8,800ha by 2035. We are also extending our park connector network, restoring habitats and waterways, and bringing greenery directly into our estates and buildings. All households will be within a 10-minute walk of a park by 2030.

Our aim is to strengthen this overall ecological system over time – improving the quality of our habitats, the biodiversity they sustain, how well they are connected, and the resilience of our natural environment.

Making difficult choices together

Science helps us understand the ecological consequences of our choices.

We must then weigh these alongside the needs of people, communities and Singapore as a whole.

These choices often involve competing considerations, and there will be different views on where the balance should be struck.

That is why we engage nature groups, researchers, residents and members of the public as we develop our plans.

We will continue to listen carefully, engage deeply and take these views seriously. There will not always be consensus.

Where the case for conservation is strong, we are prepared to adjust our plans.

Where development remains necessary, we will explain the reasons clearly, minimise the impact as far as possible, and work with stakeholders to find better ways to proceed.

Ultimately, these are judgments that the Government must make on behalf of Singapore and Singaporeans. We have to carefully weigh the needs and ecological value of each site, while also considering the needs of our country as a whole and over the longer term.

Difficult choices

These are difficult choices, but they are not new ones for Singapore.

From the earliest years of nation-building, we have had to make space for development while protecting and restoring the natural environment around us. By the 1930s, Singapore had lost most of its original forest cover to agriculture and development.

After independence, we transformed polluted rivers into clean waterways. We planted trees across the island, created nature reserves and nature parks, restored mangroves and strengthened ecological connections.

At the same time, we set aside land for homes, new industries, critical infrastructure and national security, so that each generation inherited the capacity to build on the success of the last.

Today, Singapore is both a thriving global city and one of the greenest cities in the world. We got here by planning for development and nature together.

That is what we will continue to do – so that our people and our natural environment can thrive together in our City in Nature.

Chee Hong Tat is Minister for National Development.

70 pax to Pulau Hantu on a ferry? CAN!

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:48:39 +0000

Mass visits to our Mother Shores, can? We test this out during our annual Family Day for regular team members. Who valiantly brought family and friends from all ages and backgrounds to visit Pulau Hantu at a high tide (2m).

Despite the hazy day, most enjoyed the stroll around the island, although many would have preferred a low tide visit. We had a little booth to share photos of the Mother Shores. Her biodiversity as well as history. A scope to look at more distant places (challenging with the haze). And everyone shared heartfelt thoughts about their hopes and dreams for Pulau Hantu.

At high tide, it is not possible to walk from Hantu Besar to Hantu Kecil (without getting really wet). But we still had a nice time exploring the high shore of Hantu Besar. Exciting finds included the Blue striped hermit crabs (seems so much more common at high tide - or maybe we miss them at low tide because we don't look so closely at the high shore). Also mudskippers, gobies, and many kinds of birds flying about. On the island, there were pretty butterflies and interesting insects.

I had a quick look at the mangroves. They somehow look nicer at high tide surrounded by clear waters. In the distance, the mangroves that have settled on the artificial seawall. On the low shore, a variety of old and young mangrove trees. On the high tide line among the Gelang laut plants, many young mangrove saplings have settled down. If we leave things alone, we might get a mangrove on Pulau Hantu!

The Sea almonds are turning red, a seasonal event that gives a feeling of 'autumn' on our shores. The trees here are so tall the buttress roots come up to our shoulder! We walk along the footprints of shorebirds. And come across Saga seed trees.

Thanks to Chui Qing and family for discovering the best station. Chilling in the breeze at the jetty looking down on the corals and reef life in water that is quite clear. Or at the landscapes on the horizon. They saw a very large cuttlefish, also sharks and other fishes.

Thanks to Samuel and Raphael for getting a scope for us to see things in the distance (a bit challenging due to the haze). But we still managed to get a good look at the Sudong reclamation. (Group photo by Richard Kuah).

The favourite booth was the one with Richard's photos of marine life that can be seen on Pulau Hantu and our Mother Shores. As well as historical sites in the area. Richard's sharing about the photos was a special treat. Thanks to the ladies from RP for helping to set up, and for everyone who obliged with my bad attempt at photo booth props - mama corals and mama mangroves...maybe too cheesy?

How wonderful to have two families with young kids with us. Seems the kids enjoyed 'touching sand' and the family made memories together. Thanks to Jason for bringing his family, and his RP students, and this photo!

Thanks also to Mathias and Rachael for guiding their friends, so that the rest of us could scope out what is possible at high tide. Thanks also to Ian for documenting our trip. And Lon for trying his best to launch the underwater drone. Quite hard to do at high tide. Samuel also flew the aerial drone.

The most precious gift were the heartfelt thoughts shared by participants. About their hopes and dreams for Pulau Hantu. From the littlest ones and the youths, to the young at heart.

Here's a few of the important thoughts shared. Full photos in this flickr album Pulau Hantu Guestbook.

Thanks to everyone who made the time to come and visit our Mother Shore! Extra special thanks to Richard for making this happen. We couldn't have done it without his professional expertise in running tours.

We hope to do this again, and open to the public. What do you think?

Govt to map coastal habitats after Western Island announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:49:00 +0000

Two days after the announcement of Western Island, NParks issued a tender for a 15-month mapping of reefs, seagrasses and mangroves through high-res satellite images. "The map will quantify any changes to the habitats since 2018, supporting sea space and conservation planning across Singapore. As with previous mapping efforts, the geospatial dataset from this study will be made publicly available."

Huang Danwei, deputy head of the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said the results from the study will be critical for mitigating the impacts of ongoing coastal development projects and planning upcoming projects.

Marine biologist Ow Yanxiang, senior research fellow at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory said: “Our coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves forests have survived our nation’s many years of growth and development, so can we engineer ways to build our future with nature, instead of over it?”

Orang Laut SG, an initiative to preserve the maritime heritage of islanders living on Pulau Semakau, has called for cultural and social impacts to be considered, as well as continued access to the surviving islands, coral reefs and coastal waters. “Environmental assessments alone cannot account for the loss of heritage, community access, livelihoods, traditional knowledge and relationships with the sea.”

S’pore to map out marine, coastal habitats following news of western island reclamation
Ang Qing Straits Times Sep 04, 2026, 04:38 PM with photos by Lim Yao Hui

SINGAPORE - Plans are underway to use high-resolution satellite imagery to map out how coral reefs, seagrass meadows and mangroves have changed over the years along Singapore’s coastlines.

The new images of the different types of coastal and marine habitats will update maps previously created in 2018 and 2011, according to a National Parks Board (NParks) tender seen by The Straits Times.

The tender was published on Aug 25, two days after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced at the National Day Rally that a new “western island” to meet industry, energy and defence needs in the coming decades would be created by merging several southern islands through reclamation. This could include Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom and Pulau Sudong.

NParks’ group director for the National Biodiversity Centre Karenne Tun said the map will quantify any changes to the habitats since 2018, supporting sea space and conservation planning across Singapore, while complementing research studies by various agencies.

“As with previous mapping efforts, the geospatial dataset from this study will be made publicly available,” said Tun, who noted that the exercise is part of NParks’ regular efforts to study the Republic’s coastal and marine habitats.

The mapping exercise comes amid concerns from scientists, nature groups and other members of the marine community about the reclamation plans to create a new western island.

Singapore has already lost more than two-thirds of its coral reefs and more than 45 per cent of its seagrass to land reclamation and coastal development. An estimated 85 per cent of mangroves and tidal flats have disappeared, mostly since 1953.

The NParks study is expected to take 15 months to complete, and excludes marine waters in the Pedra Branca area, according to tender documents.

Marine scientists said the mapping exercise is timely as the coastline has likely changed considerably due to events like sea-level rise, climate-driven storm surges and marine heatwaves.

Huang Danwei, deputy head of the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said the results from the study will be critical for mitigating the impacts of ongoing coastal development projects and planning upcoming projects.

Accurate maps will provide a reference point to measure changes post-construction and help reshape reclamation profiles to avoid destroying productive coral reefs, dense seagrass beds, or mangrove forests that store significant amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide, he noted.

Knowing the precise boundaries and areal estimates of coastal and marine habitats are important for making predictions about biodiversity as the environment changes, he added, explaining that such knowledge can more accurately characterise and project how species that form the foundation of ecosystems will be distributed.

“Such projections are important not just for ecosystem management, but also are helpful for long-term planning of navigational routes and the sea space in general.”

