Phallic flower on a lazy stroll at Pulau Ubin

A late morning stroll at Pulau Ubin with friends, what a fabulous treat! After a quick fix of Ubin mee siam, we headed off for the Sensory Trail.
Pulau Ubin is our last unspoilt laid back 'kampung' island. With an odd mix of ritual and relaxation. Here's a view of the mainland from the shore just next to Ubin Jetty.
One of the many shrines that dot the island, in the background, the Ubin Jetty with busy little bum boats dropping off daytrippers.I was out with Grant Pereira and Grace and friends of GVN for a lazy stroll of the Sensory Trail. Gosh, the Trail has grown really lush since the last time I visited, which alas, was many years ago. The lush fragrance of Pandan greets us at the entrance of the Trail which winds under shady trees.Among the amazing encounters was this enormous flower next to the Elephant Yam. So it's probably the Elephant Yam flower right? A quick check on the internet confirms that it is!
The flower does indeed have elements of its highly suggestive scientific name Amorphophallus paeoniifolius.The male flowers on the upper portion of the central stem are dusted in golden pollen. While the white female flowers are below. According to a blog post about this plant in the Garden Voices blog, the flower is supposed to stink like rotting fish, which attracts pollinating flies. But we didn't smell anything at this flower.

The Sensory Trail is festooned with all manner of strange and amazing plants and vegetables.
Grant pointed out the red hairy fruits of the Lipstick Tree (Bixa orellana). What an intriguing name. He proceeded to illustrate the reason for the common name of this plant.If you crush the seeds, it produces a bright red dye which can be applied to hair, face and other purposes! Wow!I also got excited over the coffee plant (the short tree on the right in the photo above).Here's the fruits of the coffee and we hunted for a long while before we found some flowers.These had fallen to the ground already. Grace shared that she once came across lots while they were still on the branch and the blossoms had a heady scent of jasmine!
The vegetation was full of life! Little spiders and bugs skulked in shady spots. The sunny places were busy with butterflies.There was a spot in the trail deep in fallen leaves. And we realised these must have all fallen from the large tree which had not a single leaf left on its branches! What has happened? We don't know.
Leaving the Sensory Trail, we wandered through mangroves with mud lobster mounds, strange trees, giant mudskippers; and coconut plantations with huge termite mounds, next to ponds with water lilies and strange freshwater plants. We also saw a male and female Koel, and had a quick look at the Hornbill nesting box.

The Sensory Trail is indeed a great introduction to the outdoors for all the senses. Grant Pereira conducts guided walks at the Trail. Do contact him at grant@singapore.com if you'd like to organise a walk with him. You won't be disappointed!

Pulau Ubin as test bed for 'green energy'

Pulau Ubin is the location of Chek Jawa and is our last unspoilt 'kampung' island.
The Energy Market Authority (EMA) yesterday announced plans to turn Pulau Ubin into a model 'green island' powered entirely by clean and renewable energy. EMA sees the project as boosting Singapore's ambition to be a global test-bedding site for new energy technologies.

Plans are to look into testing solar, wind, marine, biomass (such as solid waste and algae), biodiesel and bioethanol, hydrogen and fuel cells, microturbine, the energy management system for the micro-grid, and substations.

A tender for a consultancy study has been called, and the project will be awarded later this month. The six-month study, slated for completion in May, will look at how much energy is needed by residents on the 10 sq km island, and the most cost-effective combination of renewable energy technologies that can be used.

EMA said that it will look into 'both the technical and commercial viability of the options proposed, while giving due consideration to economic, environmental and social costs and benefits'.

Depending on the study's outcome, it could be followed by development of actual infrastructure to create a micro-grid system - or small scale power supply network - on the island. The project will be situated near the Ubin jetty.

All the 100 inhabitants on the 110 sq km island, including small businesses, currently run their own diesel- powered generators to generate electricity. They are not connected to the mainland electricity grid.

Full articles on the wildsingapore news blog.

High rainfall expected in Malaysia in Dec and Jan: impact on Singapore shores

Higher than usual rainfall expected in January and December has been forecast by the Malaysian Meteorology Department. In responses, the Malaysian government has set up 4,595 flood evacuation centres and other facilities. Full reports on the wildsingapore news blog.

What does this mean for Singapore shores in the North?

In early 2007, there was mass deaths on Chek Jawa following massive flooding in Johor.

Large numbers of carpet anemones, sea cucumbers, sea stars, sponges and other marine life were found dead on the shores.
Chek Jawa lies at the mouth of the Johor River that drains through Johor. Huge inflows of freshwater from the River that lasts for days or weeks can severely impact intertidal marine life on Chek Jawa. Media reports and related blog posts of this event.

In late October flood warnings were issued for East Johor.

Seahorses in Johor under threat

A bleak future for the seahorse colony at Sungai Pulai estuary near Gelang Patah: "While there were between eight and 10 seahorses spotted off Pulau Merambong, near the estuary, in March and April, only five were spotted last month." said the The Johor Malaysia Nature Society based on data provided by the Save Our Seahorses (SOS).

This seahorse was seen at Tuas in Apr 08 as part of TeamSeagrass monitoring in Singapore. Tuas is just opposite the Sungai Pulai area which lies across the Johor Straits.

Pulau Merambong is a 0.3ha island situated 3km from Tanjung Kupang in Gelang Patah. More about Pulau Merambong on the wildfilms blog.

The estuary of Sungai Pulai is a 9,000ha area of mangroves and riverines, with 24 different species of trees.

But the area is slowly being destroyed, largely due to the development taking place on the banks of the Tebrau Straits, thus endangering the seahorses' marine habitat.

"So far, we have identified nitrogenous effluent as one of the pollutants and this may affect the population of seahorses downstream. The nitrogen is believed to be from the waste of oil palm estates which border the estuary."

SOS head and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu marine biology lecturer Choo Chee Kuang said that development around the estuary had destroyed large tracts of seagrass beds, which were home to the seahorses.

Full article on the wildsingapore news blog.

More about Save our Seahorses on their website: http://www.sosmalaysia.org/

Echinoderm Excess: madness at first nature guides' workshop

What is the ultimate echinoderm? We found out last night at the Workshop for Nature Guides conducted by the Leafmonkey Workshop.

A motley bunch of nature guides and interested nature lovers gathered for the first Workshop for Nature guides, to learn more about echinoderms. After a quick introduction to the basic 'specifications' of echinoderms, there was a lively discussion on how best to introduce echinoderms to ordinary people.

One of the tasks was to share at least one corny joke. And the participants sure came up with lots of 'fall-off-the-chair' jokes and riddles. One joke, (to do with the long black sea cucumber) was rated triple X and RA. Too late, we noticed the presence of our youngest guide, Brendon in the room. Jeffrey tried to cover his ears to no avail.

