Best of our wild blogs: 14 Jul 14

July 26, Saturday: Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Celebrate National Day with a mangrove cleanup @ Lim Chu Kang on Saturday, 9th August 2014!
from News from the International Coastal Cleanup

Singapore's First Marine Park at Sisters Islands
from Psychedelic Nature

Giant clam project featured at the Festival of Biodiversity 2014!
from Neo Mei Lin

Terumbu Semakau: still no seagrass recovery
from wild shores of singapore

reef octopus hunting @ terumbu semakau - July 2014
from sgbeachbum

Butterflies @ Upper Peirce Reservoir Park
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Three species of water snakes found in Singapore’s mangroves @ Festival of Biodiversity 2014
from Monday Morgue

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Seagrass meadows at risk from reclamation

David Ee The Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Jul 14;


The largest continuous stretches of seagrass meadows are found at Chek Jawa in the north, and Pulau Semakau and Cyrene Reef in the south. These can be seen at extremely low tides. Losing these last few remaining seagrass habitats to land reclamation means losing the critically endangered and elusive dugong. It passes through local waters and depends on seagrass as its main food source.

Half of Singapore's only flowering sea plants killed in the last 50 years

LAND reclamation is putting Singapore at risk of losing all of its seagrass meadows - lush, underwater "gardens" of the only flowering plants that live in the sea.

A National University of Singapore (NUS) study has found that filling the island's coastal waters with sand over the almost five decades since independence has killed 1.6 sq km of seagrass - nearly half of the country's total.

Dredging and reclamation works either bury it or cloud the water with sediment, blocking out the sunlight that it needs to thrive.

"One of the main threats to seagrasses is declining water quality," said marine ecologist Siti Maryam Yaakub, who recently graduated after carrying out the four-year study as a PhD student.

"It can take weeks to months for the suspended sediment to settle."

Seagrass meadows are often confused with seaweed, which is an algae. They were once commonplace along parts of the west and east coasts, and the southern islands.

Today, the largest continuous stretches are congregated at Chek Jawa in the north, and Pulau Semakau and Cyrene Reef in the south. These can be seen at extremely low tides.

Future land reclamation would threaten these last few remaining habitats, said Dr Siti.

Singapore's land use plans beyond 2030, released in January last year, indicate possible large-scale reclamation at Pulau Semakau, the country's sole landfill site.

Chek Jawa at Pulau Ubin has also been previously under threat of reclamation.

Seagrass meadows harbour crabs and prawns, and are nursery habitats for juvenile fish.

Losing the meadows would also mean losing the critically endangered and elusive dugong, or sea cow, said Dr Siti. It passes through local waters and depends on seagrass as its main food source.

Given Singapore's small land area, Dr Siti does not expect the Government to scale back reclamation plans. She only hopes that the "unsung" seagrass will be given the same consideration as similarly threatened coral reefs.

Indeed, various recent government efforts to relocate Singapore's declining number of reefs are helping to save them from reclamation and port development.

This could save the country's seagrass too, said Dr Siti.

"The fact that we still have seagrass when a lot of big cities in coastal areas have lost theirs is something to be proud of... we should try as much as possible to preserve what we have left."

Dr Siti's work was published last month in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.

NUS marine biologist, Professor Chou Loke Ming, who has dived in seagrass meadows, compared them to "tall fields of lalang grass" in the sea.

"But we shouldn't appreciate them just for their beauty. We have to appreciate what they provide as an ecosystem and a habitat," he said.

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$12k grant to help scientist make waves with clam research

Cheryl Faith Wee The Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Jul 14;

A seven-year-old cultured fluted giant clam. Once commonly found here, giant clams are now few in number as their natural habitat has been lost to land reclamation and pollution.

Most people think of food when they think of clams, but for biological sciences researcher Neo Mei Lin, conservation is what comes to mind.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) scientist goes scuba diving about twice a month to survey the giant clam population and scrubs their shells to ensure they stay healthy in a hatchery.

Once commonly found here, giant clams are now few in number as their natural habitat has been lost to land reclamation and pollution.

Dr Neo, 28, is receiving funds to help her in her quest to conserve clams: She became one of 10 people from NUS and the Nanyang Technological University to win US$10,000 (S$12,400) grants each from the World Future Foundation (WFF) on Thursday.

This was the fifth year that the non-profit group gave awards to PhD students for their research in environmental sustainability.

Dr Neo, who has been involved in research on the giant clam population here since 2007, will use part of the money on equipment and overseas workshops.

She still remembers the first wild giant clam she saw. It was a fully grown one of about 40cm in length, spotted at Pulau Jong off the southern coast of Singapore.

"The tide had gone out and it was sitting on a patch of sand. It was brownish green and had a striped pattern on its shell. In May, I came across the same clam again. I brought it back to our lab and took healthy eggs from it," she said. Giant clams can grow to become more than 1m long and weigh more than 300kg.

Other research projects this year include those on energy storage and solar cells.

Dr Feng Lun, WFF board chairman, hopes the projects are sustained. "Even if they start off as very tiny things, they can have effects that will snowball and help humanity and mankind," he said.

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Malaysia: Wanted - turtle eggs

TAN CHENG LI The Star 14 Jul 14;

Since saving the eggs will save the turtles, one turtle guardian is stopping as many eggs as possible from reaching the market.