Agreeing, coral scientist Sam Shu Qin, who co-chairs voluntary network Friends of Marine Park, said the mapping exercise is a step towards evidence-based identification of conservation areas or places to prioritise for intervention.

“Researchers, educators and nature groups could use the data to support research and communicate the importance of Singapore’s remaining coastal and marine habitats and wildlife,” she added.

Marine biologist Ow Yanxiang, who co-led the city-state’s inaugural seagrass restoration project, said the data will help track cumulative changes to the coastal environment since 2018, especially since environmental impact assessments for developments in these areas are often conducted independently of one another.

The senior research fellow at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory said: “Our coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves forests have survived our nation’s many years of growth and development, so can we engineer ways to build our future with nature, instead of over it?”

Beyond the ecological impact, dive operators, nature guides, and descendants of those who once lived in the affected islands are calling on authorities to also study the social, recreational and heritage impact of the reclamation project.

Pulau Hantu, for instance, is often regarded as the heart of Singapore’s recreational diving scene, according to Serene Pek, co-owner of Cuddlefish Divers.

Pek cited the island’s sheltered conditions, manageable depths for beginners, and rich biodiversity, including seahorses, nudibranchs, and sharks. In 2025, about 60 per cent of her company’s operations, roughly 200 trips, were conducted at Pulau Hantu.

She said: “While we understand the need for Singapore to plan for its future development, we hope that careful consideration can be given to preserving areas that support recreation, conservation, education and community activities, so that future generations can continue to enjoy and appreciate these unique marine ecosystems.”

Ng Lee Kiang, co-founder of the nature education firm Young Nautilus, is concerned that the sediment plumes from future reclamation could ripple outwards, impacting not just Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau, but nearby sites like Sisters’ Islands Marine Park and St John’s Island, where her company regularly runs programmes.

She said: “As educators, our deepest hope is that generations to come will still have the chance to experience, appreciate and learn about the rich marine biodiversity we are fortunate to have today.”

Non-governmental organisation Orang Laut SG, which began as an initiative to preserve the maritime heritage of islanders living on Pulau Semakau, a subset of Singapore’s seafaring natives, has called for cultural and social impacts to be considered, as well as continued access to the surviving islands, coral reefs and coastal waters.

It said: “Environmental assessments alone cannot account for the loss of heritage, community access, livelihoods, traditional knowledge and relationships with the sea.”

Singapore to map coastal, marine habitat changes in third such study since 2011
The National Parks Board says the exercise is part of its regular mapping efforts and is not linked to the proposed western island reclamation.
Fabian Koh Channel NewsAsia 04 Sep 2026 03:16PM

SINGAPORE: Singapore's coastal and marine habitats will be mapped in a nationwide study to track changes since 2011, the third such exercise conducted by the National Parks Board (NParks).

The tender, issued on Aug 25, is titled "Mapping of the Extent of Coastal and Marine Habitats and Coastline Types in Singapore".

The study covers the entire coastline of mainland Singapore and its offshore islands and reefs, except for marine waters around Pedra Branca, tender documents on government procurement portal GeBIZ showed.

NParks identified Pulau Ubin's Chek Jawa and Pulau Semakau as potential "ground-truthing" sites, where satellite data is checked against real-world observations.

The tender was launched two days after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said, at his Aug 23 National Day Rally, that several islands to the west of Singapore could be merged to support new industries and future power generation needs.

In response to CNA's queries, NParks said on Friday (Sep 4) that the tender is not linked to the proposed western island reclamation.

"The tender is part of NParks' regular efforts to map Singapore's coastal and marine habitats and this will be the third such mapping exercise conducted by NParks since 2011," it said.

Dr Karenne Tun, group director of NParks' National Biodiversity Centre, said the exercise builds on the agency's 2011 and 2018 Coastal and Marine Habitat Maps and will quantify changes since 2018.

"The updated map will support seaspace and conservation planning across Singapore, and complement ongoing and future research studies under NParks’ Marine Climate Change Science Programme and other agencies. As with previous mapping efforts, the geospatial dataset from this study will be made publicly available."

The tender, which closes on Sep 21, requires the appointed contractor to identify and quantify changes between coastal and marine habitat maps from 2011, 2018 and 2026.

NParks awarded a tender with an identical title in July 2019 to sustainability consultancy Hydrobiology Singapore.

Editor's note: This article has been amended after NParks clarified that the tender is not linked to the proposed western island development.

Nature guiding workshop with Republic Poly (Sep 2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 23:25:17 +0000

For the first time in 10 years, I am starting nature guiding workshops again. Because our Mother Shores needs guides to bring more people to see her and her babies on the mainland!

Thanks to Republic Poly for hosting the first one. And the more than 30 students and friends of the Poly who made time to attend! Special thanks for the awesome turnout by youth advocates and survey team members to support as facilitators. And everyone for contributing ideas and good humour to make it a fun workshop.

I hope to do more workshops soon, and meet more people who love our shores!
The workshop is for anyone who always wanted to be a nature guide. And those who find nature guiding too stressful and want to learn how to have fun guiding. With hands-on activities to brainstorm solutions to everyone's deepest nature guiding worries. We were privileged to receive sharing from many experienced guides and advocates like Lester Tan, Chair of Marine Conservation NSS.

As usual the highlight of the workshop was the role play. As we tackled some scenarios that gave us the most stress, to figure out approaches so we could defuse difficult situations and ensure everyone has fun, especially the guide!

The best part of the programme for me was to hear from all the leading youth groups, who not only sent representatives to help facilitate at the workshop Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity. But also to share about their work: Ichthyological Society of Singapore, Bird Society of Singapore, Earthlink NTU, BES Drongos, ENSING (Entomology Network of Singapore). I am so inspired by their dedication and great advocacy for nature and our shores. The networking session after the workshop was very lively as everyone chatted to get to know more.

The next day, we tested our approaches at Admiralty Park. So glad to hear charming stories prepared by the participants, from the importance of dragonflies, and how to introduce the walk using info boards. Using our smart phones to show tiny things (like cicadas) to other participants, or learning more about plants that we don't know. Thanks to facilitators for sharing their knowledge and giving tips on how to help participants 'touch grass'.

Thanks to sharp eyes and ears, we saw lots of birds, bugs, spiders. Also monkeys and the herpers in the team found a snake! Here is Richard's great photo of it.

Special thanks to Jason (and Joy) for making this happen. Jason started the Marine Science Interest Group when he was in RP as a student. So wonderful to know that the Interest Group remains active when he is back now as a teacher! Here Jason is at the field session taking half of the participants. What a great turn out and we hope to see the participants soon, on a shore to share about our Mother Shores and how they keep all our shores alive.

This session was extra special for me. As usual, I prepared little stuffies for everyone to take home. For the first time though, I got some really special gifts in return. From Jia Xuan from the the Conservation Interest Group, an amazing anatomically-correct hand-made Long-horned cowfish, complete with transparent fins. I am in awe! And a very touching letter from Nadya Ganwani, Vice-President of the Conservation Interest Group at Republic Polytechnic. I will treasure these forever.

Our shores are in good hands with such inspiring youths looking after them. Thank you everyone and see you on the shores!

I hope to do more workshops soon, and meet more people who want to make a difference for our shores!

Cyrene in the dark

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:20:26 +0000

Although Cyrene lies in the middle of an industrial triangle, it still has some of Singapore's most amazing shores. A very large team surveys on a predawn low tide.

It was a relief to see that the Knobbly sea stars seem to have recovered from the mysterious injuries we saw in Feb 2026. The corals seem to be alright. Although most of the centre was bare sand, there is still lush seagrasses near the beacon area. But we sense the shore remains rather quiet. The rest of the team saw giant clams and other interesting marine life. I will update when they have uploaded their photos.

During our survey here in Feb 2026, we noticed a large proportion of Knobbly sea stars had lost the top five knobs. It seems the knob fell off, rather than being bitten off by predators. The cut is clean and sheer. So possibly the sea stars self amputated their knobs, the same way that they can do with their arms? Today, I saw 17 Knobblies near the beacon area, and most of them had complete sharp and pointed knobs. Although a few had bluish tips and flattened tips, none had sheer cut knobs. Seems the rest of the team also did not see freshly amputated knobs. Will update with their observations later.