Then it was time for the 'Weird Echinoderm' segment.Here's the Culcita team building the Ultimate Echinoderm.
And Team BLO (Black long object) with their ingenious echinoderm (it's a tool using creature).It seems the team has already been busy creating sea creatures during the earlier portion of the workshop. Creating miniature anatomically correct marine creatures.
The Stingrays made this towering holothurianish thingie.And the Garlic Bread team compiled a commensalish asteroid with assorted associated critters. A cute and colourful compilation.Meanwhile, Team Knobbly is creating a nudibranch mimic or it is a holothurian mimic.We had lots of fun when it came to describing the echinoderm features of each of these creations.And the winner, by public acclamation is Team Culcita, here at the front of the photo, with everyone else all around them!

I had a great time at the workshop and am looking forward to the upcoming workshops.

5 Dec 2008 (Fri) 7-10pm
The "Easy" Cnidarians workshop
by Ria Tan, WildSingapore
-- Soft corals, anemones, etc.
more details and registration on the Leafmonkey Workshop blog

9 Jan 2008 (Fri) 7-10pm
The "Hard" Cnidarians workshop
by Jeffrey Low, BlueWaterVolunteers / NParks
-- Hard corals

6 Feb 2008 (Fri) 7-10pm
The "Fishy" workshop
by Jeffrey Low, BlueWaterVolunteers / NParks
-- Fish and more fish

More blog entries about this event

• Ashira blog as Jun liveblogged the event!

Extinction: Science and advocacy

Species may be vanishing faster than they are found, at a rate of three per hour, the fastest in millions of years, estimates the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity.

But how do you prove something is extinct? With great difficulty. Some experts liken the difficulties to "proving" that the mythical Loch Ness Monster does not exist. Searches have to be rigorous, at the right seasons, and in nearby habitats, with the correct equipment. "Scientists want to be cautious" because of the finality of extinction.

The Red List's rigorous demands for evidence means that it probably underestimates the pace of extinctions. This therefore suggests that lifeforms on the Red List are truly those to be concerned about.

In an interview with the New York Times, conservation zoologist Dr Stuart L. Pimm shares:

I realized that extinction was something that as a scientist, I could study. I could ask, “Why do species go extinct?” and “How fast does it happen?” Once armed with that information, one might do something about it.

I now spend a fair amount of time in Washington, working for laws to protect species. I train young people to do the same.

I often tell my students that if they want to become environmental biologists, they have to be prepared to go out into the field at dawn to collect their data and then dress up in a suit in the afternoon to meet the visiting politician.

Full articles

• Measuring extinction, species by species by Alister Doyle, Reuters 6 Nov 08;
• An interview with Dr Stuart L. Pimm Asking ‘Why Do Species Go Extinct?’ by Claudia Dreifus, The New York Times 4 Nov 08;

Sea snakes sip freshwater and won't touch seawater

The belief that sea snakes drink seawater, with internal salt glands filtering and excreting the salt, has been proven wrong.

Experiments with three species of captive sea kraits captured near Taiwan found that the snakes refused to drink saltwater even if thirsty — and then would drink only freshwater or heavily diluted saltwater.

Sea snakes may also drink water from the “lens” of freshwater that sits atop saltwater during and after rainfall, before the two have had a chance to mix. That would explain why some seawater lagoons, where the waters are calmer due to protection from reefs, are home to dense populations of sea snakes — the freshwater lens persists for longer periods before mixing into saltwater.

The research may also help explain why sea snakes tend to have patchy distributions and are most common in regions with abundant rainfall.

Sea Snakes Seek Out Freshwater To Slake Thirst
ScienceDaily 6 Nov 08;

Sea snakes may slither in saltwater, but they sip the sweet stuff. So concludes a University of Florida zoologist in a paper appearing this month in the online edition of the November/December issue of the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.

Harvey Lillywhite says it has been the “long-standing dogma” that the roughly 60 species of venomous sea snakes worldwide satisfy their drinking needs by drinking seawater, with internal salt glands filtering and excreting the salt. Experiments with three species of captive sea kraits captured near Taiwan, however, found that the snakes refused to drink saltwater even if thirsty — and then would drink only freshwater or heavily diluted saltwater.

“Our experiments demonstrate they actually dehydrate in sea water, and they’ll only drink freshwater, or highly diluted brackish water with small concentrations of saltwater — 10 to 20 percent,” Lilywhite said.

Harold Heatwole, a professor of zoology at North Carolina State University and expert on sea snakes, termed Lillywhite’s conclusion “a very significant finding.”

“This result probably holds the key to understanding the geographic distribution of sea snakes,” Heatwole said.

The research may help explain why sea snakes tend to have patchy distributions and are most common in regions with abundant rainfall, Lillywhite said. Because global climate change tends to accentuate droughts in tropical regions, the findings also suggest that at least some species of sea snakes could be threatened now or in the future, he added.

“There may be places where sea snakes are barely getting enough water now,” he said. “If the rainfall is reduced just a bit, they’ll either die out or have to move.”

Sea snakes are members of the elapid family of snakes that also includes cobras, mambas and coral snakes. They are thought to have originated as land-dwelling snakes that later evolved to live in oceans. Most spend all, or nearly all, of their lives in seawater, including giving birth to live young while swimming. A minority, including the kraits that Lillywhite studied, lay eggs and spend at least a small part of their lives on land.

In the lab studies, Lilywhite’s team kept snakes caught in the wild near Orchid Island, Taiwan, away from freshwater for two weeks. At the end of that period, dimpling of the snakes’ scales indicated they were dehydrated.

The researchers weighed the snakes, freed them in saltwater tanks for up to 20 hours, then weighed them again. None gained appreciably, indicating they didn’t drink, despite their thirst. But when the researchers freed the snakes to swim in freshwater tanks, most immediately drank significant amounts. More experiments revealed the snakes would drink only freshwater or highly diluted saltwater.

The kraits may get their freshwater from springs or streams around Orchid Island — deed, the researchers observed far more sea snakes near these freshwater sources than in strictly marine sites, the paper says.

Lillywhite believes the sea snakes that spend their lives in the open ocean drink water from the “lens” of freshwater that sits atop saltwater during and after rainfall, before the two have had a chance to mix. That would explain why some seawater lagoons, where the waters are calmer due to protection from reefs, are home to dense populations of sea snakes — the freshwater lens persists for longer periods before mixing into saltwater.

Rather than helping sea snakes gain water, the snakes’ salt gland may help the snakes with ion balance — moving excess salts from the bloodstream, Lillywhite said.

