Return to Buran bravely

Terumbu Buran is surrounded by strong currents. The last time we surveyed was in 2010, and I was so traumatised by landing and departure that I refused to ever go again. 

16 years later, Kok Sheng persuaded a few of us to return. I was still too scared to join them - the photo of them landing today still frightens me. But they saw corals hard and soft, a lot of corallimorphs and the usual marine life common on our rocky shores. Here's a compilation of their sightings.

Long tape seagrasses at Sentosa Palawan

There is a patch of long Tape seagrass growing at Sentosa Palawan! A nice surprise to see on an artificial beach and 'islet' facing the busy port! Sentosa is indeed a precious refuge for seagrasses and rare mangrove trees.

Over the weekend, the survey team and I also checked out the Great Sentosa exhibition at Vivocity. Once completed, Greater Sentosa is projected to attract about double the current 17 million visitors a year. I do hope our marine life will be given a chance to be a part of this Greater Sentosa. So hopefully it won't come to a point where we can only see Sentosa's rare plants and animals in a glass jar. 

More of my thoughts on Greater Sentosa at the end of this post. Which I have submitted as my feedback to the Greater Sentosa masterplan. Submit your feedback too here https://form.gov.sg/6a44c40969c66ca0ff78bbc6

Giant clam overdose on Terumbu Pempang Laut

This humungous submerged reef lies next to Jurong Island and major shipping lanes. And yet, it has seagrass meadows, corals and lots and lots of Giant clams.

Today, we also saw lots of dugong feeding trails, special anemones and the usual colourful marine life. The corals seem alright, and seagrasses remain the same.

Berlayar Creek boardwalk closed 3 Jun 2026 to 31 Mar 2027

Berlayar Creek boardwalk at Labrador Nature Park will be closed for improvement works from 3 Jun 26 till 31 Mar 27. 

More details from the NParks website below

Your feedback sought for preparatory work for Long Island

Preparatory works will involve removal of seabed obstructions, construction of temporary sand bunds and sand infilling. Phase 1 will begin end-2026, while Phase 2 will take place after the end of the SEA Games 2029. 

An Environmental Impact Assessment indicates up to minor impact on some terrestrial and marine biodiversity. Some coral and seagrass beds found near the work site may experience short-term and localised impact from the sediment plumes. However, the majority of coral and seagrass in the vicinity, including Sisters’ Island Marine Park, are largely unaffected.

The area that is used for preparatory works is not reflective of the future land profile of ‘Long Island’. 

This project will span a few decades, agencies will continue to engage Singaporeans and stakeholders to shape the plans and design for ‘Long Island’ at various stages of the planning process in the years ahead. 

Share your feedback here https://form.gov.sg/675fc8ff28a3ca9ebd83c21b

Full EIA available on the HDB website here

Muted mass coral spawning in 2026

This year's annual mass coral spawning at Pulau Satumu was a muted affair. “While some coral colonies were observed spawning, the overall activity appeared relatively muted compared with the spawning activity previously observed in some years, where a larger number of species had spawned,” said Karenne Tun, group director of the National Parks Board’s (NParks) National Biodiversity Centre.

Scientists said this could be due to global mass coral bleaching in 2024 and a smaller-scale bleaching event at Pulau Satumu in September 2025. Coral scientists worldwide are expecting mass coral bleaching in 2026-2027.