WHEN word went out in early May that a new turtle hatchery has come up in Chendor, Pahang, and the owner was looking to buy eggs, the response was swift. In no time, collectors with pails of soft-shelled, golf-ball-sized eggs, freshly dug out from their nests, showed up at the hatchery. They were paid cash, which probably explained their willingness to sell to the facility instead of to market vendors.

In just over two months, the facility has purchased 3,069 green turtle eggs from 67 nests and 53 painted terrapin eggs from four nests – that’s over 3,000 eggs saved from being consumed, and potentially over 3,000 turtle hatchlings given a shot at survival.

At the new hatchery, the eggs were buried for incubation and in late June, Angela Hijjas caught her first sight of hatchlings emerging from their nest and scampering to sea.

“It’s a great experience to come face to face with wildlife, not in a zoo, but in a natural setting,” says the ardent supporter of the arts and the environment, who had set up the hatchery. “It’s also rewarding to know that you’ve actually had a role in nurturing something.”

Turtle nesting sites

The long shoreline between Cherating and Chendor in Pahang is known to host nesting turtles. The Fisheries Department has gazetted the southern stretch at Cherating as a turtle sanctuary, so all the eggs laid there go to its hatchery. However, the northern portion of the beach, which is where Angela’s property sits, is unprotected. That means the eggs are collected and sold in markets.

Angela shares that her husband, award-winning architect Hijjas Kasturi, had bought the 12ha piece of land in 1969. It was left idle all these years because the site lacked access, except from the beach. Recently, after acquiring land that provides a route to their site, they decided to build a resort there. Angela, being passionate about the environment, insisted on the project having a conservation value to compensate for the development.

Doing something for the turtles was the obvious thing: “Because my land is near the beach, and I know turtles come up there and people are digging up the eggs and selling them. That’s something I would like to change. It’s easy to do, and I can afford it. If the eggs are not re-buried, they’d be eaten.”


Keeping prices stable

Angela, 64, is based in Kuala Lumpur, so she employs a worker with knowledge of turtle hatcheries. She also gets advice and assistance from Pak Su, a tour guide experienced in turtle conservation efforts in Geliga, Kemaman. The facility will be opened to the public and the Pahang Malaysian Nature Society will support the centre by planning educational visits for students.

Angela has spent almost RM8,000 in two months just to purchase the eggs, paying RM2.50 for a turtle egg and RM4 for a terrapin egg. She keeps to the market rates, as advised by a Fisheries Department official.

“I was told that if I offered higher prices, it might lead to thefts of eggs belonging to the department. It’s in everyone’s interest to keep the price stable so we can get as many eggs as possible into hatcheries.

“We will buy any eggs available during the peak season, which is from April to October.

“According to Pak Su, there were 1,900 landings in the area from the southern coast of Terengganu to Cherating last year. Each nest averages 100 eggs. That means, about 200,000 eggs can be found. Some will go to hatcheries, but most will end up in markets. In Terengganu markets, there is no shortage of turtle eggs.”

The collectors are not selling all the eggs to her; it seems they keep half of what is collected, most probably for personal consumption. In any case, Angela’s effort is rescuing at least a portion of the eggs. And there were no records in the past of the total landings in the area; there is now, as her staff records all egg purchases and hatchlings.

She has also instructed her workers to release the baby turtles upon emergence from the nest and not keep them in tanks. In many hatcheries, it is common practice to retain the hatchlings in order to show visitors, but this can affect their survival in the wild.

Taking action

Of course, buying turtle eggs to prevent them from ending up in someone’s stomach is an expensive conservation exercise, but until state governments outlaw the consumption of turtle eggs, this is one way to safeguard the future of turtle species.

“For me, it’s a way of actually doing something that might make a difference,” says Angela. “We’ve already had over 3,000 eggs, out of that only two or three will make it to maturity (scientists say only one in 1,000 hatchlings will reach adulthood). But for me, that’s money well-spent. It’s something I can do.

“I have been involved in environmental conservation efforts, but sometimes the decision-making process must consider all parties. This was a decision and initiative I could take on my own.

“It’s something within my control and my capacity, so why not? Am I going to spend the money on a fancy handbag? I don’t think so.”

In any case, Angela is optimistic that when the resort is completed, guests and visitors will not mind having the cost of a turtle nest added to their bills.

“That may be one way of defraying the cost, but at the moment, I intend to continue (funding the project).

“I’ll go on as long as I can. Thanks to the inheritance from my parents, I have the money to do this. If they knew, they’d be pleased. So, it’s something for them as well.”

She says the resort will consist of only 27 chalets so that the natural vegetation is retained. The site has sand dunes and typical East Coast coastal forest consisting of casuarina trees on the beach and jambu laut and nibong palm further inland.

A survey by the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia shows it has over 50 tree and plant species. Botanists have also identified some sites worth conserving as these have unique species and are examples of coastal forests that we have little of now.

Angela also intends to replace the non-native and invasive acacia trees growing on the road leading to her property.

Given her way, this site might eventually mirror Rimbun Dahan, her 6ha home in Kuang, Selangor, where she grows various plants and tropical forest trees, effectively turning it into a repository of culturally important and rare flora. Her new project in Chendor will be that, and more, as there is the addition of a turtle sanctuary.

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Malaysia: High waves hit northern states after supermoon

ROYCE TAN The Star 14 Jul 14;

GEORGE TOWN: Septuagenarian Tee Ah Ghim watched in fear as waves hit the walls of her squatter house at Pantai Bersih in Bagan Ajam.