Some sea snake species living in dry regions may already be suffering as a result of climate change. Lillywhite said a colleague in Australia, which is in the midst of a historic drought, has observed declines and possible extinctions in some species at Ashmore Reef, home to the most diverse and abundant population of sea snakes in the world.

“We are trying to look at rainfall in that region and see if there is a correlation,” Lillywhite said.

He added that his findings also raise questions about the accepted wisdom that other marine reptiles, including sea turtles, satisfy their freshwater needs by drinking saltwater.

Sea Snakes Need Freshwater
Amelia Tomas, livescience.com Yahoo News 17 Nov 08;

Sea snakes may slither in an endless supply of salt water, but contrary to the longstanding dogma, they don't drink the "bath water." Instead, they seek out freshwater to quench their thirst.

It was long assumed that sea snakes evolved to live in oceans from their land-dwelling ancestors and adapted a new means to hydrate by gulping seawater, with internal salt glands filtering and excreting the salt. But a research team led by Harvey Lillywhite, a zoologist at the University of Florida, found that three different species of sea snakes near Taiwan depend for hydration solely on freshwater or heavily diluted saltwater (with only 10 to 20 percent the salinity of seawater). In tests, thirsty snakes refused to drink natural seawater.

Sea snakes are members of the elapid family of venomous snakes that also includes cobras, mambas and coral snakes. Though most spend all, or nearly all of their lives in seawater, they tend to be more commonly distributed in areas that get large amounts of rainfall - which makes sense given the new finding.

Lillywhite's study was based on lab and field observations. In the lab, he kept snakes away from freshwater for two weeks, during which time their scales became dimpled, revealing dehydration. After being weighed, the snakes were freed into saltwater tanks for up to 20 hours and each failed to gain an appreciable amount of weight, indicating their refusal to drink saltwater, despite their thirst.

When the experiment was repeated with freshwater, most of the snakes immediately drank freely. More experiments showed the snakes can tolerate highly diluted saltwater as well.

These were consistent with field observations performed by Lillywhite's team at Orchid Island, off the coast of Taiwan. More snakes were found at all sites nearby that had a known source of freshwater.

Some species range quite far into the open ocean where there's no explicit freshwater source, Lillywhite said. In these vicinities, sea snakes probably get their drinking water from a "lens" of freshwater that dilutes saltwater during and after rainfall. The calm waters in some lagoons helps freshwater persist at the top of the saltwater before mixing in, which explains why dense populations of sea snakes tend to be found there compared to open ocean areas.

Scientists previously assumed that the snakes' salt glands helped the creatures filter sea water, but now Lillywhite thinks these glands help the snakes with ion balance - moving excess salts from away from the bloodstream.

The water requirements of all sea snakes and other marine reptiles could be important in learning why certain species live where they do and the geographical boundaries that exist among them. If global climate change contributes to higher rates of droughts in tropical regions, at least some snake species will most likely be threatened due to heavily restricted amounts of drinking water.

More about Singapore sea snakes on the wildsingapore wildfact sheets

Our marine biodiversity and sustainable development: feedback session

Are conservation and development compatible? What is the value of our biodiversity? And what regional impacts can our biodiversity conservation have?

These were the issues raised by Shawn Lum, President of the Nature Society (Singapore) at today's feedback session on Sustainable Singapore.

I made an attempt at raising the following issues for conserving our marine biodiversity. But due to the shortage of time, I didn't get to cover most of the points. I'm emailing these to the organiser, uploading it on the Sustainable Singapore website and sharing it with Shawn.

You can still give your feedback too, on the Sustainable Singapore website.

An economic argument can possibly be made for conserving our marine biodiversity, particularly in the context of sustainable development.

Take Pulau Semakau as an example. While the landfill was built by destroying Pulau Sakeng and the eastern half of Pulau Semakau, there was deliberate effort to conserve the living reefs, seagrass meadows and mangroves on remaining part of natural Semakau. This marine biodiversity can be personally experienced through nature walks and drives home the point that it is possible to have a compromise between development and conservation.

Cyrene Reef is another example. It lies in the middle of a triangle with Pasir Panjang Port on one side, a world class container port handling one fifth of global container traffic. On the other two sides, Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom with petrochemical plants that make major contributions to our manufacturing GDP and is among the largest producers of refinery products in the world.

Yet, Cyrene Reef remains alive and is in fact a special reef. It has living reefs, vibrant seagrass meadows and is believed to the among the few if only place with a viable population of the big red sea stars (Protoreaster nodosus). A new sea star was also found on Cyrene Reef, a first record for Singapore.

Unlike Pulau Semakau, this special reef exists by accident. Cyrene Reef persists inspite of the developments around it.

How can conserving reefs like Semakau and Cyrene Reef make economic sense?

Say there is a country that would like a world class port, or petrochemical industries or a landfill. And wants it this built near reefs that are important to it for tourism or fisheries. Singapore is already involved in building and managing ports, building green cities.

If we were to include in our bid, the existence of amazing reefs like Cyrene Reef and Semakau, it would surely improve our proposal? Particularly in contracts focusing on sustainable development?

This approach would not only allow us to conserve the value of our own reefs and shores for future generations of Singaporeans, but also share processes with other countries so that they too can conserve their shores and reefs. And Singapore would make money in the process as well.

Thus conserving our reefs might actually generate a longer-term stream of income as validation of our efforts at sustainable development in our bid to replicate these efforts elsewhere. Much in the same way that Singapore is leading in sharing on water issues.

Some areas to consider that might allow us to achieve this:

• Include our marine biodiversity more deliberately and holistically in the planning process. Unlike our terrestrial biodiversity, marine biodiversity often falls 'between the cracks' so to speak.
  
  
• Work on a better understanding of our marine biodiversity. Perhaps as part of Minister Mah's excellent proposal for a City Biodiversity Index.
  
  
• Greater transparency in sharing mitigation measures used and environmental impact assessments so that there is greater understanding of issues involved in coastal development.

I'm sure there are other issues and efforts that can add further value to our reefs, such as scientific studies on reef recovery and reef health.

You can still give your feedback too, on the Sustainable Singapore website.

Straits Times features seahorses as medicine without mentioning environmental impact

Seahorses as "Nature's way" and among "nature's more popular supplements" was featured in Strait's Times health segment today.Although there seems some attempt to balance 'Western' warnings with 'Eastern' support for these cures, there was a long list of uses of various natural products (see below).

Illustrated with photos of dead seahorses on a stick, was this write up about seahorses ...

"Mr Wu Yue, TCM physician at Raffles Chinese Medicine, said that in TCM, seahorses are considered 'warm' and are used to increase and balance energy flows within the body. They are also used to treat many conditions including impotence and infertility, heart disease, respiratory disorders and skin ailments."

