Blogging for nature with SPROUT

A very short nap after the field trip and I'm off for the SPROUT! workshops to introduce blogging for nature.This excellent programme is organised by Ian and the team from Green NYF with N. Sivasothi and Kenneth Pinto are leading the segment on blogging for nature.

Return to Tanah Merah

It's been a long day that started a 2am today with an astounding trip to Tanah Merah. This time with a larger team, to a larger section of this shore, so we sure saw a lot more!

Biodiversity outreach at Youth Eco-Fiesta 2009

A quick nap and off to another World Environment Day event. This time with TeamSeagrass to share about our seagrasses and shores at Youth Eco-Fiesta 2009 held in the heartlands of Tampines.
The NPark Biodiversity Trail (which first debut during EnviroFest 2009) was invited to participate in this event.

Another fishy day at Tanah Merah

A short nap after the Leafmonkey Workshop and I'm out on the shores of Tanah Merah for a moderate low tide.
It was positively teeming with fishes! This beautiful fish is a grouper, the Chocolate hind (Cephalopholis boenak). The last time I saw one was on Chek Jawa in 2004!

Pack of Wild Squid

I have no idea why, but today I was plagued by squids!
In pairs, in shoals, these curious cephalopods cruised all around me.

Wacky Webby Spiders on World Environment Day

Yesterday, some die hard spider enthusiasts gathered for the Leafmonkey Workshop featuring Marcus Ng as our Spider Speaker to present on "Get Web with Singapore Spiders".
There were all kinds of toy spiders big and small. For participants (also in various ranges) to play with during the event.

Why should a small country bother to go carbon neutral?

Why should a country that contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions bother to go carbon neutral? After all, such efforts will not stop global warming if big polluters refuse to countenance all but token emissions reductions.

Conventional wisdom dictates that small, developing nations should refuse to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. This wisdom suggests that such nations should be lobbying for permits to pollute more, while apportioning blame for climate change squarely on the shoulders of big, industrialised nations.

Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives explains why his nation is taking the unconventional path.

12 and 13 Jun (Fri, Sat): Family walk at Sentosa shore with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Registration is now open for these special walks on a special natural shore on Sentosa!
Places fill up quickly, more details on how to register on the Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs blog.

Singapore ovulids and "The Living Ovulidae"

Today I got a pleasant surprise in the snail mail: a humungous snail book!
Written by Felix Lorenz and Dirk Fehse, "The Living Ovulidae: A Manual of the Families of Allied Cowries: Ovulidae, Pediculariidae and Eocypraeidae" is a fabulous work of art and science! And Dr Felix has not only kindly included some Singapore ovulids in this massive work, but also sent me a copy of the 2kg book! I am quite stunned!

Corals are as complex as humans

"Perhaps we won't have to just stand by as the coral reefs of the world die and disappear." said Virginia Weis, author of a study that found corals to have a genetic complexity that rivals that of humans. She adds that coral biologists are now starting to think more outside the box as new findings about corals are made.

Coral reefs of Terembu Raya overlooking Pulau Semakau.

Corals, it appears, have sophisticated systems of biological communication that are being stressed by global change.

Some stars like it hot and acid

A sea star species has been found to grow 'dramatically' faster in hot and acid seawater. An increase in temperature of just three degrees and doubling of CO2 concentrations enabled the Purple Ochre Sea Star to grow almost twice as fast as it normally would over a period of ten weeks.
Purple Ochre Sea Stars (Image courtesy of Chris Harley, University of British Columbia)

The Purple Ochre Sea Star is considered a keystone species—a species that exerts a disproportionate effect on their ecosystem by preying on other animals.

Wrinkly ships keep barnacles off

A non-toxic wrinkly coating to ship hulls may keep barnacles off thus avoiding the use of toxic paints and reducing the cost and time taken to clean ships of marine encrustations.

The coating shares traits with surfaces found in nature, where rough surfaces such as shark skin generally stay free of debris buildup. In contrast, other marine species, such as whales, have smooth skin but often carry barnacles as unwanted hitchhikers.

World Environment Day 2009

5 Jun (Fri) is World Environment Day! The theme for 2009 is 'Your Planet Needs You - UNite to Combat Climate Change'
These are some of the events held to celebrate World Environment Day in Singapore.

• Amazing Mangrove Adventure at Sungei Buloh: a fun activity for the whole family.
• Youth Eco-Fiesta 2009 at Tampines with the NParks Biodiversity Trail and NEA Eco bus.
• The Singapore Environment Council's Charity Movie Premiere of "Home" a film that will be released on the same day in over 50 countries about how humanity has upset the balance of the planet.
• RE-Live! 2009 an environmental sustainability event by ECO Singapore

Chek Jawa with the Naked Hermit Crabs

A hot sunny afternoon and I'm out with Ley Kun and Ivan to conduct the monthly Chek Jawa boardwalk tour at Pulau Ubin by the Naked Hermit Crabs.
Though the tide is high, there's lots to discover at Chek Jawa!

Chek Jawa Wetlands designation: an old notice

This is a very old notice about the official designation of Chek Jawa Wetlands as an area off limits to boaters, water recreational activities including fishing and swimming. The Chek Jawa Wetlands includes Pulau Sekudu.
I thought I should include this notice on the blog for easy search and retrieval.