The 70-year-old retiree, who has been living there for more than five years with her younger sister, in her 60s, is fearful of the recurrence of an incident in 2010 where strong tidal waves swept away fishing boats and damaged property there.

“I hope that the high tide will recede soon. If the waves hit any higher, most of our things will be damaged and we won’t have any other place to live,” said Tee as she stared solemnly out of her window.

The southwesterly winds travelling between 40kph and 50kph, whipped up waves up to 3.5m over the waters off Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Sarawak (Miri), Sabah (Kudat and West Coast) and Labuan yesterday.

The strong winds also sent waves crashing over the seawall at the Esplanade here.

Several popular seafront locations, such as Batu Ferringhi, also experien­ced rough seas and strong winds.

While many would try to avoid the splash, American tourist Rebekah Russell, 22, enjoyed getting soaked and even continued her stroll along the seafront alone.

She described the high waves as a rare thing and never experienced such a phenomenon before.

At the coastal road along Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu near Teluk Kumbar, the high tide sent sea water seeping through the gaps and holes between the seawall, creating huge puddles of water on the road.

Traffic slowed to a crawl as motorists tried to avoid the water.

There was a lunar perigee on Saturday when the moon was closer to Earth than at any other time and appeared larger than usual. The phenomena is also referred to as “supermoon”.

During this time, the tidal force is stronger, causing higher tides than usual. High waves also occurred in Koh Samui (Thailand), Labuan, Straits of Malacca (north) and Sulu.

A check at the Meteorological Department’s website showed that strong northeasterly winds of 50kph to 60kph with waves up to 4.5m hit Layang Layang island off Sabah, Phuket in Thailand, Condore island off southern Vietnam and Palawan island in the Philippines.

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Japan sees lower chance of El Nino this summer, high chance in autumn

Yuka Obayashi PlanetArk 11 Jul 14;

Japan's weather bureau said on Thursday that the possibility of an El Nino pattern forming this summer is lower than previously forecast, but it sees a high chance in autumn.

The Japan Meteorological Agency, which said last month that the El Nino phenomenon could emerge this summer and last at least until autumn, now expects one could only emerge sometime between September and November.

The El Nino - a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific - can trigger drought in Southeast Asia and Australia and floods in South America, hitting production of key foods such as rice, wheat and sugar.

The weather bureau lowered its forecast for sea surface temperatures in the monitoring area for summer as it expected the temperatures in July and August would be closer to average, Ikuo Yoshikawa, weather forecaster at the Japan Meteorological Agency said by phone.

Last month, the U.S. weather forecaster gave its strongest forecast that an El Nino weather phenomenon will strike during the Northern Hemisphere summer, pegging the likelihood at 70 percent in its monthly outlook. That was in line with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's latest outlook.

(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Michael Urquhart and Michael Perry)

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India: Monsoon rains sharply lower than average

Ratnajyoti Dutta PlanetArk 11 Jul 14;

Monsoon rainfall was 41 percent below average for the week ended July 9, the weather office said on its website on Thursday, the fifth straight week of poor rains after a late start to the season.

A poor monsoon season cuts exports, stokes food inflation and leads to lower demand for industries ranging from cars to consumer goods, while even a slow start can delay exports of some crops and increase the need for imports.

Rainfall was 53 percent below average in the previous week as the first month of the June-September rain season was the weakest in five years.

The seasonal deficiency stood at 43 percent below average even after the gap shrank last week due to marginal improvement in rainfall in some areas of central and north India.

Last week, rains occurred in many parts of soybean areas of central region and cane areas of north region, but the downpours were far less than averages. Weather officials said a cyclone 'Nanauk' over the Arabian Sea delayed progress of the annual rains towards the central and north regions, causing a huge gap in the seasonal downpours.

"Lull in monsoon continues though rainfall activities are expected to improve in the next two to three days," said D.S. Pai, lead forecaster of the Indian weather office. India, one of the world's top producers and consumers of rice, corn, cooking oil, sugar and cotton, relies heavily on the summer rains as nearly half of its farmland is rain-fed.

The farm sector accounts for around 14 percent of its nearly $2 trillion economy, and two-thirds of the 1.2 billion population live in rural areas.

This year, monsoon arrived five days late on the Kerala coast, and then covered half of India four days later than the usual date of June 15.

(Reporting by Ratnajyoti Dutta; editing by William Hardy)

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World cities, home to most people, to add 2.5 billion more by 2050: U.N.

Mirjam Donath PlanetArk 11 Jul 14;

More than half of the world's seven billion people live in urban areas, with the top "mega cities" - with more than 10 million inhabitants - being Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Mexico City and Sao Paulo, according to a United Nations report on Thursday.

That proportion is expected to jump, so that more than six billion people will be city dwellers by 2045, the U.N.'s World Urbanization Prospects report said. link.reuters.com/buj42w

The jump will be driven by a "preference of people to move from rural to urban areas, and the overall positive growth rate of the world's population, which is projected to continue over the next 35 years," John Wilmoth, director of the Population Division in the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs said at a news conference Thursday at the UN.

Indeed, urbanization, combined with overall population growth, will boost the number of people in cities by 2.5 billion over the next three decades, with much of that growth in developing countries, especially in Asia and Africa.