Updating with photos of Knobblies seen by Loh Kok Sheng (28), Marcus Ng (19) and Zen Xuan He (7). Seems most are 'normal' with well formed knobs. But there were quite a few with 'split knobs' - two tips or even two small knobs where one large one usually is. There were also some with a rather 'messy' arrangement of knobs near the top. We shall keep an eye on this situation.

As usual, the rest of the team make all the special finds. A night trip means lots of octopus, also squid and cuttlefish. There were also many interesting flatworms we have not seen before. Colourful reef crabs and fish are also less shy at night. Small urchins were also seen. Kok Sheng saw one live Giant clam, Zen found the dead shells of a Hippopus hippopus clam which we have never seen alive on our shores. Unfortunately, the big Giant clam near the beacon is dead, and another dead one was also seen.

There's never been a lot of hard corals on Cyrene since we first started surveying it. Most of them are boulder shaped and there are some large colonies. I had a brief look at the corals on the eastern end today. Similar to our last survey in Feb 2026, May 2025 and Jul 2025 today I didn't see any bleaching.

Near the beacon and around the eastern tip of Cyrene, there remains many large Leathery soft corals of various kinds. As well as some Asparagus flowery soft corals, Sea mat zoanthids and small clumps of Spiky flowery soft corals. Similar to our last survey in Feb 2026, May 2025 and Jul 2025 today I didn't see any bleaching.

Much of the centre of Cyrene is mostly bare sand. I hardly saw any animals there. But perhaps the rest of the team did, I will update with their sightings.

Sand has covered most of the center of the flats. There were not many animals, but Kok Sheng saw several Key-hole sand dollars - which we seldom see anywhere else. Seems like the usually more abundant Cake sand dollar are missing? There were still some Common sea stars, and one Orange sand star. Kok Sheng also saw a heart urchin that burrows in sand. A brown sea cucumber and some predatory snails that are only common on Cyrene: Orange-mouth olive snail and Egg-white moon snail. There were also many of the more common moon snails.

More updates from the team about what they saw on western Cyrene (it is huge, so one person can't do the whole shore in one tide). Dylan saw a Giant clam that the rest seemed to have missed. So we saw 2 giant clams this trip! They also saw many Knobbly sea stars. There are still corals here, mostly boulder shaped of the commonly seen varieties. As well as leathery soft corals and other anemones and cnidarians. Seems they didn't see any that were bleaching. Sam saw glowing ostracods, each with a worm. We have no idea what is happening. Also sightings of squids large and tiny and the usual reef life. Plus bonus spotty jellyfish at Keppel Marina.

From the team that checked out the western end seagrasses seem to still be doing well here.

Seagrasses on the eastern end start to appear towards the reef edge, where they are still covered even at low tide.

Seagrasses are growing well towards the beacon area in the east. With a mix of common seagrasses. Tape seagrasses remain very sparse and cropped.

Today, I saw a few of what seems to be dugong feeding trails. These trails are formed when dugongs chomp up seagrasses including their roots, leaving a shallow meandering furrow of about equal width and depth. Every survey since 2021, we see dugong feeding trails on Cyrene.

Although it lies in the middle of an industrial triangle and major shipping lanes, Cyrene has some of Singapore's most amazing shores. We had surveyed in Jun 2024 for impact of the Pasir Panjang oil spill a few weeks prior and did not see any signs of oil. While Cyrene seems to have pulled through both this oil spill and mass coral bleaching that happened in 2024, it seems to be growing more quiet. We shall monitor closely and hope it will recover.

Posts by others on this survey

Marcus Ng

Anya Gaur

Jianlin Liu

Zen Xuan He

Loh Kok Sheng

Rui Quan Oh

Jason Ooi

Lon Ong Voon

Jaeden Lim

Samuel Lau

Dylan Seng

Others on the survey: Lester Tan, Muhd Nasry, Ian Mun, Faith, Zheng Hao

Western Island: Govt will study Mother Shores and listen to stakeholders

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:37:24 +0000

Ministry of National Development (MND) told The Straits Times: “As part of the planning process, the Government will be conducting technical studies to inform the development plans, including the reclamation profile. These studies include feasibility studies, site investigations and surveys, as well as engineering and environmental studies, to better understand the various development possibilities and their preliminary impact on areas like biodiversity and hydrodynamics.”

Eleven scientists and nature groups spoke to ST. They stressed the need for comprehensive studies and public consultation before reclamation begins because they believe the works will cause irreversible loss to the mature habitats in the area.

MND said that stakeholders will be engaged to listen to their inputs before studies and work commence, with their feedback carefully considered. “Their knowledge and expertise will help inform the studies, assess potential biodiversity impact and identify measures to avoid, minimise and mitigate impacts where possible.”

Share YOUR views on REACH until 3 Sep. REACH would like to hear your views on the PM's National Day Rally Speech. Your views are important to us. It will help us understand what matters most to you, so that we can prioritise these as we work together to shape a better future for Singapore.

Government will do studies on rich marine biodiversity before western island reclamation
Ang Qing Straits Times Aug 25, 2026, 05:00 AM

SINGAPORE – Recognising the biodiversity value of the western islands and its surrounding waters, the authorities are carefully studying plans for future reclamation, and will be conducting technical studies as well as engaging stakeholders.

This comes as scientists and nature groups have stressed the need for comprehensive studies and public consultation before reclamation begins because they believe the works will cause irreversible loss to the mature habitats in the area.

A spokesman for the Ministry of National Development (MND) told The Straits Times: “As part of the planning process, the Government will be conducting technical studies to inform the development plans, including the reclamation profile.

“These studies include feasibility studies, site investigations and surveys, as well as engineering and environmental studies, to better understand the various development possibilities and their preliminary impact on areas like biodiversity and hydrodynamics.”

Eleven scientists and nature groups spoke to ST in the wake of the announcement of the planned reclamation at the 2026 National Day Rally. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had announced that an island for industry, energy and defence needs would be reclaimed in coming decades by combining several southern islands.

The intertidal habitats for various islands and surrounding reefs which could fall within the potential reclamation area cover about 592.8ha, according to data from the National Parks Board’s Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey. This is larger than the resort island of Sentosa, and makes up more than half the intertidal areas of the Southern Islands.

Huang Danwei, director of the National Institute for Marine and Ocean Sciences, pointed out that reefs in Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau date back about 8,000 years.

“The area highlighted for potential reclamation is a very large one, containing many sensitive marine habitats and ecosystems that have high value for climate mitigation, ecological connectivity, science and potential medicines,” he said, warning that Singapore will lose many of these functions if the entire area undergoes land reclamation.

The mega-project could impact some of the most significant and valuable marine habitats in the Southern Islands, where nearly all of Singapore’s remaining natural coral reefs are found, the researchers said.

Acknowledging the strategic need backing the reclamation, scientists and nature groups called for the protection of as many of these habitats and their species as possible, given their immense ecological value.

Huang noted that the coral reefs of Pulau Hantu, Pulau Semakau and others in the area have shown how these natural habitats can persist even in the face of human activity, having recovered following global-scale coral bleaching events in 1998, 2010, 2016 and 2024.

“There is no mitigation for reefs lost by direct burial for land reclamation,” he said.

“Corals that can be transplanted are a few months or even years old, but they will not come close to restoring the ecosystem functions and services of coral reefs built over eight millennia.”

Chou Loke Ming, emeritus professor at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Biological Sciences, believes that mature marine habitats like reefs, seagrass and mangroves qualify as natural heritage sites. These have consistently served the ecosystem in valuable ways, such as by acting as nurseries supporting fish populations and absorbing planet-warming carbon dioxide.

The veteran marine scientist called for a new mindset on reclamation, where Singapore works towards building with nature instead of at the expense of it.

For instance, the reclamation boundary could be made flexible to avoid burying most of these habitats, he suggested.

Marine scientists and other stakeholders had proposed in the 2018 Singapore Blue Plan that Pulau Semakau, Pulau Hantu and Pulau Jong, together with other nearby reefs, be designated as a marine reserve. The proposal was not taken up.

Marine biologist Zeehan Jaafar, lead editor of the plan, said the connected reef-mangrove-seagrass coastal systems at Pulau Semakau are no longer observed anywhere else in Singapore.

Coral reefs have persisted on and near the landfill island despite development, with research done to understand why and how they continue to exist.

She noted that the affected areas rank among the most studied marine sites globally, and said their loss will take away long-term insights into coastal system processes.

“These areas are important to further understand our marine biodiversity and coastal ecological processes, especially as the biodiversity has been resilient in the face of increasing marine urbanisation,” she said.