There was no mention about the devastating impact of over-collection of seahorses on wild populations.

Seahorses are listed as CITES II (which means their international trade is monitored) and are considered globally vulnerable.

Seahorses are naturally uncommon because they reproduce slowly and seldom travel far from one spot. Those faithful to their partners may take some time before taking on a new mate. Usually, in the wild only a handful of babies survive from each batch of eggs. Being slow swimmers without a free-swimming larval stage, seahorses don’t spread quickly to new places. Being slow-moving and defenceless, seahorses are easily collected. Efforts to farm seahorses have had limited success and often merely involves the equally destructive collection of pregnant males.

More about our seahorses and status of seahorses on the wildfact sheets of wildsingapore.

More details about the status of seahorses and efforts to protect them on Project Seahorse (http://seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca/). The website lists this about buying dried seahorses.

If you must buy dried seahorses, ask your dealer to purchase species that are least threatened (such information is gradually emerging). Refuse to buy pregnant males, since their young have died with them, reducing the prospects for population recovery. Avoid pre-packaged medicines containing seahorses as these often include juveniles that have been collected before they can reproduce.

Other natural products highlighted in the article is Cordyceps. Overharvesting of this has threatened delicate ecosystems in Tibet. Articles with more details are below:

• Tibetan Herders Join Rush for Prize Fungus, Chris Buckley PlanetArk 14 Jun 06.
• Threat to medicines from plant extinctions Paul Eccleston, The Telegraph 18 Jan 08

Bird's nest was also featured. I don't really know enough about the issues surrounding that to make a comment, but I suspect overharvesting is also having an impact on wild populations.

Nature's way - Cover story: Naturally good?
Straits Times 6 Nov 08;

Natural health remedies are back in fashion. Their efficacy may be debatable but there is no doubt about their rising popularity

How effective are so-called natural health supplements and remedies from both the East and the West?

Many Asians swear by ginseng, for instance, while exotic names like St John's wort and echinacea hail from the West.

Western-trained physicians and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners may or may not see eye to eye on their health-giving claims.

However, confidence in the efficacy of these mostly plant-based remedies is rooted in folklore. After all, nature holds the secrets to good health, it is said.

Since their early discovery, the roots of the wild ginseng plant have been conferred extraordinary healing powers. The snow lotus, found on the remote slopes of the eastern Himalayas, has near mythical medicinal 'powers'.

In the West, long before the Europeans stepped onto the North American continent, Native Americans had acquired an extensive knowledge of healing herbs.

In modern times, with mass production and the marketing of synthethic drugs, pharmacognosy began to fall out of fashion. Pharmacognosy is the study of drugs that come from plants.

Ironically, helped by marketing, the herbal way to health is back in fashion and business appears to be booming.

However, the US National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health, states that it is vital for consumers to know that just because an herbal supplement is labelled 'natural' does not mean it is safe or without any harmful effects. For example, the herbs kava and comfrey have been linked to serious liver damage.

It is also important to consult one's doctor before using an herbal supplement, especially if one is taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications. Some herbal supplements are known to interact with medications in ways that cause health problems.

In Singapore, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) website states that health supplements can be imported and sold without a licence from the HSA. Health supplement dealers are, however, advised to comply with the guidelines for health supplements.

HSA's working definition of 'health supplement' is that of a product that is used to supplement a diet, with benefits beyond those of normal nutrients, and/or to support or maintain the healthy functions of the human body.

A health supplement can contain substances derived from sources including non-human animal and botanical material.

While their efficacy may be vehemently debated, their popularity is not in doubt. Some 36 per cent of adults in the US use some form of what is called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), said a 2004 study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

In Singapore, pharmacies and health shops sell supplements from crushed pearl powder for the complexion to horny goat's weed capsules for male virility.

Many parents also make their children take natural supplements regularly - to boost their immune system, brain power, or just to keep them in general good health.

Madam Agnes Fong, a 47-year-old housewife and a mother of two teenagers, regularly boils ginseng tonic for her family to keep them 'in the pink of health'.

She said: 'Sometimes, I also buy royal jelly for the kids and my husband. However, I can't buy it too often because it's expensive.'

Mr Wu Yue, a TCM physician at Raffles Chinese Medicine, said that Asian ginseng has 'warming' qualities while the American variety is 'cooling'. He added that ginseng has many benefits, including the ability to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, strengthen one's immune system and improve one's mental agility.

However, he cautioned that people with certain medical conditions such as insomnia and high blood pressure should consult a TCM physician about consuming Asian ginseng as 'an overdose may lead to serious side effects such as stroke'.

The US National Institutes of Health also advises those who wish to take a herbal or botanical product to first consult a doctor. Like drugs, such herbal or botanical preparations have chemical and biological activity and may cause side effects or interact with certain medications leading to problems.

Dr Phuah Huan Kee, a senior consultant at Singapore Baby and Child Clinic, said that children who have a healthy diet generally do not need to take vitamin or health supplements.

He said: 'Supplements like spirulina and royal jelly are touted as having the ability to improve one's health or build up the immune system but there is no convincing scientific evidence to support this yet.'

Dr Phuah said that to boost a child's mental development, it is better for parents to spend quality time interacting with him. They should also cultivate healthy eating habits in their children.

He said: 'Encouraging children to consume a variety of foods rich in vitamins, minerals and omega oils is better than relying on supplements.'

Jovanda Biston

Nature's way: Common cures
Straits Times 6 Nov 08;

JOVANDA BISTON lists some of nature's more popular supplements
Herbs were the first 'drugs' and primary medicine used by man.

Medicine men and folk healers learnt the medicinal use of herbs and animal matter by observing their effects on humans. Medicine has since come a long way from such simple trial and error.

Here are some common health supplements used in Western alternative medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and some significant related research findings.

Seahorses

Dried seahorses are commonly used in TCM cures.

Mr Wu Yue, TCM physician at Raffles Chinese Medicine, said that in TCM, seahorses are considered 'warm' and are used to increase and balance energy flows within the body. They are also used to treat many conditions including impotence and infertility, heart disease, respiratory disorders and skin ailments.

Cordyceps sinensis

Chinese cordyceps is the result of a parasitic relationship between a moth caterpillar and a special fungus.

Mr Wu said that cordyceps have major uses in TCM including in the prevention of cardiovascular problems, boosting the immune system, increasing libido and strengthening the lungs. However, he said there is insufficient scientific research on the safety of children, pregnant or lactating women consuming cordyceps.

Bird's nest

Mr Wu Yue, TCM physician at Raffles Chinese Medicine, said that bird's nest - often prepared as a soupy tonic - is believed to have health-enhancing and anti-ageing properties.