India, China and Nigeria will make up 37 percent of the projected growth in the next three decades, with India adding 404 million city residents, China 292 million, and Nigeria 212 million, by 2050.

The key challenge for these countries will be to provide basic services like education, health care, housing, infrastructure, transportation, energy and employment for their growing urban populations.

"Managing urban areas has become one of the most important development challenges of the 21st century," Wilmoth said.

He said providing such services for a dense urban population was typically cheaper and less environmentally damaging than doing the same for a dispersed, rural population.

"The thing to be afraid of is situations in which governments do not plan for the growth that is going to take place," Wilmoth said. "Then you can get sprawls, and slums and cities that are not pleasant places to live."

The world's urban population has grown so rapidly that while in 1990, there were only ten mega cities, today there are nearly three times as many - 28 worldwide.

Sixteen of those are in Asia, four in Latin America, three each in Africa and Europe, and two in Northern America.

Tokyo is the world's most populous city with 38 million inhabitants, followed by Delhi with 25 million, Shanghai with 23 million and Mexico City, Mumbai and Sao Paulo, each with around 21 million people. link.reuters.com/tej42w

The New York-Newark urban area, the world's third-largest in 1990, fell to ninth place and is expected to drop further to 14th position by 2030 as cities in developing countries become more prominent, the report said.

Low fertility, economic contraction and natural disasters were the most common factors that contributed to population losses in some Asian and European cities in recent years. Emigration was also a factor.

Meanwhile, the world's rural population, which is now close to 3.4 billion, is expected to reach its peak by 2020, after which it will decline to 3.1 billion by 2050.

While Africa and Asia are urbanizing rapidly, they are still home to nearly 90 percent of the world's rural population.

(Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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Australia: Seafood guide says five of top 11 species 'unsustainably managed'

Snapper, shark (flake), blue grenadier and imported prawns, squid and octopus 'should be avoided'
Oliver Milman theguardian.com 13 Jul 14;

Five of the 11 most commonly eaten species of fish in Australia, including shark and snapper, are unsustainably managed and should be avoided by consumers, a new analysis has found.

A study of Australia’s 11 most popular types of seafood identifies imported prawns, squid and octopus, blue grenadier, shark (sold as flake) and snapper as seafood the public should avoid.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society’s sustainable seafood guide, which has been periodically updated since 2006, lists Atlantic salmon as the most popular fish among Australian diners, followed by imported prawns and then Australian prawns.

Three of the top five most popular fish are marked red in the AMCS traffic light system, meaning the organisation strongly recommends avoiding them.

The sustainability guide rates fish by a number of criteria, including how abundant they are, the impact of fishing equipment on the marine environment, management of fisheries and whether catching the species involves the inadvertent deaths of creatures such as dolphins and turtles.

The marine campaigns officer at AMCS, Tooni Mahto, told Guardian Australia there was a key trend towards farmed fish rather than those caught wild.

“More and more of the seafood on our shelves comes from farming operations,” she said. “Atlantic salmon, barramundi and prawns are all very popular farmed species.

“Overall, there have been significant improvements in farming and the industry is improving its transparency due to the fact more people care about where their seafood comes from. So we’d applaud them on that.

“But there is still a lot of work to do. It still takes 2.5kg of wild-caught fish, to be used as fish food, to create 1kg of farmed fish. It’s also hard to tell what the long-term impact of fish farming is on the marine environment.”

Mahto said at-risk species needed to be identified to help industry and consumers make better choices. “We hear a lot from the Australian government that all our fisheries are sustainable but it’s not fair to say that,” she said. “We’ve got really significant issues in fisheries, especially with bycatch.

She said Australians loved shark, “but globally 25% of shark and ray species are threatened by extinction so our consumption of shark meat is propping up this decline”.

“As an apex predator, sharks are crucial to the health of our oceans and we are still killing a lot of them with zero understanding of the impact that will have.

“Snapper is a victim on its own popularity on Australian tables, unfortunately. It needs strong management but because it’s so popular it has been hard to do that.”

Mahto said species imported from southeast Asia also posed ethical concerns, with prawn farming linked to pollution and destructive trawl fishing of squid and octopus blamed for damage to coral reefs.

Fish given the green light by ACMS include farmed barramundi, yellow fin bream, Spanish mackerel, Australian-farmed prawns and King George whiting.

“Australians need to look at their choice of seafood now, if we are to provide the next generation with the fantastic choice of fish we currently have,” Mahto said.

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Best of our wild blogs: 13 Jul 14

Festival of Biodiversity 2014!
from Butterflies of Singapore and Otterman speaks and sgbeachbum

Near death at Cyrene!
from wild shores of singapore

Morning Walk At Venus Drive (12 Jul 2014)
from Beetles@SG BLOG

Awesome day out to Chek Jawa Boardwalk
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Starling and bulbul feeding of mango fruit
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Bats Roosting in my porch: 4. Success with early morning arrivals
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Low tide
from The annotated budak

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Singapore to have its first Marine Park on Sisters' Islands

Loke Kok Fai Channel NewsAsia 12 Jul 14;

SINGAPORE: A Marine Park, the first of its kind in Singapore, will be set up by the National Parks Board (NParks).

Called the Sisters' Islands Marine Park, it will serve as a platform for outreach, education, conservation and research activities related to Singapore's native marine life.

This is the latest marine biodiversity conservation initiative by NParks.