Jani Tanzil, facility director for St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, noted that these spaces are valuable, as Singapore’s marine ecosystems sit at the confluence of waters like the South China Sea and Java Sea, making them a nature corridor that helps connect biodiversity and fisheries in the region.

Tanzil and marine conservationist Ria Tan highlighted the role that the affected area plays as a “mother site” that provides genetic material to sustain nearby ecosystems beyond its boundaries.

Said Tanzil: “We must still consider all options. Studies and solutions must be comprehensive, even if it means challenging how development is done.”

Neo Mei Lin, a senior research fellow at St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, noted that 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the wild populations of giant clams that she studies exist in the potentially affected areas.

“The astronomical loss of marine habitats and its biodiversity is expected to be more devastating than the past island reclamation projects,” she said.

Nature groups similarly stressed the need for the careful development of these spaces, which are key educational and recreational sites.

The chairman of Nature Society Singapore’s marine conservation group, Lester Tan, said that the islands function as vital outdoor classrooms and living laboratories.

“Losing these accessible areas means losing the exact spaces where we cultivate the next generation of conservationists and build the genuine public appreciation necessary to sustain our national conservation goals,” he said.

Tan called for detailed environmental studies to guide this development, as well as for the Government to adopt a strict marine spatial zoning strategy that would identify and preserve the most resilient core reefs.

Likewise, a spokesman for the Ichthyological Society of Singapore said the society founded by youth hopes the area will be rigorously surveyed to catalogue the rich biodiversity slated for development.

He said: “Transparency is a must to ensure that the youth feel like they have a stake in their future.”

The MND spokesperson said that stakeholders will be engaged to listen to their inputs before studies and work commence, with their feedback carefully considered.

“Their knowledge and expertise will help inform the studies, assess potential biodiversity impact and identify measures to avoid, minimise and mitigate impacts where possible.”

Marine community fears loss of biodiversity hotspot to proposed western island development
The government says it recognises the biodiversity value of the western islands and will conduct technical studies, including environmental assessments, before development plans proceed.

Fabian Koh Channel NewsAsia 25 Aug 2026 11:15AM

SINGAPORE: Local marine conservation advocates and recreational divers have raised concerns over development plans for a cluster of islands west of Singapore, including one of the country's most popular dive sites.

In response to the concerns, a Ministry of National Development (MND) spokesperson said the government “recognises the biodiversity value of the western Islands and its surrounding”, and it is “carefully studying the plans as there is a need to plan ahead and create options for the future".

As part of the planning process, the ministry said it will conduct technical studies to inform the development plans, including the reclamation profile. These will include feasibility studies, site investigations and surveys, and engineering and environmental studies, to better understand development possibilities and their preliminary impact on areas such as biodiversity and hydrodynamics.

"We will engage stakeholders early to listen to their inputs before studies and work commence, and their feedback will be carefully considered," the spokesperson said. "Their knowledge and expertise will help inform the studies, assess potential biodiversity impact and identify measures to avoid, minimise and mitigate impacts where possible."

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced at his National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 23) that several islands, including Semakau, Bukom and Pulau Sudong, could be merged to support new industries and future power generation needs.

Pulau Hantu sits amid the three islands, and dive operators fear reclamation or access restrictions could harm both the marine environment and the local diving industry built around the site.

Mr Wong also announced that steps will be taken to improve access to Sentosa's western coastline, which is home to rich marine life and unique geology, while preserving its natural character.

Advocates are also calling for biodiversity experts and community groups to be more closely involved in the planning process, so that ecological and environmental concerns are brought to the table.

BIODIVERSITY VALUE OF ISLANDS

Stakeholders and observers highlighted the biodiversity value of the marine life and habitat at the islands slated for development.

Dr Lim Swee Cheng, a marine biologist and curator at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said the island cluster represents a "very substantial portion of Singapore's remaining southern marine habitats", known among researchers and naturalists for its rich coral reefs and associated marine life.

"Some of these areas have remained relatively undisturbed because of restricted access, which has allowed comparatively healthy reef communities to persist despite Singapore's long history of coastal development," he said.

Ms Jharyathri Thiagarajah, who leads outreach and education at the museum, said Singapore's offshore islands are valuable as they support marine life and habitats "that are increasingly rare in our highly urbanised environment."

Ms Thiagarajah has led visits for students and members of the public to the islands, including Pulau Hantu and Pulau Semakau, since 2015.

From a biodiversity conservation perspective, such a development could permanently erase or alter habitats, species and ecological relationships that researchers may not even fully understand yet, she said. "Once these natural environments are gone, they cannot simply be recreated elsewhere."

Ms Kong Man Jing, co-founder of science and nature social media channel Just Keep Thinking, said reefs in the island cluster are the result of around 8,000 years of natural development, something that is "incredibly difficult to contemplate losing".

"The Southern Islands also form an ecologically connected network, with reefs around islands such as Sudong, Pawai and Senang identified as important sources of coral larvae for other reefs," said Ms Kong.

INVOLVEMENT IN FORMULATING PLANS

Community groups interviewed said they hoped to be involved in formulating plans to develop the island cluster.

Mr Stephen Beng, immediate past chairperson of the Friends of Marine Park group, called for stakeholders and domain experts to be included further upstream in the planning process.

"Our southern waters are not merely space to be allocated," said Mr Beng, calling them strategic assets and a legacy responsibility.

CNA understands that Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan met with members of the group on Monday to discuss their concerns.

On the plans for Sentosa, Dr Lim said Tanjong Rimau - located at the island’s westernmost tip - remains one of its relatively less disturbed coastal habitats. It still supports notable intertidal and marine biodiversity, even as Sentosa is widely associated with mass tourism and heavy development, he said.

In a highly urbanised coastline like Singapore's, sites like Tanjong Rimau help connect marine organisms across fragmented habitats, said Dr Lim.

He called for comprehensive assessments across all the affected areas before works proceed, including baseline biodiversity surveys, hydrodynamic modelling, impact assessments and long-term monitoring.

Ms Kong said she hopes that any plans being studied would carefully consider the ecological significance of all affected areas across the various islands.

"We have submitted questions to the relevant agencies on the reclamation footprint, timing of environmental studies, whether ecological findings could influence the design, and whether there will be opportunities for expert and public input," added Ms Kong.

Over the years, the authorities have made efforts to preserve marine biodiversity as the offshore islands are gradually developed for the country's future needs.

For example, from September 2014 to January 2015, over 700 coral colonies and other species such as giant clams were relocated from Pulau Semakau to the Sisters' Islands Marine Park, as part of a move to convert a lagoon into a new landfill cell to meet Singapore's future waste disposal needs.

In July 2015, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and volunteers from various environmental interest groups also relocated 2,300 hard coral colonies from Sultan Shoal to St John's and Sisters' Islands, to protect them from the impact of the Tuas Terminal development.

CONCERNS OF LOCAL DIVING COMMUNITY

Local diving operators told CNA that the island cluster is one of the few places in Singapore where divers can experience thriving marine biodiversity in the wild without travelling overseas.

Mr Martin Benedict, owner of local diving firm Marlin Divers, pointed out that Pulau Hantu is the only site in Singapore safe for regular diving, as its location shields divers from strong currents, making it suitable for beginners.

Its proximity to the mainland also makes it convenient for a day trip, he said. Around 50 divers visit the popular site every weekend day, he added.

Ms Serene Pek, co-owner of Cuddlefish Divers, said Pulau Hantu is often regarded as "the heart of Singapore's recreational diving scene".

"Despite being located within one of the world's busiest ports, the waters around Pulau Hantu support diverse marine life, such as seahorses, nudibranchs, octopuses, cuttlefish, reef fish, stingrays, sharks and so many more," she said.

It is not the only dive site in Singapore, but by far the most popular, she added.

Ms Pek said her firm is concerned about the potential impact of the island cluster's development on the local diving industry and Singapore's marine ecosystem.

"We started our business with local operations since day one … It's been our bread and butter," she said.

Cuddlefish Divers has been operating for eight years. It organises local dive trips every weekend, with a total of four trips each accommodating up to 15 divers.

With full details and environmental assessments yet to be released, Ms Pek said reclamation activities could nonetheless affect water quality, underwater visibility, sedimentation patterns and marine habitats.

"If environmental conditions deteriorate or access becomes restricted, it may reduce the attractiveness and viability of local diving activities," she said.