However, he also said that it may be a common cause of food-induced anaphylaxis - a severe whole-body allergy - in children.

Dr Phuah Huan Kee, senior consultant at Singapore Baby and Child Clinic, said allergic reactions to bird's nest can sometimes be life-threatening.

Gingko

Gingko biloba is a popular herbal supplement widely promoted as a memory enhancer.

Last month, The New York Times reported that new research suggests a daily dose of gingko biloba may help prevent brain damage after a stroke.

The findings, published online in the medical journal Stroke, have been shown only in mice but researchers said the studies supported theories that the herb may help stroke patients.

St John's wort

This plant has been traditionally used to treat anxiety, depression and mental disorders.

Last month, it was reported that an analysis of previous studies found that St John's wort can effectively treat symptoms of major depression.

Extracts of the herb tested in different trials were better than placebos and as effective as standard anti-depressants with fewer side effects, the researchers reported in the Cochrane Reviews, a medical and scientific studies journal.

Fish oils

Fish oils are a source of omega-3 fatty acids and are thought to be beneficial for the heart.

Studies on fish oil therapy have had mixed results. In September, The New York Times reported that a clinical trial in Australia, published last year in The Journal Of Developmental And Behavioral Pediatrics, found improvements in parents' ratings of their children's hyperactivity and inattention but no difference in teachers' assessments.

Meanwhile, an Oxford-Durham study in Britain, published in the journal Pediatrics in 2005, reported remarkable improvements in reading and spelling among children treated with omega-3 fatty acids.

It is important to buy only purified pharmaceutical-grade fish oil to minimise the risk of mercury contamination.

Echinacea

Parts from the echinacea plant have traditionally been used to treat or prevent colds, flu and other infections.

The Los Angeles Times reported in February that an analysis last year published in the journal Lancet Infectious Disease showed that in well-designed studies, the Echinacea purpurea species shortened colds by an average of 1.4 days and reduced the odds of getting a cold by 58 per cent.

A Cochrane review concluded that only Echinacea purpurea products showed any promise in treating colds and only when they contained the above-ground parts of the plant - not the root.

Echinacea products can contain the roots, leaves or flowers of any of three species of the plant (purpurea, pallida or angustifolia), in dried, powdered or extracted form.

Evening primrose oil

Evening primrose oil contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid. It is used for many conditions including eczema and to alleviate breast pain or menstrual discomfort.

The US National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that evening primrose oil may have modest benefits for eczema and may be useful for rheumatoid arthritis and breast pain. However, study results are mixed and most studies are small and not well-designed.

Tian qi

In TCM, the tian qi plant is said to improve blood circulation and to lower cholesterol. However, it is generally regarded as unsafe for pregnant women.

Yin yang huo (horny goat weed)

This herb is said to help prevent impotence and increase one's libido.

In September, Italian researchers found that yin yang huo, known in English as horny goat weed, could be a promising alternative to Viagra for impotent men.

The researchers modified a compound in the plant called icariin and found that it blocked the erection-inhibiting enzyme that restricts blood flow around the body - including to the penis - as well as Viagra did.

Further tests on animals and humans are needed but the researchers said that the extract from the herb represents a potential new erectile dysfunction treatment with fewer side effects.

Crushed pearl powder

Crushed pearl power, deemed good for the complexion, is consumed or used as an ingredient in face creams.

Mr Carl Wong, head acupuncturist at Healthway Medical Group's TCM Wellness, said crushed pearl powder has anti-ageing properties, can smoothen and brighten the skin and is also a cure for insomnia.

Wildfacts: easy intro to Singapore's common marine life

I humbly present my effort at showcasing our marvelous marine life through these simple fact sheets.
It took me a while to get it done (about four years) and includes the amazing life encountered on the many shores that I've been visiting regularly since 2001. It is still very much a work in progress.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!

Please email me (hello@wildsingapore.com put "wildfacts" in the subject line)

• if you spot errors and omissions
• have better suggestions for common names (some of them are really lame, I apologise)
• would like to share your sightings, stories, photos
• have questions to share about these organisms

I'd be very glad to hear from you.

The wildfacts site is set up as an easy introduction to our more common marine life.

It also hopes to help nature guides in their work, with a special section for nature guides.

As part of this effort, together with November of the Leafmonkey Workshop, I'll be giving a series of workshops for nature guides starting with echinoderms this Friday. I hope to be able to go through all the major groups of marine life before the morning low spring tides start next year (at which time, I'm too sleep deprived to do anything except field trips).

This site is an 'upgrade' of the Chek Jawa online guide that was launched in 2003 to support the Chek Jawa guidebook. That online guide was set up to include all the information and photos that could not fit into the guidebook.

The focus is on marinelife on the intertidal. But hopefully, as I have more time and information, I hope to add factsheets about our other wild stuff, subtidal and terrestrial.

This site would not have been possible without the kind and generous support of many people. I gratefully acknowledge them, but all errors and omissions are entirely mine.

Now that I've done the online factsheets, I guess I've got no more excuses to put off writing the updated guidebook to all our shores. I can't say I'm looking forward to that...sigh.

Delay in construction of Sentosa IR marine aquarium?

Due to lack of space, work on the West Zone to start only when its Central and East Zones are well under way. Resorts World Sentosa is negotiating with the government on this.

The West Zone is the location of the Marine Life Park, a Marine Xperiential Museum, an Equarius Water Park. From the Resorts World Sentosa website, the plan for the Marine Life Park include captive whale sharks, dolphins and 700,000 fishes.

Why the delay? "The area to be occupied by the West Zone is needed to facilitate construction of the East Zone, which will be occupied by Universal Studios Singapore."

With this plan in place, RWS intends to 'soft launch' Universal Studios Singapore and four hotels in the Central Zone by the first quarter of 2010.

"The significance of this is that RWS will want its key revenue generator - the casino - open to gamblers as soon as possible. And it looks like nothing will stand in the way of the casino being the first attraction to open for business."

Resorts World's West Zone likely to open later
It needs space to help build up East Zone, which will be occupied by Universal Studios
Arthur Sim, Business Times 4 Nov 08;

RESORTS World Sentosa (RWS) is in talks with government agencies including the Singapore Tourism Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority and Ministry of Trade and Industry to start work on the project's West Zone only when its Central and East Zones are well under way.

The West Zone of the $6 billion integrated resort (IR) on Sentosa will include a Marine Life Park, a Marine Xperiential Museum, an Equarius Water Park and two hotels.

RWS executive vice-president (projects) Michael Chin said that the area to be occupied by the West Zone is needed to facilitate construction of the East Zone, which will be occupied by Universal Studios Singapore.