The 40-hectare park encompasses the land and waters surrounding the islands, and also covers the western coasts of both St John's Island and Pulau Tekukor, the site of a former ammunition dump.

Managed by NParks, its development will involve several non-governmental organisations (NGO), universities, schools and other marine nature groups.

So apart from featuring amenities such as educational storyboards, it will also host programmes such as workshops, guided walks and dives.

NParks also plans to charter boats from the mainland for participants of the guided tours it plans to conduct.

Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee said: "Collectively, as a society, we are contributing to the protection of our shared heritage. The park will not just be an outdoor classroom, but an underwater one as well."

The activities aim to engage and educate visitors so that they will gain an appreciation for the hundreds of marine life species Singapore plays host to.

Those include over 350 species of reef fish and hard corals, as well as the rare Neptune's Cup Sponge which have only been found live in Singapore's waters.

Dr Lena Chan, director of National Biodiversity Centre, said: "With marine biodiversity, you can't see. And what you can't see, you can't love. We need to involve everybody in this very great effort in the conservation, in learning more about our marine biodiversity."

NGOs agreed with Dr Chan. Ria Tan, founder of WildSingapore, said Sisters' Island was a good, accessible first step in improving appreciation for marine biodiversity.

"Once people see it and they appreciate it, they will know this belongs to Singapore. You don't have to go to Australia or Indonesia to see it. It is our marine life. It is something we can appreciate and enjoy," she said.

Though the park is only slated to be completed in 2015, NParks and other nature groups will be organising twice monthly group visits to the islands starting next month.

Members of the public can join the guided walks subject to weather and tidal conditions.

There are no plans to charge for these tours as of yet.

Those who are interested can sign up online at www.nparks.gov.sg/sistersislandsmarinepark, as places are limited to 15 people per visit.

Transportation to the islands will be provided.

- CNA/fa/nd

Singapore to get first marine park
Grace Chua The Straits Times AsiaOne 13 Jul 14;



Singapore's southern Sisters' Islands, and the waters around them, will be the site of the country's first marine park.

The 40ha park, the size of about 50 football fields, will include the western reefs and intertidal zones of nearby Pulau Tekukor, a former ammunition dump, and St John's Island, which currently houses research and recreational facilities.

Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee announced this yesterday morning at the annual Festival of Biodiversity, a nature-education fair held at the VivoCity mall this weekend.

"With the new Sisters' Island Marine Park, I hope that even more Singaporeans will enjoy and value our natural richness," he said. "The charm of the Sisters' Islands is in their undeveloped character, and... the marine environment is fragile."

Apart from letting more people enjoy its charms, designating the area a marine park also means that research and conservation activities will be ramped up there.

The area was picked for its variety of habitats such as coral reefs, seagrass areas and sandy shores, and is rich in marine life such as sponges and giant clams.

In 2011, for instance, the neptune's cup sponge, long thought to be extinct here, was rediscovered off St John's Island.

The Sisters' Islands have been marked out as a marine nature area in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Parks and Waterbodies Plan since it was introduced in 2003. Nature areas are high-biodiversity areas that are kept as long as possible till they are needed for development.

As a public park, the marine park will be managed by the National Parks Board (NParks), which will take over from Sentosa Development Corporation.

People will be able to sign up for guided walks from next month by visiting www.nparks.gov.sg/
sistersislandsmarinepark.

The details are being worked out, said National Biodiversity Centre director Lena Chan, but there are plans for downloadable trail guides, explanatory signs and live streaming of the islands' wildlife.

Currently, there are no regular ferry services to Sisters' Islands and boats need to be chartered for those who want to get there.

Other activities planned for next year include workshops, camps and talks at an outreach and education centre on St John's Island.

The National Biodiversity Centre's coastal and marine deputy director, Dr Karenne Tun, said NParks would be doing a feasibility study to fully map the islands, take a census of reef life and work out how many visitors can be allowed without harming wildlife.

NParks also plans to use the park for research and conservation, and to reintroduce giant clams and corals to its waters.

Those lobbying for Singapore's blue space to be better protected were encouraged by the news.

Said Professor Barry Halliwell, deputy president for research and technology at the National University of Singapore (NUS): "Marine biologists have long advocated for the establishment of such a park and this is very good news.

"NUS and NParks have collaborated on many projects over the years and we look forward to more joint projects after the marine park is established."

Nature enthusiast Ria Tan, 53, who runs popular wildlife site wildsingapore.com, said: "It's the first marine park that Singapore has, so it's something to celebrate. And hopefully it's the first of more."

But she raised concerns about fishermen using driftnets which entangle horseshoe crabs and other marine life. In response, Dr Chan said details of the budget, manpower and enforcement plan for the new park were still being finalised. Dr Tun said NParks would work with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority to engage fishermen on the issue.
In 2009, civil society groups presented a Blue Plan to the Government, calling for several areas including Sisters' Islands, Pulau Hantu, Cyrene Reef and Pulau Ubin's Chek Jawa to be formally designated high-biodiversity areas.

Dr Tun would not say if there was scope for other marine parks.

"The role now is just to make this park a success," she said.

Limited spaces for guided walks at low tide on Aug 14 and 15 are available.

Singapore to establish first marine park
AsiaOne 12 Jul 14

SINGAPORE - Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee announced today that Singapore will establish its first Marine Park.