For now, her firm is awaiting further details about the reclamation plans and hopes to engage with the relevant stakeholders and agencies.

Mr Benedict said the development announced on Sunday would affect his company and he would lose "quite a lot of business", especially since he operates only locally.

He may also consider pivoting to run dive trips overseas, though that would bring its own logistical headaches, he said.

"When it comes to marine biodiversity, it's not simply that they will regrow somewhere else. There are things you can't see on mainland Singapore," he said.

Commentary: NDR 2026 – if Singapore can plan 50 years ahead for infrastructure, can it do the same for nature?
Long-term plans for Singapore’s western islands offer something precious: time to get it right, says NUS’ Melissa Low.

Melissa Low Channel NewsAsia 26 Aug 2026 01:11PM

SINGAPORE: Plans to study the creation of a “western island”, potentially joining Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom, Pulau Sudong and several smaller islands, come at an interesting moment for Singapore.

Over the past weeks, proposed developments at Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks have generated intense public discussion about the value of nature and how Singapore makes difficult land-use choices.

The debate has been about more than how much nature should be retained. It has raised questions about how environmental considerations and public participation are weighed in the planning process.

The western island raises similar questions, but on a far larger scale and over a much longer timeframe.

Singapore will undoubtedly need to provide for future industrial and energy infrastructure. As a small country with severe land and resource constraints, long-term planning has always been one of our strengths.

But a project that may unfold over 50 years offers something else precious: time to get it right.

We have an opportunity to understand environmental consequences, examine alternatives and engage the public before major spatial choices become difficult, or impossible to reverse.

THE SEA IS NOT EMPTY SPACE

The starting point should be understanding what already exists around the Southern Islands.

On a map, the spaces separating these islands may appear to be stretches of open sea. Ecologically, they are anything but empty.

Singapore's southern waters contain a mosaic of coral reefs, seagrass meadows, intertidal areas, mangrove forests and other marine habitats. These ecosystems support biodiversity and are interconnected in ways that do not correspond neatly with the boundaries we draw around individual islands.

These habitats also matter for the climate. NUS research has identified Pulau Semakau as home to one of Singapore's three largest seagrass meadows, while seagrass has also been documented at Pulau Sudong. Seagrasses and mangroves are increasingly recognised as “blue carbon” ecosystems because of their ability to capture and store carbon dioxide, and hence tackle climate change.

The environmental consequences of creating a much larger island cannot be measured simply by the hectares of new land created.

Reclamation can bury marine habitats. Sediment and increased turbidity can affect corals and seagrasses beyond the development footprint. Altered coastlines can change currents and sediment movement, while joining islands could affect ecological connectivity across a much larger marine landscape.

These effects may not be easy to mitigate. Before another transformation of these islands is contemplated, we should ask what can be avoided in the first place.

There is a cultural dimension too. At this year's National Day Parade, Singapore celebrated its Orang Laut heritage through Aok Diko, performed by Asnida Daud and inspired by her childhood memories of Pulau Sudong. Shortly afterwards, Pulau Sudong was named among the islands being considered for the western island.

This tension is worth reflecting on – celebrating the stories of Singapore's island communities while fundamentally transforming the landscapes from which those stories emerged. Heritage cannot exist only in memory. It should factor into decisions about the future.

LOOK BEYOND INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS

In response to concerns raised by the marine community, a Ministry of Development (MND) spokesperson said that the government “recognises the biodiversity value of the western islands and its surrounding”. The ministry said it will conduct assessments such as feasibility studies, site surveys and environmental studies to inform its development plans.

Environmental impact assessments are important tools for identifying the effects of individual projects and determining how they can be avoided, minimised or mitigated. But nature operates at a larger scale.

A forest patch may be cleared in one part of Singapore. A coastal habitat may be reclaimed elsewhere. Another development may retain a wildlife corridor while reducing the habitat surrounding it. Each decision may appear manageable individually.

Over decades, however, these decisions can add up to an ecological network that is increasingly fragmented and less resilient.

This is one of the deeper concerns underlying the reaction to Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks. The question is not whether Singapore should never develop another forest. It is about the overall trajectory: What are we progressively losing? What are we retaining? And what will Singapore's ecological landscape look like for the next generation?

A project on the scale and timeframe of the western island presents an opportunity to assess environmental impacts strategically and cumulatively from the earliest stages and across different development scenarios and over time, rather than relying only on project-level studies as individual components are developed.

DEVELOPMENT AND NATURE AREN’T ALWAYS IN CONTEST

Singapore's land constraints require difficult choices, but those choices need not amount to a contest between development and nature. Framing the issue that way obscures the range of possibilities planners actually have.

The choice is rarely between developing something and developing nothing. It is between different forms of development, locations, scales, timelines and environmental consequences.

That is particularly important with a 50-year horizon. Technologies will change. Our energy system will evolve. Economic needs may change. Climate risks certainly will.

Long-term planning should therefore preserve options while progressively improving our understanding of their consequences.

Nature itself should also be understood as infrastructure. Coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves and forests contribute to biodiversity, coastal resilience, recreation and quality of life. In an increasingly dense Singapore, these functions may become more valuable, not less.

ENGAGE BEFORE THE CHOICES NARROW

Finally, the western island gives Singapore an opportunity to rethink when public engagement happens.

The debate on Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest suggests consultation becomes most difficult when people believe the fundamental planning decision has already been made and they are being asked primarily to comment on mitigation or details.

There is little reason for that to happen with a project that is decades in the making.

The timing is also worth reflecting on. The western island proposal comes just as residents, nature groups and members of the public have invested considerable time and effort engaging on Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks. Repeated cycles of public mobilisation around individual development proposals risks generating consultation fatigue, particularly as difficult land-use choices become more frequent.

Moving engagement upstream could allow different possibilities and their consequences to be considered more strategically.

Marine scientists, nature groups, island communities and their descendants, recreational users, industry and the wider public could be engaged while alternatives are still being examined. Baseline environmental information could be made accessible, and Singaporeans could be shown not simply a preferred proposal, but the different options being considered, the needs they are intended to meet, and their respective consequences.

This should include greater clarity about the assumptions underpinning the western island itself. What are Singapore's projected energy, industrial and infrastructure needs over the next 30 to 50 years? How much additional land would different scenarios require, and when?

Which technologies and industries are being planned for, and how certain are those assumptions given the pace of technological change? Could some needs be met through existing industrial land, redevelopment, greater land-use efficiency or different energy pathways? And what would happen if some of the most ecologically sensitive areas were taken off the table from the outset?

MND has said it will “engage stakeholders early to listen to their inputs before studies and work commence”.

Public participation does not mean every preference must be adopted, nor does it remove the government's responsibility to make difficult decisions in the national interest. But participation is most meaningful when there are still real choices to influence.

Singapore has earned an international reputation for planning infrastructure decades ahead. The western island offers an opportunity to apply the same long-term thinking to our natural environment.

If we are planning Singapore's energy and economic infrastructure 50 years into the future, we should plan the future of its ecological infrastructure over the same horizon.

Melissa Low is Head of NUS Sustainability Academy and Research Fellow at the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not represent the views and opinions of NUS.

Forum: Some balance needed in western island reclamation and preserving marine biodiversity
Straits Times Aug 28, 2026, 05:00 AM

As a marine biologist, I find the land reclamation project of several southern islands to create a new “western island” recently announced at the National Day Rally striking because of its scale and location.

A large part of the sea in the Singapore Strait will be converted into a massive land mass, obliterating small islands within and completely burying rich marine habitats such as coral reef, mangrove and seagrass.

If this had happened before the mid-1990s, no one would have raised an eyebrow. From the late 1990s, some development agencies started commissioning impact assessment studies and adopted mitigation measures to minimise habitat degradation. In the following decade, the National Parks Board was given the authority to protect and conserve Singapore’s marine biodiversity.

The development of the Semakau landfill showed that development and nature can coexist.

Pre-development considerations included protection of the island’s western reef using sediment screens. The loss of a section of Semakau’s mature mangrove forest was mitigated by restoring two nearby sites with mangrove saplings, which have today developed into healthy forests.

The establishment of the Sister’s Islands Marine Park in 2014 also emphasised Singapore’s commitment to marine biodiversity protection.

Today, while we understand the need for development for the western island project, is the destruction of marine natural heritage unavoidable? If the habitats must be obliterated, how do we affirm our commitment to sustainable development?

I am confident that we have the capacity to address the situation.