Mr Chin said the logistics of creating just one of the theme park's attractions - Revenge of the Mummy - will require 150-200 container loads of material, equipment and paraphernalia.

And this requires space for 'container parking' and 'staging'.

RWS has never given firm opening dates for any of its attractions. But Mr Chin said that the pace of construction is 'aggressive'.

'It will be faster to stage in the West Zone and supply to the East Zone,' he said. 'We are trying to talk to the authorities and tell them this is the most sensible, logical plan that we can work on.'

With this plan in place, RWS intends to 'soft launch' Universal Studios Singapore and four hotels in the Central Zone by the first quarter of 2010. This will include 21 theme park attractions and 1,400 hotel rooms.

At present, 2,000 people are working on-site 24 hours a day. In the East Zone, the steel structure for the Revenge of the Mummy ride is being put up. But the all-suite, 12-storey Maxims Residence - which houses the casino - appears to be the fastest-rising structure, with the lift core built up to the seventh floor.

The significance of this is that RWS will want its key revenue generator - the casino - open to gamblers as soon as possible.

And it looks like nothing will stand in the way of the casino being the first attraction to open for business.

Even if the West Zone is not completed by 2010, the government has already said that the casino licence can be awarded when at least 50 per cent of the investment capital has been spent and 50 per cent of the overall gross floor area has been built.

Mr Chin confirmed that about $3 billion of construction contracts have been awarded, more recently to local companies like Cityneon Holdings and Pico Art.

And according to RWS head of communications Krist Boo, the IR will be 'quite ample as a destination', even without the West Zone.

Sentosa IR 60% ready by 2010
Casino, four hotels and many attractions will be up by then; hiring starts next year
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 4 Nov 08;

THE steel frame for the first ride at the Universal Studios theme park in Sentosa, the Revenge of the Mummy, was winched into place last week.

It is one of the 21 attractions that will be ready to roll when the 49ha Resorts World at Sentosa has its soft opening in the first quarter of 2010. The theme park is part of the Resorts World integrated resort (IR).

Three other rides, including the Transformer one, will be added later.

The picture is much the same in the rest of the resort: About 60 per cent of it will be ready for visitors when it debuts in March 2010.

Of the six hotels, four will be opening then. Maxims Residences, Festive Hotel, Hotel Michael and Hard Rock Hotel will make available 1,400 rooms.

Also slated to open then are the casino and the half-kilometre-long Festive Walk with its shops and restaurants.

Resorts World's head of communications Krist Boo said negotiations with the Government to fix the opening dates for the remaining 40 per cent of the resort are ongoing. These include its Marine Life Park, the Maritime Xperiential Museum and the remaining two hotels.

Giving an update on the construction yesterday, Ms Boo and executive vice-president of projects Michael Chin said more than 2,000 people are working round the clock on the project.

Construction cannot begin on the western end of the project because the area is now being used as a staging ground to hold the containers of equipment coming in for the construction and fitting-out of the theme park.

Before The Revenge of the Mummy ride could be assembled on site, for example, space was needed to store, lay out and put together the 20 container-loads of equipment making up the ride.

Resorts World had not reckoned on needing this much space.

Mr Chin said that the original plan was to manage the staging within the Universal Studios' site, but because the park and other properties had to be at least mostly ready by March 2010, this was not possible.

The west end of the resort thus came to be where the theme park attractions were laid out and assembled.

After construction of the four hotels is completed by March next year, their interiors will be fitted out, said Mr Chin.

In the theme park itself, work has also begun on the other attractions such as Jurassic Park and Waterworld. Mr Chin said that by the middle of next year, the exterior of the attractions will be completed, leaving six to eight months to fit out the rides and test them.

Hiring of the 10,000 staff for the resort will also begin then.

Ms Boo also said application for the casino licence should take place 'some time next year' once half the gross floor area and half the $6 billion budget have been committed.

She said: 'By late 2009, we should be very comfortably ready for our soft opening in 2010.'

Pulau Semakau Master Plan by early 2009

A Master Plan to make Semakau self sufficient in water and energy is expected in early 2009. "A test bed for renewable and clean energy technologies will take up a quarter" of Semakau.

Pulau Semakau is also the site of our first coral nursery and the living shores are part of regular guided intertidal walks. More about Pulau Semakau.

Plan to develop eco-park on Semakau Landfill expected early 2009
Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia 3 Nov 08;

SINGAPORE: Semakau Landfill is set to get a new lease of life.

Jurong Consultants, as well as RSP Architects and Planners, are expected to come back with a master plan by early 2009.

The aim is to determine whether part of the area can be turned into an eco-park that runs on its own water and energy.

A growing population means a growing mound of rubbish. Waste disposal has increased six-fold in Singapore between 1970 and 2000.

Created in 1999, Semakau Landfill is on an island eight kilometres south of Singapore. It is currently used for the disposal of ash from Singapore's incinerators.

While recycling efforts have already extended the expected lifespan of Semakau Landfill to beyond 2040, the country still has some way to go. The national recycling rate has increased from 40 per cent in 2000 to 54 per cent in 2007.

The National Environment Agency is now looking at having an eco-park on Semakau Landfill to provide a test bed for renewable and clean energy technologies. It will take up a quarter of the area there.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said: "With this, we can create opportunities for research and development, as well as the application of clean technologies."

Industry players say one advantage of using Semakau Landfill is that testing on the landfill will be much cheaper than on the main island of Singapore.

Chairman of Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, Edwin Khew, said: "This provides good opportunities (for)... testing out solar panels and even wind, perhaps around the island.

"There are enough waves and currents that can be used and other types of clean energies where you have cheap space to test bed on how useful it is and develop further the (current) technologies."

General manager of Semakau Landfill, Ong Chong Peng, said: "Our long-term vision is to make Semakau Landfill self-sustainable in energy and water needs."

The announcement was made on Monday at a waste management congress - where companies such as Asia-Pacific Breweries, which reduced packaging cost, received awards.

- CNA/yt

Toxic marine paint on UN Trade Watch List

A paint used on ships to prevent growth of marine organisms is now under stronger trade control. Exporters must now get permission from importing countries to trade in Tributyltin (TBT), which is highly polluting and deadly to marine life.
Pesticide TBT Added To UN Trade Watch List
PlanetArk 4 Nov 08;

ROME - A pesticide in paints used on the outside of ships has been added to a "watch list" to protect countries from importing toxic products, the United Nations said on Monday.

Tributyltin (TBT) becomes the 40th chemical to be put on the "prior informed consent" (PIC) list. Exporters wishing to ship items on this list must get permission from importing countries.

Products already on the list include mercury compounds and the insecticides DDT and lindane. TBT is used in "antifouling paints" to keep molluscs off ship hulls. But it is also highly polluting and deadly to other marine life.