Progress is underway for this latest conservation initiative by the National Parks Board (NParks), which was unveiled this morning at the Festival of Biodiversity 2014, launched by President Tony Tan Keng Yam.

The Sisters' Islands Marine Park, which will span about 40 hectares around Sisters' Islands and along the western reefs of both St John's Island and Pulau Tekukor, serves as a platform for outreach, educational, conservation and research activities related to our native marine biodiversity.

The location was chosen due to its variety of habitats including coral reefs, sandy shores and seagrass areas.
A number of nature groups have come on board to offer outreach activities like intertidal walks and guided dives to encourage greater appreciation of Singapore's native marine biodiversity.

Following the introductory guided walks held this year, more activities are being planned for roll out next year. These include workshops, seminars, camps and talks at the outreach and education centre on St John's Island. School groups can also be involved in monitoring programmes which will contribute to data collected for marine biodiversity research.

Minister of State for National Development, Desmond Lee said, "Much work has been done over the years to conserve our biodiversity. The Singapore we know today is one that is not only replete with greenery but one that is also teeming with various species of wildlife and marine life. Of course, more can be done and I am heartened to know that the public agencies, NGOs and the community are all working together to further conserve our rich biodiversity. The new Sisters' Islands Marine Park will strengthen this partnership and allow people to make a real difference to the environment by ensuring the survival of our precious native species."

Kenneth Er, NParks CEO shared, "The annual Festival of Biodiversity celebrates our rich natural heritage, and also the joint efforts between the National Parks Board and partners like universities and NGOs to encourage appreciation of our local flora and fauna. With the Sisters' Islands Marine Park, we hope to provide a wider range of opportunities for the community to contribute to citizen science by documenting biodiversity data which will support our conservation efforts."

As visibility of the marine life is subjected to tidal patterns, visitors interested to join the guided walks are encouraged to register early at www.nparks.gov.sg/sistersislandsmarinepark from today onwards.

Introductory guided walks next month will be held on Aug 14 and 15, 2014.

Latest marine biodiversity conservation initiative by the National Parks Board unveiled at Festival of Biodiversity
NParks media release 12 Jul 14;

Singapore, 12 July2014 - Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee announced today that Singapore will establish its first Marine Park. Progress is underway for this latest conservation initiative by the National Parks Board (NParks), which was unveiled this morning at the Festival of Biodiversity 2014, launched by President Tony Tan Keng Yam.

The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, which will span about 40 hectares around Sisters’ Islands and along the western reefs of both St John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor, serves as a platform for outreach, educational, conservation and research activities related to our native marine biodiversity. The location was chosen due to its variety of habitats including coral reefs, sandy shores and seagrass areas.

A number of nature groups have come on board to offer outreach activities like intertidal walks and guided dives to encourage greater appreciation of our native marine biodiversity. Following the introductory guided walks held this year, more activities are being planned for roll out next year. These include workshops, seminars, camps and talks at the outreach and education centre on St John’s Island. School groups can also be involved in monitoring programmes which will contribute to data collected for marine biodiversity research.

Minister of State for National Development, Desmond Lee said, “Much work has been done over the years to conserve our biodiversity. The Singapore we know today is one that is not only replete with greenery but one that is also teeming with various species of wildlife and marine life. Of course, more can be done and I am heartened to know that the public agencies, NGOs and the community are all working together to further conserve our rich biodiversity. The new Sisters’ Islands Marine Park will strengthen this partnership and allow people to make a real difference to the environment by ensuring the survival of our precious native species.”

Kenneth Er, NParks CEO shared, “The annual Festival of Biodiversity celebrates our rich natural heritage, and also the joint efforts between the National Parks Board and partners like universities and NGOs to encourage appreciation of our local flora and fauna. With the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, we hope to provide a wider range of opportunities for the community to contribute to citizen science by documenting biodiversity data which will support our conservation efforts.”

As visibility of the marine life is subjected to tidal patterns, visitors interested to join the guided walks are encouraged to register early at www.nparks.gov.sg/sistersislandsmarineparkfrom today onwards.

Introductory guided walks next month will be held on 14 and 15 August.

Sisters’ Islands Marine Park
MEDIA FACTSHEET on the NParks website
Also here

Map of Sisters’ Islands Marine Park


Singapore’s first Marine Park, the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, will span about 40 hectares around Sisters’ Islands and along the western reefs of St John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor. The location was chosen due to the variety of habitats including coral reefs, sandy shores and seagrass meadows.

The new initiative aims to give Singaporeans a first-hand experience of our rich biodiversity which are submerged most of the time. The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park will protect Singapore’s coral reefs, which support an ecosystem inhabited by rare and endangered species of seahorses, clams, sponges and other marine life. More than 250 species of hard corals can be found in Singapore’s waters out of over 500 species within the region. Being located in close proximity to one of the world’s busiest ports, the Marine Park will provide a safe refuge for the teeming biodiversity around the Southern Islands and its surrounding waters, as well as safeguard our natural heritage.