For a project of such scale, conducting a comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIA) will be important. It must go beyond assessing what is presently in the area and species of conservation value, and account for ecosystem services benefits and heritage value that will be lost. A more realistic valuation will help when considering trade-offs.

A large volume of the sea will also disappear. As marine life occupies all levels of the water column, measuring the impact on marine life based solely on the reclamation area is a poor underestimate of the space lost to swimming species.

All other options should be explored first. Is it possible to have an island of the same area but shaped to avoid burying these habitats? Can the island’s boundary be irregular like natural shorelines?

If the reclamation must destroy natural habitats, then a second option is restoration.

For restoration and nature-based solutions to be effective, we need to rethink seawalls. Instead of a single seawall, we need multiple lines of defence in the sea beyond that first seawall, including a hard outermost structure to deflect or buffer incoming waves. This will create sheltered conditions and provide opportunities for shallow lagoons or large tidal pools to form that can support regenerated seagrass and mangrove habitats.

Such interventions are costly, but the marine ecosystem benefits from the restored habitats.

For the longer term, a strategic marine spatial plan that includes biodiversity distribution will be useful to decision makers so that restoration initiatives can be implemented in places that are unlikely to be developed.

There are numerous project-based EIA reports currently undertaken by different agencies. Integrating the information gathered along with past published data, including that of the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey, can provide a robust database that will go towards supporting a strategic EIA.

Chou Loke Ming

New 'Western Island' to merge all southern reefs

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 14:13:55 +0000

A new 'Western Island' to be created 'in the coming decades' merging Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom, Pulau Sudong and possibly Pulau Hantu, Pulau Jong and Pulau Sebarok.

A new link will also be built to connect Jurong Island to the new western island. These long-term plans are being studied carefully, said PM Wong.

NDR 2026: S’pore to merge several outer islands to form new Western island
Ang Qing Straits Times Aug 23, 2026, 09:06 PM

SINGAPORE – Singapore intends to merge several southern islands to create a new “Western island” in coming decades for a new generation of industries, power generation infrastructure and defence needs.

Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom and Pulau Sudong are among islands that could be merged through planned land reclamation announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Aug 23 at the 2026 National Day Rally.

PM Wong said the new island follows the example of Jurong Island, a global energy and chemicals hub that was formed from the reclamation of several offshore islands.

That investment has delivered lasting benefits for Singapore, he added, citing Jurong Island’s role in creating jobs and anchoring important industries, making Singapore a critical node in global energy flows, and strengthening its energy security and resilience, most recently amid the disruptions in the Middle East.

Said PM Wong: “Jurong Island was the result of bold decisions, careful planning and sustained investment over many decades.

“Now it’s our turn to think just as boldly, and build for the next generation.”

He said that every piece of land matters in Singapore, where space is needed for homes, jobs, transport and infrastructure. At the same time, the Republic cherishes green spaces, biodiversity and places with heritage and history.

“Sometimes difficult choices and trade-offs have to be made.

“Where development is necessary, we study the impact carefully, make adjustments and minimise the disruption.”

Nearly half of Singapore is covered in greenery, PM Wong pointed out, adding that Singapore is continuing to expand its green spaces and strengthen native biodiversity.

He stressed that the Singapore way is to plan far ahead by creating new options for future generations, so that they will have room to grow, while preserving what is precious about the city-state.

He said: “We plan fifty, seventy, even one hundred years ahead. We plan with every Singaporean – born and not yet born – in mind.”

To create some of these new possibilities, the Government is looking to transform Singapore’s outer islands, said PM Wong.

He highlighted a cluster of islands south of Jurong Island, which includes Pulau Semakau that houses Singapore’s only offshore landfill, Pulau Bukom - where the nation’s first refinery still operates, and Pulau Sudong.

According to a video shown at the rally, the reclamation profile for the area could also absorb Pulau Hantu, Pulau Jong and Pulau Sebarok.

Over coming decades, Singapore intends to “merge several of these islands into one larger island”, just as the Republic did to create Jurong Island, said PM Wong.

He said: “This new island won’t just be for petrochemicals.

“It can support a new generation of industries, including advanced manufacturing facilities. It can accommodate new power generation infrastructure to meet Singapore’s future needs.”

He said there will be space for Singapore’s defence needs, noting that Pulau Sudong now has an airstrip that the Singapore Armed Forces uses during emergencies.

A new link will also be built to connect Jurong Island to the new western island.

These long-term plans are being studied carefully, said PM Wong.

Just as Jurong Island shaped Singapore’s economy for the last 50 years, the new Western island can help shape Singapore for the next 50 years and beyond, he added.

NDR 2026: Semakau, Bukom and Pulau Sudong may be merged into new island for industrial, power needs
The new island, modelled on Jurong Island's development, could house advanced manufacturing and future power infrastructure.
Koh Wan Ting Channel NewsAsia 23 Aug 2026 09:08PM

SINGAPORE: Several islands west of Singapore, including Semakau, Bukom and Pulau Sudong, may be merged into a larger island to support a new generation of industries, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Sunday (Aug 23).

The new island, located south of Jurong Island, could also accommodate power generation infrastructure to meet Singapore’s future needs, Mr Wong said at the 2026 National Day Rally.

“These are long-term plans. We are studying them carefully,” he added.

Mr Wong said the plan echoed the creation of Jurong Island, where several offshore islands were progressively joined through land reclamation to make way for Singapore’s petrochemical industry.

"Today, Jurong Island is a global energy and chemicals hub," Mr Wong said, adding that the investment had delivered "lasting benefits" to Singapore.

"It created many good jobs. It anchored important industries here. It made Singapore a critical node in global energy flows.

"All that has strengthened our energy security and resilience – something we have seen time and again, most recently amid the disruptions in the Middle East."

Semakau is home to Singapore's only landfill, while Bukom houses the country's first refinery. Pulau Sudong has an airstrip used by the Singapore Armed Forces during emergencies. These, together with a few smaller islands, could form the new landmass.

Mr Wong said the island would not be limited to petrochemicals, and could support a new generation of industries, including advanced manufacturing.

“Jurong Island shaped our economy for the last 50 years,” Mr Wong said. “This new western island can help shape Singapore for the next 50 years and beyond."

The plan comes as Singapore looks to expand its energy options amid land constraints and a lack of natural resources.

Singapore is exploring clean energy sources, including nuclear power, to strengthen its energy security against a more volatile global landscape. It has yet to decide on deploying nuclear power and will undergo an assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 2027 to gauge its readiness to make an informed decision on adopting nuclear energy.

Singapore has been building capabilities across 19 areas identified by the IAEA as necessary for a country to establish a nuclear power programme, including evaluating and developing suitable sites for nuclear installations with safety requirements in mind.

Western island reclamation will create space for industries, low-carbon energy sources: Analysts
Analysts said the new island would allow Singapore to design from scratch an integrated hub involving a range of low-carbon energy sources that can support Jurong Island.
Ang Qing Straits Times Aug 24, 2026, 09:35 PM

SINGAPORE - The reclamation of a new western island will create a space for industries and power-related infrastructure that can tap the sea, and benefit from proximity to Jurong Island and the need for greater distance from residential areas, analysts said.

At the National Day Rally on Aug 23, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had outlined plans to form a new island south of energy and chemicals hub Jurong Island in the coming decades for industry, energy and defence needs, by merging islands such as Pulau Semakau, Pulau Bukom and Pulau Sudong.

Analysts told The Straits Times that the new island would allow Singapore to design from scratch an integrated hub involving a range of low-carbon energy sources that can support Jurong Island, boosting the nation’s long-term energy security by creating space to accommodate technology that may become feasible only in the longer term.

Nuclear energy infrastructure is one of the possible options among a host of low-carbon energy sources that can be sited on the island, they said.

That said, they cautioned against seeing the deployment of nuclear energy as the aim of the reclamation, stressing that Singapore has yet to make a decision on the power source, which it is exploring as a low-carbon alternative, and noting the need for more detailed studies.

Matthew Chew, nuclear competency and strategy lead at engineering consultancy HY, said that the new island would give Singapore the long-term physical space to accommodate technologies and energy systems that may not yet be commercially mature, but could become critical over the next decades.

“Singapore could design the island as an integrated energy hub where gas, low-carbon fuels, electricity imports, storage, renewables and potentially nuclear eventually operate together,” he said.