At a meeting in Rome last week of the Rotterdam Convention, which governs the PIC list, delegates failed to agree on adding two other chemicals: endosulfan, a pesticide used in cotton production, and chrysotile, or white, asbestos, a cancer-causing mineral used in building materials.

Chemicals can only be added to the PIC list if signatories to the 1998 convention reach consensus. Environmental campaigners say business interests can often successfully lobby against products being added even if scientific evidence shows they are dangerous to human health and the environment.

(Reporting by Robin Pomeroy; Editing by Catherine Bosley)

More about TBT and Singapore snails and marinelife.

Asia plans for extreme weather and rising seas

Malaysia is planning to put its citizens out of harm's way, while Indonesia is preparing evacuation plans for the 2,000 islands that are expected to sink beneath the waves between 2030 and 2040.

Australia, Thailand and China are also taking steps to understand and deal with extreme weather, giant waves and rising seas.

Malaysia is embarking on a mammoth effort to identify and map geo-hazards like floods, landslides and fires in all local council areas in Peninsular Malaysia. To be carried out throughout the next Malaysia Plan, it will generate local plans with areas marked high, medium or low risk in relation to hazards like floods. The hope is to avert disasters and minimise losses caused by moving development away from high-risk areas and people out of harm's way.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government is preparing to relocate people living on islands considered vulnerable to rising sea levels over the next three decades. About 2,000 islands across the country will sink due to a surge in sea levels expected between 2030 and 2040. Vulnerable islands were located in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua. Indonesia has lost about 60 islands in the western part of Sumatra following the tsunami in December 2004, not to mention several others due to mining activities.

Thailand and China was to sign an agreement to launch a three-year study of climatic changes in the Andaman Sea so they can better predict monsoon patterns. "The Andaman is the birthplace of the monsoon. The study may also be able to help understand cyclone patterns." The two annual monsoons in Thailand have increasingly brought floods and droughts to the kingdom.

What are some of the recent findings on extreme weather and rising sea levels?

In Australia, rising sea levels will erode Sydney's iconic beaches by 2050, with some at risk of disappearing, and threaten beachfront homes and commercial properties, a new climate change study said. Sea levels along Sydney's coast are expected to rise by up to 40 cm above 1990 levels by 2050 and by 90 cm by 2100, with each one centimetre of rise resulting in one metre of erosion on low-lying beaches. "Most of the state's infrastructure was built with a provision for half a metre of sea level rise, but the individual asset owners are already looking to see if they need to make a change in their asset to prepare for the future."

Australia's vast coastline is increasingly being battered by destructive "extreme waves" driven in part by climate change. "Large waves can also be destructive, leading to coastal inundation, erosion and the disturbance of marine habitats." The research found strong correlations between wave power and changes in climate drivers such as the length and strength of the northern tropical monsoon season. From a report by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

Global sea level rise could more than double from the IPCC's estimate of 0.59m by the end of the century, according to a report issued by the WWF for a meeting of EU Environment Ministers (thus the focus was on impacts in Europe). Media articles and the WWF report: “Climate change: faster, stronger, sooner” (download PDF file)

No corner of the Earth is immune from the effects of global warming, according to a new study that confirms manmade temperature rises in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Temperature records over the last century show that warming in the planet's coldest and most remote wildernesses is caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases. Melting of ice shelves has implications for sea-level rises. From a study by Nathan Gillett published in Nature Geoscience.

Here's the latest reports on rising seas and extreme weather.

Climate change: too late to save the reefs?

Will 90% of reefs disappear even if we curb greenhouse gases? Some recent studies suggest this will be so. And some recent comments by scientists suggest this view is too pessimistic.

According to a study by Long Cao and Ken Caldeira, any climate change action will come too late to save most of the world's coral reefs. Human activity over the last two centuries has produced enough acid to lower the average pH of global ocean surface waters by about 0.1 units, placing more than 90% of coral reefs in jeopardy. "We can't say for sure that [the reefs] will disappear but ... the likelihood they will be able to persist is pretty small." Here's another article about the study.

Another study led by Ove Hoegh-Guldberg suggests that rising carbon dioxide levels in the world's oceans due to climate change, combined with rising sea temperatures, could accelerate coral bleaching, destroying some reefs before 2050. "Previous predictions of coral bleaching have been far too conservative, because they didn't factor in the effect of acidification on the bleaching process and how the two interact." Some coral species were able to cope with higher levels of ocean acidification by enhancing their rates of photosynthesis, but if CO2 levels became too high "the coral-algal system crashes and the corals die."

In an earlier study Ove Hoegh-Guldberg also found that sea water covering 98 percent of all coral reefs may be too acidic by 2050 for some corals to live, and while others may survive they would be unable to build reefs. Unless still rising carbon dioxide emissions fall in the near future, existing reefs could all be dying by 2100.

Some scientists have commented on Ove Hoegh-Guldberg's study and suggest that "Ove is very dismissive of coral's ability to adapt, to respond in an evolutionary manner to climate change. Coral has an underappreciated capacity to evolve. It's one of the biological laws that, wherever you look, organisms have adapted to radical changes."

"There will be sweeping changes in the relative abundance of species. There'll be changes in what species occur where. But wholesale destruction of reefs? I think that's overly pessimistic."

The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) at at the recent International Coral Reef Symposium "agreed that the demise of coral reefs is not a foregone conclusion. Though time is running out, building resilience through large networks of marine protected areas will be key in securing the future of coral reefs."

"Cao and Caldeira have written the post mortem while the patient is still alive. There are currently a large number of conservation projects worldwide that get to the heart of building resilience to climate impacts—and many are already showing positive results."

Seaweed as biofuel: the pros and cons

As major energy companies start looking at seaweed aka algae as biofuel, here's a recent report that outlines some of the major issues.

Algae is an intriguing biofuel prospect because it is the fastest growing plant-like material on the planet. One of algae's other great virtues is that unlike corn-based ethanol, many strains can be grown in salt water on marginal land. Algae only need carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to make their own food and chemical energy through photosynthesis.

"Algae makes oil that can then combust, and it can be used to make lubricants. It only takes a fraction of the space when it is grown in bioreactors, and you don't take something from the food chain."

However, "The process of growing algae to make fuel includes a lot of waste." It also takes significant energy to maintain the viable mass-culture required for commercial-scale algal operations. There is also the risk of the algae escaping from a commercial farm into the environment, overwhelming the natural environment and introducing algal toxins, such as Pseudo-nitzschia. "Pseudo-nitzschia have a potent neurotoxin that can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning - no one can eat the mussels or the clams that accumulate toxins."

