NEA report on Marine Litter (Jan 2025)

Commissioned by NEA in 2021, the report was published on 13 Jan 2025. “The modelling found that only about 3 per cent of the macro- and micro- plastics found on our beaches were from inland waterways, while 97 per cent were from marine-based sources,” said NEA.

Litter build up on an East Coast shore
that is not regularly cleaned.

My comment: It doesn't make it okay for Singapore not to provide proper trash disposal for vessels using all our piers, or provide fish farms with easier trash disposal. More in Plea for MPA to provide trash collection to vessels that use their piers. Similar to action on Climate Change, it's no excuse to say we only contribute a miniscule proportion of carbon so we don't have to do our part.

"Condos for Fish" at Pulau Hantu

To encourage the return of fish life, artificial structures made of concrete blocks, called fish houses, were deployed at the base of sea walls at five different sites at Pulau Hantu.

“This study provides more technical information on how fish houses deployed near sea walls can be designed to support higher fish diversity, which can be incorporated into future coastal defence construction,” said Dr Daisuke Taira.

Said NUS Associate Professor Peter Todd, who conceived the study on the fish houses: “As coastlines around the world are increasingly modified by urbanisation and the need to defend against sea level rise, it is vital that we find ways to mitigate some of the worst effects.”

'A few tonnes' oil leak at Pulau Bukom on 27 Dec 2024

"A few tonnes of the refined oil products were leaked" from Pulau Bukom's refinery. 

Shell has laid containment and absorbent booms and sprayed dispersants. No oil patches are currently observed in the vicinity of Pulau Bukom. MPA and Shell have deployed cleaning boats to clean up light oil sheens observed off Bukom Island, using both dispersants and absorbent booms.

The agencies are closely monitoring the situation, and have deployed satellites and drones for surveillance.

“As a precaution, oil absorbent booms will be laid at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park and at the beaches on Sentosa,” they added.

Pasir Ris rare mangrove tree still okay

A tiny team surveys Pasir Ris, an accessible and well visited shore. But it remains rich in a variety of marine life and is home to the last large specimen of a rare mangrove tree on the mainland.

A small team finds the tree still standing! The seagrasses and shores are also well.

Chek Jawa North is alive!

It seems to rain every time we survey Chek Jawa! This year, it was just a drizzle as we surveyed the vast northern sand bar. 

Seagrasses are still doing well, carpet anemones are back on the seaward side. Kelvin spotted some dugong feeding trails, and we saw favourites like Button snails and Common sea stars. Thanks to NParks for permission to survey.

100k Coral Initiative plus new coral facility at St John's Island

100k Corals Initiative announced: to plant the corals in Singapore over the next 10 years and beyond. A new facility at the Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre, St. John's Island will grow corals for this effort. Corals will be cultivated by coral restoration experts and researchers from the National University of Singapore at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory. 

A volunteer programme will also be developed by NParks, St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory and Friends of Marine Park for citizen science monitoring of the transplanted corals. Volunteers will help with coral husbandry and underwater monitoring techniques. More details of volunteer training opportunities will be shared when ready.

You can visit the St John's Island facility by joining the guided tour of St John's Island held on the first Sunday of every month. Or do a self-guided tour with the Trail Guide - free for download from the NParks website.