Best of our wild blogs: 8 Nov 18

11 Nov: Registration opens for Sisters Islands Intertidal walks in Dec 2018
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

2 Dec (Sun): Workshop on "Let’s Act on the Singapore Blue Plan 2018!"
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

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Artificial reef installed to help marine life thrive around Sisters’ Islands

Channel NewsAsia 8 Nov 18;

SINGAPORE: The bare and sandy seabed around Sisters’ Island may soon be teeming with marine life, with the installation of a reef structure on Thursday (Nov 8).

The 10m-high concrete and fibreglass structure will act as “artificial reefs” for marine flora and fauna to colonise.

Its bumpy surface, made from recycled stone fragments, will help encrusting organisms such as barnacles or shellfish to attach themselves and grow. The fibreglass pipes will also increase sheltered areas for fishes.

This is the first of eight structures that will be lowered onto the seabed to create Singapore’s largest artificial reef habitat, in a collaboration between government agencies JTC and National Parks Board (NParks).

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Grab gets S$343 million boost from Hyundai, Kia; 200 electric vehicles from the companies to be added to fleet

ASYRAF KAMIL Today Online 7 Nov 18;

SINGAPORE — Ride-hailing firm Grab has received US$250 million (S$343 million) in funding from South Korean motor company Hyundai and its affiliate Kia, and will be partnering with the carmakers to pilot a series of electric vehicle (EV) projects from next year.

As part of the partnership, 200 electric vehicles from Hyundai and Kia will be added to the Grab's fleet.

Grab earlier announced in August that it is rolling out a fleet of new electric vehicles, which will tap the fast-charging network of utility provider Singapore Power (SP). It added that drivers who take up the new model will enjoy preferential electric-vehicle charging rates at all SP Group charging stations island-wide and discounted parking at some partner venues.

In a joint media release on Wednesday (Nov 7), the companies said that they will bring together stakeholders from the EV industry to collaborate on measures to improve EV adoption and awareness in the region.

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Indonesia: Deforestation leading to Jambi flooding, warns green group

Jon Afrizal The Jakarta Post 7 Nov 18;

Excessive damage to Jambi’s forests as a result of destructive activities like illegal logging and mining, as well as land conversion, is causing routine flooding in the province, environmental group Warsi Indonesian Conservation Community (KKI Warsi) has warned.

The latest flooding caused by the deforestation occurred in Bungo regency, which saw the inundation of almost 770 houses inhabited by around 914 families last Saturday.

According to Bungo Disaster Mitigation Agency, 20 families had to leave their homes because of the flooding.

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Recovery of endangered whales hampered by humans long after hunting

Marlowe HOOD, AFP Yahoo News 7 Nov 18;

Paris (AFP) - When an endangered female North Atlantic right whale spends months, even years, disentangling itself from cast-off fishing nets, there's not much energy left over for mating and nursing calves.

Coping with such debris, along with ship collisions and other forms of human encroachment, have severely stymied recovery of the majestic sea mammals long after explosive harpoons and factory ships nearly wiped them out, according to a study published Wednesday.

Once numbering in the tens of thousands, the northern whale's population -- hovering around 450 today -- climbed slowly from 1990, but began to drop again around 2010.

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