Labrador is our last natural reef and best example of our original southern seagrass meadows on the mainland. These shores were impacted by
Pasir Panjang oil spill in Jun 2024 which occurred at the massive Pasir Panjang container terminal right next to it. As well as the
global mass coral bleaching which started in Apr 2024.
We were overwhelmed having to survey many other shores during this period and had to miss Labrador until now. It is also my first time here since
2019. It was a relief to see that the seagrasses are mostly like they were before. But there were much fewer corals. The rocky shores were also quiet. The rest of the team, however, made interesting finds including the first mainland occurrence of a Giant clam! Some of the team surveyed Berlayar Creek at the same time. I will update with their finds later. Thanks to NParks for permission and their company during the survey.
Compared to my last survey here in
2019, today, I saw very few live hard corals: most were small boulder shaped ones. I also saw few leathery soft corals, some tiny. I saw bigger ones nearer the container terminal. I saw much less zoanthids and no other cnidarians. The sponges were also not very abundant.
Closer to the container terminal, is the site of the
cofferdam that was built in 2007 for removal of undersea cables. The area was filled with small granite chips, which are still here today. Here's more about
a study on the impact of the cofferdam and what I saw in 2008
after the cofferdam was removed.
Over time, seagrasses and corals have settled here. Today, it is remains so despite the main recent impacts.
Labrador has the last natural cliffs on the mainland, cloaked with a natural coastal forest. And picturesque rocky shore below. Today, I had a closer look the rock right at the base of the cliffs. It was rather quiet.
There were still carpets of
Tiny red fern seaweeds that are common here and at nearby Tg Rimau. But no little onchs, periwinkle snails and small creatures I usually see here. There were only a sprinkling of common snails, and tiny patches of bead anemones and star barnacles. I only saw a few sea slaters - these are usually swarming the area. Possibly it was not dark enough and we might see more during a predawn survey.
While I saw zero nerites on the natural rocky shore, they were present on the seawall next to the promenade. Not super abundant, but I saw a variety of commonly seen ones with sprinkles of egg capsules laid on the hard surface. The jetty legs were actually more lively! Drills and their egg capsule, fatter juicier banded bead anemones, thin patches of sponges and encrusting animals. The only Big onch slug I saw. As well as a Sally-lightfoot crab.
The most abundant animal on the rocky shore were the Endangered
Jewelled chitons. Quite large ones (about 8cm) out in the open after sunset with some smaller ones in crevices. There were even more of them on the jetty legs! These molluscs with plate armour are more active in the dark, feeding on algae growing on hard surfaces.
Labrador has been the stronghold for long
Tape seagrasses. Elsewhere on our shores, since the early 2010s, they are cropped short and in some places, disappeared. It was great to see long Tape seagrasses today. And a few clumps were even flowering!
Sickle seagrass still grows thickly at the entrance to the shore, between the seawall and the jetty. There are sprinkles of it elsewhere on the shore. I didn't see any that were flowering. There are also lush patches of
Spoon seagrass (with small leaves) growing nearer the rocky shore at the mid-water mark. This is very similar to what I saw on my last survey here in
2019. For the first time, I saw
Noodle seagrass on Labrador!
In recent years, there has been a perpetual year-round bloom of
Bryopsis seaweed on many southern shores near the mainland. Like Tg Rimau (Sentosa), and also Labrador. This fine hairy seaweed formingt dense mats that can cover large areas on the mid-water mark, and wash up in large bundles on the high shore. Taking a closer look, the seaweed is teeming with tiny life. From
Bryopsis slugs that suck the sap of the seaweed, to
Pygmy squid prowling for tiny prey. Juvenile fishes of all kinds including
mullets. And lots of tiny crustaceans - crabs, shrimps, amphipods.
It was a relief to see large patches of live
Jania red seaweeds on Labrador. During our immediate post-Pasir Panjang oil spill check at East Coast, we saw large amounts of this seaweed washed up in
Oct 2024 and
Jul 2024.
The annual
Sargassum seaweed bloom is just starting up. Today on Labrador, the seaweed getting fluffy at the reef edge near the jetty. It is not yet in 'full bloom' at which point they form thick carpets with long strands which can wrap around legs and make surveying the reef edge impossible to do safely. I'm tracking the bloom season as we feel that in recent years, it is starting earlier and ending later.
Labrador shore is now
permanently closed to the public mainly due to the risk of slope failure. Labrador is Singapore's last natural cliff on the mainland and it is natural for landslides to occur. But the jetty is now open, with fishing only allowed at the furthest end of the jetty.
More about what you can see and do at Labrador on the
NParks website. Thanks to NParks for permission to survey and for coming so early to be with us on our trip. Thank you!
