18 Jun (Sun): FREE walk at Chek Jawa

Once a year, and only once a year, during Pesta Ubin, volunteers from several groups come together to offer a Chek Jawa Open House. Volunteers will be stationed all over the boardwalk. There will be activities for kids.

This activity is offered by the Chek Jawa community, led by the Naked Hermit Crabs with friends of Chek Jawa like NParks Chek Jawa volunteers and TeamSeaGrass. (There will be NO activities on the seashores or intertidal areas).

Date: 18 Jun 2023 (Sun)
Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Venue: Chek Jawa Wetlands
No registration required, simply just turn up at Chek Jawa. This activity is free-of-charge.

More details

14 dead sharks at Pulau Semakau South

There are living shores next to the Landfill. With corals, seagrasses and mangroves. A small team pushes through the Sumatra storm to arrive just after it passed.

Unfortunately, we encountered an abandoned net with 14 dead sharks, an expansion of the field of horse mussels, and sightings of bleaching anemones and pale corals.

Anemone hunt at Terumbu Pempang Laut

Terumbu Pempang Laut is one of our largest submerged reefs and located near industrial islands such as Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom.

Today, a small team surveys with sea anemone experts! Arriving a dawn to enjoy a spectacular sunrise. The seagrasses are doing still doing well, and we find some sea anemones.

Sumatras storm over Pulau Hantu

Regular shore explorers know and respect stormy weather. The pre-dawn Sumatras are the scariest. With towering dark clouds building up high winds and megavolts of lighting - in the face of one, we have long learnt to flee for cover.

Although Pulau Hantu lies just across the petrochemical plants on Pulau Bukom, there are living reefs and even mangroves here. Despite being hit by a storm in the middle of our survey, I saw healthy corals, mangroves although the seagrass situation is still sad.

Why is Singapore producing fish to export? SFA replies

I had a lot of questions when SFA announced in May 2202 plans, under "30-by-30", to further expand fish farming in our southern waters, near some of our best reefs and shores.

The richest reefs of Pulau Satumu (Raffles Lighthouse)
is one of the planned locations for new fish farms.

The plans surprised me because it seems much of the fish currently produced in the area is EXPORTED. Wouldn't it make more sense to first ensure all the fish currently produced are actually eaten by Singapore residents? Before we risk our marine biodiversity to produce MORE fish just for export? And I had more questions.

In Mar 2023, Louis Ng helped send these questions to Dr Koh Poh Koon who sent them to SFA.

In May 2023, I finally received this reply that I can post publicly.

27 May (Sat): Talk on "Rebuilding Our Reefs: Creating Underwater Cities For Singapore’s Marine Life"

Take a deep dive with SAM Shu Qin into Singapore’s sea. She shares her journey in transforming the seabed into vibrant habitats for corals and marine life.

Join the talk physically at Heartbeat@Bedok (limited slots!) or join online via Zoom.

Talk on "Rebuilding Our Reefs: Creating Underwater Cities For Singapore’s Marine Life"
Date: 27 May 2023 (Sat)
Time: 3-4pm
Register: https://go.gov.sg/nparksspotlight-27May

Part of the Festival of Biodiversity https://fob.nparks.gov.sg/