Uncovering life in Sungei Buloh's mud

Volunteers search for marine life at reserve's mudflats in 1st NParks biodiversity survey
Lin Yang Straits Times 16 Jan 11;

Knee-deep in mud, with his back bent and hands digging through a soggy mixture of sand and soil, Mr Cliff Ho could not hide the smile on his face.

The 27-year-old police officer was one of 20 volunteers who showed up yesterday to survey wildlife in the mudflats of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. He was savouring every moment of this outdoor expedition.

'The last time I saw a mudflat was during a school camp in primary school,' he said. 'Now I realise, as someone from the younger generation, I must play my part in conservation efforts.'

The Sungei Buloh project is part of the first Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey done in Singapore, a four-year effort that began last year to document the marine life that inhabits Singapore's coastal waters.

The National Parks Board (NParks), which leads the project, roped in Shell Companies in Singapore and the Care-for-Nature Trust Fund as sponsors, as well as the

National University of Singapore (NUS) to provide scientific expertise.

However, most of the work is done by volunteers. NParks has recruited more than 80 people to do the grunt work.

Yesterday, the volunteers travelled to the research site in Sungei Buloh in mid-afternoon. After trudging through an obstacle course of thick mud, they used small planter shovels to dig 20cm-deep holes for the purpose of taking samples.

Next, the samples were sifted with water to remove sediment and reveal the marine life.

The volunteers then picked out and separated all the biodiversity offered by the mudflats, including ribbon worms, bristle worms, hermit crabs, fiddler crabs, mussels, anemone, and several species of clams.

The samples, placed into plastic containers, will be taken to the laboratory at the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute, where they will be identified and catalogued.

Ms Ria Tan, founder of wildlife website Wild Singapore, was also helping out. She often recruits volunteers to monitor coral reefs, seagrass patches and mudflats across the island.

During a break, she related a story of how durians are pollinated by bats, which eat the nectar of mangrove flowers.

'Our natural world has many examples of ecosystem services, where different species depend on each other for survival,' she explained. 'Often, these connections are not obvious to us until something has disappeared.'

Mr Ho is one who recognises the importance of this.

'We need to document what's left,' he said. 'Reserve lands are decreasing. Maybe 20 years down the road, you won't have these mudflats any more.'

The question of development versus conservation filled the minds of volunteers and researchers alike.

Dr Tan Koh Siang, the survey's lead scientist, sees his role as a provider of facts when the crucial choices have to be made.

'We are not conservation campaigners,' he said. 'When the time comes, the Singapore Government will look at the facts and decide whether to preserve this land or not.'

However, he has great hopes for his volunteers.

'By giving them ownership of this work, maybe they'll become one of our main pillars for conservation.'