Tan-Soo Jie Sheng, director of the Institute for Environment and Sustainability at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, noted that while western Singapore has a large industrial footprint, much of that land is already committed to existing uses.

“Hence, what Singapore needs is sufficiently large, contiguous sites that can accommodate the new industries and energy infrastructure it may need several decades from now.”

He added that offshore land also provides direct maritime access and space to build large-scale and difficult-to-site energy infrastructure from scratch, a common constraint for Singapore’s energy ambitions.

Said Tan-Soo: “These characteristics could make it particularly suitable for activities that are land- or energy-intensive, require port access, or benefit from greater physical buffers.

“Possibilities include next-generation energy and chemical industries, hydrogen- and ammonia-related activities, advanced manufacturing, and large-scale energy infrastructure.”

Sing Tien Foo, NUS Business School’s provost chair professor of real estate, said the offshore island will prepare Singapore for the next wave of industrialisation, for which it will need to build a sufficient land bank in advance to attract investment in these greener, high-value-add industries.

He said: “New industries that require massive infrastructure investment, are to be segregated from high-density residential housing estates, and will require intensive energy and water resources, are ideal on the island. By isolating these advanced and precision manufacturing risks, they could also protect against other types of human risks, including fire and pollution.”

Tan-Soo noted that, fundamentally, Singapore does not know what the most important industries will be in 2050 or 2070, just as planners of the past did not know the scale of today’s demand for data centres and digital infrastructure, and the new site would offer flexibility.

He added that offshore land also provides direct maritime access and the opportunity to build highly specialised infrastructure from scratch.

In addition, the new island potentially helps Singapore address a constraint common to several of these pathways by providing sufficient and suitable land for large-scale and difficult-to-site energy infrastructure.

Strategically, the move to form a second energy island beside Jurong will build resilience for Singapore’s energy system, said Marsh Asia’s energy and power leader, Benjamin Chang.

He said: “Singapore’s energy security strategy has always been about creating options before you need them.”

Chew said several factors could make the offshore industrial site a candidate for nuclear energy.

These include access to seawater that can reduce the distance needed to convey water to cool nuclear power plants, as well as giving the land-constrained city-state more flexibility without locking up a major parcel on the mainland, he said, citing how nuclear power can represent a commitment of land for potentially 60 years or more.

Analysts said that proximity to the Singapore Armed Forces could confer greater security, but there could be trade-offs.

“The colocation of SAF on the island could also enhance security and protect valuable manufacturing plants from potential intrusion by imposing strict controls on access from unrelated parties and by establishing military zones that reduce the risk of sabotage or drone incursions.

“This mirrors the existing model on Jurong Island, where strict access controls and security protocols protect high-value petrochemical and energy facilities. SAF proximity would reinforce the new island’s role as a secure, strategic node for Singapore’s future energy system,” said Sing.

Chu Jian, a professor at NTU and its president’s chair in civil engineering, pointed out that while the military runway on Pulau Sudong could make the future development much easier to plan, there could also be restrictions on construction activities, such as height controls.

Experts cautioned that use of the reclaimed island could mean navigating complex hurdles such as sea-level rise, emergency access and environmental impacts given its scale.

Said NUS’ Energy Studies Institute senior research fellow Kim Jeong Won: “Significant investment would be needed for land reclamation, transport links, utility networks and grid connections, potentially making offshore generation more expensive than developing existing sites.”

NDR 2026: New western island to give Singapore room for energy and new industries, say experts
Koh Wan Ting and Natasha Ganesan Channel NewsAsia 24 Aug 2026 05:44PM

SINGAPORE: Singapore's planned western island could one day house nuclear power facilities – if the government decides to go down that path – and energy-intensive industries such as semiconductor manufacturing and data centres, energy experts said on Monday (Aug 24).

An offshore location could address one of Singapore's biggest constraints in deploying nuclear power – the amount of land that would have to be set aside – while providing access to seawater for cooling and separation from the general population.

Singapore has yet to decide whether to deploy nuclear power, but it is taking steps to shore up its capabilities and expertise in this area. From 2027, the country will undergo an international assessment of its readiness to make an informed decision on nuclear energy.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced during the 2026 National Day Rally on Sunday that Singapore intends to merge several islands south of Jurong Island – which could include Semakau, Bukom and Pulau Sudong – into a larger western island over the coming decades.

He likened the process to the development of Jurong Island, where several offshore islands were progressively joined through land reclamation over more than a decade to create what is today a global energy and chemicals hub.

Besides supporting new industries such as advanced manufacturing, Mr Wong said the island could accommodate new power generation infrastructure to meet Singapore's future needs. He did not specify the types of energy that could be generated.

As part of its longer-term plans, the government is also studying the feasibility of building an undersea tunnel connecting Pulau Tekong to the mainland. More reclamation is planned for southern Tekong, with about 500ha to be available for future civilian use.

NUCLEAR A POSSIBILITY

Experts pointed to advances in nuclear technology that could make small modular reactors (SMRs) more feasible in land-scarce Singapore. Compared with conventional large reactors, some SMR designs could have smaller site and emergency planning requirements.

Professor Lawrence Loh, director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, said an offshore location could make nuclear infrastructure easier to separate and secure from the general population.

"The only place in Singapore where it might be possibly acceptable would be an island, not on the main island of Singapore, but offshore," he told CNA.

Such separation could reassure the public given sensitivities around nuclear energy, while allowing access to the facility to be more tightly controlled, Prof Loh said.

Dr Alvin Chew, senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, said nuclear power would require large containment buildings, not just for the reactors but also for generation facilities such as turbines.

Supporting infrastructure would need a solid foundation, and electricity produced on the island would have to be transmitted via subsea cables to mainland Singapore, he said.

An offshore location could also offer ready access to seawater for cooling, which many power plants require.

Current light-water nuclear reactors similarly use large volumes of water for cooling, Dr Chew said, adding that nuclear plants also discharge large volumes of water into the sea during operations.

Dr Victor Nian, founding co-chairman of the Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources (CSER), said offshore development offered advantages including space, maritime access, cooling water and separation from densely populated areas. But he cautioned against assuming that an offshore facility would necessarily be safer.

"Safety still depends on the technology, engineering, regulation and specific site conditions," he said, adding that offshore development could mean higher infrastructure and marine engineering costs.

He raised the possibility of a floating offshore facility that could use advanced nuclear energy to generate low-carbon electricity, produce hydrogen and desalinate seawater.

"Given the long development horizon, I believe we should preserve these possibilities without assuming today which technologies will ultimately be deployed," Dr Nian said.

Dr Chew said one advantage of the western island is that it could provide land dedicated to energy infrastructure for a very long period.

Nuclear power plants are typically licensed to operate for 60 to 80 years, while decommissioning and land sanitisation could take another 10 to 20 years, meaning land used for nuclear energy could effectively be committed for up to a century.

"Hence, it is therefore more appropriate to reclaim an island dedicated for power generation rather than to commit and lock-in premium land on the main island," Dr Chew said.

NEARER-TERM ENERGY OPTIONS

Nuclear could remain a longer-term possibility, but other forms of power generation may be more immediately feasible on the new island.

Dr Kim Jeong Won, senior research fellow at the Energy Studies Institute (ESI), NUS, said hydrogen-ready natural gas plants could be among the most plausible near-term options, given that natural gas is expected to remain a key part of Singapore's energy mix for decades.

She said the authorities have already planned additional hydrogen-ready gas generation capacity to meet rising electricity demand, and the western island could provide space for such plants.

Ammonia-fired power generation could be another option, she said, pointing to an existing project on Jurong Island that combines low- or zero-carbon ammonia power generation with ammonia bunkering.

"If this pilot is successful, the western island might provide a much larger platform for this concept for the next step."

An offshore location could accommodate a comprehensive system including generators, large-capacity ammonia storage, pipelines and substations, and could offer safety buffer advantages compared with residential areas on mainland Singapore, Dr Kim said.

The eventual energy mix would depend on available land, competing uses, access to the sea, costs and future energy needs, she added.

JURONG ISLAND 2.0

Prof Loh described the proposed island as potentially a "Jurong Island 2.0", following a similar playbook with a greater focus on energy.

Rather than committing to a particular technology now, he said the priority should be to make the island "energy ready", given how fast technologies are evolving and the island's long development timeline.

Beyond power generation, experts said the new island could host energy-intensive industries that need large amounts of reliable power.

Prof Loh identified data centres as one possibility, as the growth of artificial intelligence drives demand for computing capacity and electricity.