Biodiversity
Singapore’s waters are home to:
=More than 250 species of hard corals (32% of hard coral species found worldwide)
=More than 100 species of reef fish
=About 200 species of sponges
=12 seagrass species

Interesting species
1. Neptune’s Cup Sponge (Cliona patera)
=Large sponge with a prominent goblet shape cup sitting on a robust stem
=Can reach up to a metre in height and width
=Thought to be extinct for more than 100 years until it was rediscovered off Singapore’s coast in 2011

2. Giant Clams (Tridacna spp.)
=The largest living bivalve molluscs in the world
=Individuals display a variety of colourful mantle
=Three species are still found in Singapore

3. Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.)
=Swims vertically upright
=The male broods the young in their pouch
=Require calm waters with many hiding places, such as seagrass meadows
=Have bony plates just under their skin instead of scales

4. Dragonfish Sea Cucumber (Stichopus horrens)
=Distracts predators by detaching part of its skin when stressed or attacked
=Becomes completely limp when out of water for too long, and might completely disintegrate
=Able to reverse this process if returned to water in time

5. Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
=Grows up to 1.8 m in length
=Easily recognised by black-tipped fins
=Feeds on a variety of marine creatures like fish, octopuses, squid and crabs.

The Marine Park’s multiple roles and functions

Outreach

- Outreach activities will bring marine life closer to the public to foster greater understanding and appreciation of the marine habitats and their biodiversity

- The public can also sign up as volunteers to assist in marine biodiversity programmes such as
o International Coastal Cleanup Singapore (ICCS) – gathers data on marine debris found on our beaches and mangrove areas
o Citizen science programmes that will be rolled out as part of the Marine Park’s activities

Education

- Educational programmes will be available for interested participants to learn about marine biodiversity. These programmes include
o Remote monitoring programmes for schools
o Workshops, talks and seminars

Conservation

- Enhancement activities will be carried out to improve existing marine habitats and enhance biodiversity
- Examples include nurseries for corals, giant clams, Neptune’s cup sponge and other iconic marine organisms
- Monitoring works conducted regularly

Research - Marine research will be centred around the Marine Park, focusing on various aspects of marine biology, ecology and restoration

Speech by Mr Desmond Lee, Minister of State for National Development, at the Launch of the Festival of Biodiversity 2014 on 12 July 2014, 11am
NParks media release 12 Jul 14;

President Tony Tan

Mr Kenneth Er
CEO, NParks

Friends of the nature community

Ladies and gentlemen

1. A very good morning to all of you. I am pleased to be here with everybody at the launch of the Festival of Biodiversity 2014. We are all extremely privileged to have with us, for the third year running, our President, to launch and grace the pinnacle event in our biodiversity calendar. Sir, we are very privileged and honoured by your presence today.

Festival of Biodiversity – A Collaboration with the Community

2. Since 2012, the National Parks Board (NParks) has been collaborating with the Biodiversity Roundtable - a partnership of nature groups and the National University of Singapore (NUS) - to hold this annual Festival. The Festival of Biodiversity is a celebration of the community’s efforts to conserve Singapore’s natural heritage. This year, almost 40 partners, including non-government organisations (NGOs), interest groups, schools, organisations and individuals, are involved in the Festival. Some of these partners have been supporting the Festival since its inception in 2012. Today, we also have students from 9 schools with us, running our children’s workshops and participating in the exhibitions. I am delighted and very proud of the time and effort put in by all of you to spread the conservation message among Singaporeans. This is a true measure of how much our natural heritage on our island city matters to you.

Biodiversity Conservation – A Constant and Conscious Choice

3. As a small country, we are always innovating to make the most of our limited land resources. Even as we intensify our urban land use, we will set aside 9% of our land for our nature reserves and parks by 2030. This is a conscious choice – one which is never easy, especially when you consider the competing uses for housing, industry, defence and transport infrastructure. We consciously do so for the benefit of all Singaporeans, because a connection to nature is a must-have, not a good-to-have.

4. In fact, Singapore has done more to conserve our natural heritage than a nation our size might be expected to do. We have a land area of slightly over 700 square kilometres. Yet on our small island, more than 10 types of ecosystems can be found. The Chek Jawa wetlands in Pulau Ubin alone has 6 different habitats. On this little red dot, we have primary and secondary forests, rivers, mangrove forests, inter-tidal mudflats and coral reefs, teeming with wildlife and thousands of different plant and animal species.

5. We have protected more than 3,300 ha (or 33 square kilometres) of our land in four nature reserves which represent our key indigenous ecosystems, like the primary lowland forest in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the freshwater swamp forest in Central Catchment Nature Reserve, the mangrove forests in Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve, and the coastal hill forest in Labrador Nature Reserve. We have also designated 20 nature areas with significant biodiversity that will be retained for as long as possible. These places are full of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered – whether it is the sight of a spiderweb gleaming like a necklace, the smell of the fruits, flowers and damp forest soil, the sound of the crickets singing in the leaves, or the sighting of a species (such as the Straw-headed Bulbul) that is globally vulnerable and nationally endangered. Nature can awake that sense of wonder which makes the world such a marvellous place.

Community Involvement in Biodiversity Conservation

6. Besides retaining our nature reserves and nature areas, we are actively conserving and rejuvenating their flora and fauna. NParks has been replanting our forests, restoring our habitats and recovering native species such as various birds and dragonflies. Many of you in the community have been volunteering your efforts in this area, and working alongside NParks. Collectively as a society, we are contributing to the protection of our shared natural heritage.

