Save our seas
S.O.S. Files: A Journey To Sungai Pulai
Authors: Choo Chee Kuang, Serina Rahman and Khor Hui Min
Publisher: Self-published
MARINE scientist Choo Chee Kuang is among the many advocating for the protection of the Sungai Pulai estuary and the Pulau Merambong seagrass bed in south-western Johor, the habitat for seahorses which he has been studying.
The area is a mix of mangrove forests, seagrass beds, mudflats, rocky shores and coral reefs – and all are threatened by various development, including that of ports and power plants.
In 2004, Choo founded the non-profit Save Our Seahorses (SOS) and together with other supporters, have organised various programmes to protect the wild habitat there and raise public awareness.
This guidebook is useful should you be visiting Sungai Pulai, a gazetted Ramsar Site (which makes it a wetland of international importance), as it lists down the best time to go there and what you can see. When the tide recedes, all kinds of marine creatures lie exposed, waiting to be discovered by visitors.
The book describes the different species of sealife and plants, such as sea sponges, echinoderms (starfish and sea cucumbers), cnidarian (corals and anemone), ascidians (sea squirts), birds, worms, fish, seagrass, crustaceans, marine mammals, seaweed, molluscs, reptiles and mangrove plants.
To better appreciate the biodiversity of Sungai Pulai, it is best to join the SOS volunteer programme which includes monitoring the seagrass bed and surveying seahorses. Go to sosmalaysia.org for more details.
A Naturalist’s Guide To The Birds Of Malaysia And Singapore
Authors: G.W.H. Davison and Yeap Chin Aik
Publisher: John Beaufoy
Publishing, 176 pages
IF you’ve just taken up birdwatching, this is a handy book to have. It features 280 of the most commonly seen birds in Malaysia and Singapore – all presented in beautiful photographs.
The book is practical: compact and light enough for field use, with brief descriptions of the birds, their distribution as well as habits and habitats. The information is ample without being unbearingly detailed.
There is also an overview of the region’s climate, vegetation, biogeography, main birdwatching sites and a checklist of birds in both countries and their conservation status.
Though the species featured in the book are just a fraction of the 742 found here, they are the ones you’re likely to see on your birdwatching excursions.
Credit must be given to the photographers who contributed images for the book – David Bakewell, David Lai, Ooi Beng Yean, Cede Prudente and John Corder. The gorgeous photographs detail the birds’ plumage, making for easier identification of species.
The authors are experts in the field of ornithology.
Dr Geoffrey Davison was a university lecturer, a conservationist with World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia, and is now with the National Parks Board in Singapore. Aside from numerous scientific papers, he is also author of Photoguide To The Birds Of Borneo and Photoguide To The Birds Of Peninsular Malaysia.
Yeap Chin Aik heads the conservation division at the Malaysian Nature Society and is one of the main compilers of Important Bird Areas In Malaysia: Key Sites For Conservation. – By Tan Cheng Li