Dr Nian named semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, chemicals and potentially digital infrastructure as obvious candidates. "These industries could benefit from reliable low-carbon power and shared energy, water and utility infrastructure," he said.

Co-locating such industries with power generators could reduce the cost of transmitting energy to major consumers. Given that Bukom might be part of the new island, conventional petrochemical and related industries could also remain part of the mix, Prof Loh said.

RSIS' Dr Chew said electricity generated on the island could also support activities on nearby Jurong Island, such as petroleum refining and hydrogen production.

Reliability, affordability, emissions, safety and energy security should ultimately determine the mix, Dr Nian said.

"Equally important is how the energy will be used and by whom," he added.

While the island would not solve Singapore's lack of natural energy resources, it could ease the physical constraint on its energy choices, Dr Nian said.

"I believe that is strategically important: the western island can preserve options for future Singapore, including nuclear if we eventually decide that it is needed," he said.

However, experts also cautioned about the potential environmental impact. ESI's Dr Kim said land reclamation and thermal discharge from power plants could disrupt marine ecosystems, while Prof Loh raised concerns about the impact of reclamation works on coral reefs around the western and southern islands.

Beting Bemban Besar after the storm

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 02:41:00 +0000

A small team head through the storm to survey this humungous submerged reef near the ongoing reclamation at Pulau Sudong.

Photo by Richard Kuah

They make all kinds of special finds including Knobbly sea stars and many colourful marinelife commonly seen on our reefs. The corals and seagrasses seem alright. I had to skip this survey to attend another advocacy event. So much thanks to Richard for making sure the team was safe.

Quek Chui Qing found two Knobbly sea stars! We used to see many of them in the past, like on this 2010 survey but I have not been able to find them recently. The rest of the team saw common sea stars as well as many colourful slugs, flatworms, crabs and fishes commonly seen on our reefs.

Thanks to Zen Xuan He for this great clip of a shark peacefully hunting for fish at the reef edge. We often encounter them on our surveys, especially of the more remote offshores reefs. Our sharks are NOT dangerous to humans. It is perfectly safe to be on the shore with them if we respect their space. We have surveyed shores for decades, often in the dark among sharks, without any harm to people or sharks. Sharks are a sign of a healthy reef. Many sharks means there is enough fish for them to eat. So let's rejoice when we see sharks on our shores! More about our peaceful wild sharks.

It is always exciting to see animals that live in other animals. Today, the team saw anemonefish in Magnificent anemone, and also the rarely seen Merten's anemone. Rui Quan checked out every Cauliflower coral and found in a small one, a snapping shrimp and crab that live only in such corals.

The team saw 3 Fluted giant clams!

The team braved the thickening Sargassum seaweed to check out the reef edge. And they saw some large colonies, some special corals as well as Mushroom corals. There were also common corals, mostly boulder shaped ones. Towards the middle of the reef flat, they also saw one rather dense field of Branching montipora, as well as a few patches of more scattered ones - hopefully they will become more dense.

The team also saw many medium-sized colonies of Leathery soft coral of various kinds. They seemed to be alright.

Thanks to photos by Rui Quan Oh and Zen Xuan He, I sense the seagrass situation is similar to our May 2026 survey. We first observed seagrass recovery on our Jul 2025 survey. Seems like sprinkles of seagrasses evenly covered the shore - the green horizon in the photo Rui Quan took of a Brahminy kite that landed on the shore. There seems to be scattered patches of denser growth. Most seem fresh and green. Tape seagrass remain cropped.

The ongoing reclamation at Pulau Sudong is still very visible from Beting Bemban Besar. Thanks to Zen Xuan He for great close ups of the works. Seems like the sand mountains are getting flattened. But there are still many large vessels and construction equipment on the shore.

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 Beting Bemban Besar and other nearby shores in relation to the Sudong reclamation.

Google Earth does not show the current map of Pulau Sudong (historical imagery stops at 2023). But thanks to some help, I got this Copernicus view of the ongoing 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.

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.

Photo by Richard Kuah

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 this survey

Richard Kuah

Lon Voon Ong

Quek Chui Qing

Zen Xuan He

Tammy Lim

Rui Quan Oh

Others on the survey: Zheng Hao, Giant clam team

St John's Island still alive

noreply@blogger.com (Ria Tan) — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:24:27 +0000

Just minutes from the Central Business District, lies one of Singapore's last natural cliffs at St John's Island. The rocky shore and reef edge has corals. There are also seagrasses throughout, as well as rare mangrove trees on the untouched western shore, which is part of the Sisters Islands Marine Park.

A large team checks out the shores well before dawn. The corals seemed fine, seagrasses still doing well. As usual, the team make all the special finds: 'Nemo's and reef fishes, octopuses and Magnificent anemones. And slugs of all kinds.

As usual, the rest of the team make all the special finds. A night time visit makes it easier to photograph fishes. Indeed the team saw many of the usual colourful reef fishes like anemonefish and damselfishes. As well as odd fishes like the razorfish, dragonets, flatheads and dragonets. Juvenile fishes also find shelter here, such as baby barracuda. A special wrasse was also seen, on this lovely shore, among the last with the full spectrum of habitats from coastal forest to reef edge.

The Magnificent anemones are still on the shore. As well as a nice Leathery sea fan. There were many octopuses and pygmy squids. And a tiny feather star. As usual, interesting slugs and flatworms are spotted.

I have never seen a lot of corals on this shore since I started surveying it. Most are boulder shaped, with common plate corals, mostly small to medium sized, but also a few very large colonies. Today, I saw the usual assortment and all seemed fine. I didn't see any bleaching corals, or corals with dying portions. As in the past, I saw a variety of small to medium-sized colonies of leathery soft corals.

St John's Island has one of the few remaining natural coastal forest, growing on natural cliffs leading onto a natural rocky shore with corals and other marine life.

The real treasures are the grandmother Nyireh laut tree and her daughters that grow on the western shore of St John's Island, which overlooks the Sisters and is part of the Sisters' Islands Marine Park. Nyireh laut is Critically Endangered in Singapore and we probably have only about 7 trees on our shores. There are another 3 on Sentosa Tg Rimau. Today, they are still fine, although the large wooden pallet is still lodged near one of the daughter trees.

It is natural for landslides to occur on our natural cliffs. Although these take out trees that grow there, these also produce the wonderful boulders and pebbly shores that we find so pleasing. Today, we revisit the landslide on the western shore, with the fallen tree at the base, mostly dead, though the upper parts remain green. The bare rock is slowly being colonised by small plants. On the eastern shore, the smaller landslide is still visible. While a very old landslide that had been cemented over is now almost hidden by foliage.

The sandy artificial lagoons are alive! Dotted with burrows of Sand bubbler crabs, signs of Acorn worms and on the high shore, Ghost crab burrows. There were still some Common sea stars and I saw a Common cerianthid.

Similar to our survey in Oct 2025, seagrasses here seem fine! Outside the seawall of the swimming lagoons, I saw clumps of Tape seagrass with long leaves (30-50cm), though many were cropped shorter (about 20cm). St John's Island is one of the few shores left that still has some long Tape seagrass. Inside the swimming lagoons, and on sandy patches in the natural rocky shore, there are large patches of Spoon seagrass with small leaves with sprinkles of Needle seagrass. On the Western shore facing Sisters Islands, there are still sprinkles of Sickle seagrass among the rocky areas. All seagrasses looked fresh and green and healthy.

There seems be a bloom of Bryopsis green seaweed on the small area of the rocky reef edge on the northern tip of the island. The annual Sargassum seaweed bloom is just starting up. Today on St John's Island, the seaweed getting fluffy at the reef edge near the jetty. But are starting to form thick carpets with long strands on the western shore facing the Sisters Islands. I'm tracking the bloom season as we feel that in recent years, it is starting earlier and ending later.

St John's Island in the Singapore Blue Plan

The Singapore Blue Plan 2018 highlights the importance of St John's Island to our marine biodiversity. The cluster of Kusu, Lazarus and St. John's Islands has been recommended by the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 for elevated protection status.

The Sisters Islands from the western shore of St. John's Island.

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 the survey

Richard Kuah

Rui Quan Oh

Jianlin Liu

Marcus Ng

Sam Lau

Jason Ooi

Mathias Luk

Myra Khoo

Others on this survey: Lester Tan, Zheng Hao, Yaohui, Anya, Qing.