7. More and more, the Government is involving the community to protect our biodiversity, because it belongs to all of us. One recent example is what we’re doing for Pulau Ubin. Over the years, NParks has been working with the community to preserve the thriving biodiversity on Ubin, and sensitively provide access so that the public can learn more about the richness of our biodiversity while enjoying the island. Earlier this year, I shared that we would be consulting widely on how we can further enhance its rustic charm and natural beauty. Just One-and-a-half months ago, we launched a microsite to allow everyone to submit ideas on what they would like Ubin to be. We have received good feedback, so keep the ideas coming. There is an exhibition here on The Ubin Project where you can also give ideas. I encourage all of you to pay a visit and tell us, among other things, how to enhance its natural environment and the overall visitor experience.

Sisters’ Islands Marine Park – Singapore’s First Marine Park

8. Thanks to the partnership between the Government, our nature interest groups and the community, more and more Singaporeans now know that we have a treasure trove hidden in our forests and terrestrial nature areas. Fewer, however, know that we are equally blessed in our seas, which are among some of the busiest waters in the world. For instance, we have more than 250 hard coral species in Singapore’s waters, which accounts for about a third of the world’s total. Most of these are located in waters off the Southern Islands, which are also home to colourful reef fish, giant clams, sponges and other marine organisms.

9. We have conserved significant natural habitats on land, and we will now do more, in a completely new area. We will conserve areas of rich biodiversity in our seas as well. Today, I have the pleasure of announcing that NParks will be establishing Singapore’s first marine park – the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park. This new marine park will span about 40ha, around Sisters’ Islands and along the western reefs of St John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor.

10. What will we be doing to the waters around these islands? For almost a year, we have been asking our marine nature groups this important question. Together with representatives from WildSingapore, the ToddyCats, and Nature Society Singapore, we have come up with some ideas. Remembering that the charm of the Sisters’ Islands is in their undeveloped character, and that the marine environment is fragile, we think that our first marine park can serve three objectives, where the activities can be carefully managed and any new facility that is built is done so in an environmentally sensitive and sustainable manner.

11. First, outreach and education. The best of nature is hidden, but we will make it easier for you to find and study them. NParks is working with the marine nature groups on guided intertidal walks and dive trips where you can be awed by the variety of coral, fish and other marine life in our waters. For a start, we will be organising guided walks at Big Sister’s Island starting from next month.

12. NParks will put in place basic facilities for outreach and education activities on St. John’s Island, such as educational storyboards and classrooms where we can conduct workshops, talks and camps. The marine park should be an opportunity to teach our young the wonder of biodiversity, and give them a sense of curiosity and discovery. The park will not just be an outdoor classroom, but an underwater one as well.

13. Second, the marine park can help our conservation efforts. Maritime activities within the marine park will have to be properly managed so that it can continue to be a marine life sanctuary. It will be a place where rare and locally-endangered marine species can be carefully cultivated and restored.We will establish nurseries to conserve marine organisms such as giant clams and corals, and reintroduce them into Singapore’s waters.

14. Third, the marine park will be used for research. With our diversity of marine wildlife, the marine park has so much potential for us to learn about our tropical marine ecosystems. The research findings can contribute to NParks’ understanding on how to conserve such marine environments, and play a small part in the preservation of fragile marine ecosystems elsewhere.

Conclusion

15. In closing, I would like to thank each and every one of you, our community partners, who have contributed your time, effort and ideas at today’s Festival and the design of the new Sisters’ lsland Marine Park. You have played your part to protect our natural heritage, both on land and in the sea, and to generate Singaporeans’ interest in our natural endowment. With the new Sisters’ Island Marine Park, I hope that even more Singaporeans of all ages will enjoy and value our natural richness. I look forward to seeing even more of you at next year’s Festival of Biodiversity.

Thank you.

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Dengue cases this year cross 10,000 mark

Channel NewsAsia 11 Jul 14;

SINGAPORE: The number of dengue cases in Singapore has crossed the five-figure mark, with 10,112 cases as of 3.30pm on Thursday (July 10).

In a statement issued earlier this week, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said there was a “sharp rise” in the number of reported cases of dengue, and warned that it expects the number of cases to rise further during the ongoing peak dengue season.

For the week ending July 5, a total of 891 dengue cases were reported, up from the previous week of 674 cases. DENV-1, the strain of virus that caused the 2013 epidemic, remains dominant, accounting for almost 90 per cent of infections, the NEA said.

Another 556 cases were reported between July 6 and 10, according to the NEA website.

As of Thursday, there have been 28 clusters identified as high-risk areas. A total of 192 cases of dengue have been reported at Chua Chu Kang Avenue 2, 3 and 5 – making it the largest dengue cluster in Singapore currently.

One work site there was slapped with a stop-work order after authorities found four mosquito breeding sites there. More than 30 workers fell ill from dengue fever, while 60 residents one street away also caught the disease.

"The drains near the playground are clogged and collecting water," one resident at Chua Chu Kang Ave 2 told us. "Most of my neighbours have already been diagnosed with dengue, and some of them are in hospital."

MP Zaqy Mohamad said the National Environment Agency found more than 70 mosquito breeding sites across Chua Chu Kang in total - 12 in public areas, and eight in construction sites.

"What was interesting was we found 50 breeding sites in homes. In the residential areas that they visited, not every house opened their doors. So it is something that we need to continue educating residents. While there is risk coming from the environment, the majority of breeding sites that were found were in the residential areas," he said.

Work is underway to replace the constituency's concrete drain covers with metal grating, to minimise the incidence of choked drains that can breed mosquitoes literally under cover. Authorities have also stepped up mosquito control work and inspections in the hotspot.

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