Algae blooms: A new source of energy?
Mary Ann Colihan CBC News 31 Oct 08;

They may dwell at the bottom of the food chain, but algae are drawing the attention of top scientists at companies such as Boeing, Chevron and ConocoPhillips.

The photosynthetic organisms have lived on Earth for a billion years, and some researchers say algae could be a key to helping solve some pressing issues facing the modern world. Big oil and other industrial powerhouses are investing in it as a potential post-ethanol biofuel and even as a means to slow global warming.

But scientists caution that while the possibilities are interesting, the unintended consequences of cultivating algae on a large scale must also be considered.

Growth prospects

Mark Huntley is the chief technology and science officer for Cellana, a division of Royal Dutch Shell. The physiologist has lived in Kona, Hawaii, for many years, but he has a PhD from Dalhousie University in Halifax and Dalhousie's oceanography department is part of Cellana's algal research program.

There are already several facilities on Hawaii's Big Island that process algae for the nutrition and pharmaceutical markets where algae are common additives. But Huntley says Cellana is the first there to evaluate marine algae's potential as a biofuel.

"Fewer than 20 per cent of the algae in the ocean have been isolated from nature," he says. "One of the most fruitful things to do is look for new — and many are promising. Cellana thinks we'll find more productive strains [of algae] in terms of oil content."

Algae is an intriguing biofuel prospect because it is the fastest growing plant-like material on the planet.

"Algae grows 10 times faster than sugar cane — it is the fastest growing crop," Huntley says. "So try to imagine mowing the lawn three times a day and you have your growth rate."

Researchers at the Center for Biorefining of the University of Minnesota estimate that algae produce 5,000 gallons of oil per acre (about 56,825 litres per hectare). By comparison, corn yields 18 gallons, soybeans produce 48 gallons and palm trees yield 635 gallons per acre.

One of algae's other great virtues is that unlike corn-based ethanol, many strains can be grown in salt water on marginal land.

How they grow

Algae, from the Latin word for seaweed, are referred to as "plant-like" organisms because they use photosynthesis to make food. But scientists will scoff if you call it a plant. Algae generally lack the roots, stems and leaves that you would find on plants grown on terra firma.

Like plants, algae have photosynthetic pigments, including chlorophyll, that transform the organism into a rainbow of colours from red to green to brown to blue. Algae can be a uni-cellular or multi-cellular but there is extraordinary diversity in its structure with millions of varieties — most of them uncharted.

Quite simply, algae make the planet livable.

"Algae is the base of the marine food web," Huntley says. "It is the link from plant production to fish production. Without algae there would be no food in the ocean."

Algae only need carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to make their own food and chemical energy through photosynthesis. Oxygen, the welcome by-product of this process, is released into the air and the water of the world's lakes, oceans and rivers.
Algae to energy

Huntley says it is technically feasible to squeeze many types of algae to make biodiesel.

"Like all plants, algae has protein, carbohydrates and oils," he says. "It's the same molecule as a hydrocarbon."

Once the vegetable oil is taken out, the residual algae remaining is high-protein matter that can be used in products such as animal feed and fertilizer.

But ramping up algal oil into commercial production is another story. Cellana's pilot project is expected to fine-tune the costs and demonstrate whether algae is a profitable biofuel.

"The first commercial plant is three to four years from now," Huntley says. "Ours is on 100 hectares to start, but these plants could grow up to 20,000 hectares."

Cellana's Kona facility combines closed bioreactors and clear plastic horizontal tubes where algae grow. Closed reactors are much more expensive than open algae ponds, but offer a controlled environment. Huntley is adamant that only local strains of marine algae approved by Hawaiian authorities will be used.

"Plants have evolved to do their best where you find them in nature," Huntley says. "There is a sensitivity in Cellana and awareness about not wanting foreign species."
Back to the future

Prof. Charles Trick, the Beryl Ivey chair for ecosystem health at the University of Western Ontario and a specialist in aquatic sciences and microbial ecology, thinks the focus on algae is déjà vu.

"Much work — good work — was done in the 1970s," he says. "Algae, biofuels and power cells were all developed because of the oil embargo."

The difference now, he says, is that major oil companies are behind biofuels. And there is a sense of urgency.

"The demand is now driven by India and China," Trick says. "We have to do things differently."

Trick says algal biofuel has advantages over other potential sources. "Algae makes oil that can then combust, and it can be used to make lubricants. It only takes a fraction of the space when it is grown in bioreactors, and you don't take something from the food chain."

Cautious approach

But he adds that whether it becomes the next "green" fuel is another matter.

"I don't see it going in the tank," Trick says. "The process of growing algae to make fuel includes a lot of waste."

He says it also takes significant energy to maintain the viable mass-culture required for commercial-scale algal operations.

Trick also wonders what the risk would be if algae escaped from a commercial farm into the environment. One of his areas of expertise is how algal blooms grow and move around the oceans, and he has studied enough toxic hotspots to be cautious.

"We look at the freshwater aspects of algae, too," Trick says. "All the Great Lakes have been affected by algae."

Trick is an expert on algal toxins, such as Pseudo-nitzschia, and how they can affect humans. "Pseudo-nitzschia have a potent neurotoxin that can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning - no one can eat the mussels or the clams that accumulate toxins."

Since the first case of paralytic shellfish poisoning was reported on Prince Edward Island in 1987, the toxic algae have contaminated marine environments, sickened humans across the globe and become a subject of intense scientific research.
Beyond biofuel

Biofuels aren't the only commercial idea for algae. Tick's team has experimented with another potential opportunity — carbon sequestration. Algae and carbon dioxide live in symbiosis. Algae grows fastest with a rich supply of CO2 and absorbs this greenhouse gas like a sponge.

True sequestration means you put carbon dioxide away forever. With algae you essentially park CO2 emissions temporarily. "When you take these [algal] cells and burn them they release carbon," says Trick. "Or they decompose and the carbon is released back into the atmosphere."

Trick's research included a controversial, but small-scale, experiment to seed the ocean with iron. "In our ocean fertilization projects we wanted to see what we knew about carbon in the ocean and the food chain. We wanted algae to sink where it is relatively stable for 1,000 years. It was a futile game. We managed to sequester two tonnes — they came out a week later."

Canadian scientists are still studying the symbiotic relationship as a way to control climate change. The Alberta Research Council (ARC) has joined with Innoventures Canada and several provincial research agencies to study carbon-algae "recycling" over a five-year period.

The ARC says the preliminary target for its Carbon Algae Recycling System project is a 30 per cent reduction of the greenhouse gases produced by an average 300 megawatt coal-fired power plant. CARS proposes to feed flue gas (CO2, nitrogen oxides and other emissions) directly from industry into ponds to feed algal growth.

"We are in the early stage of looking at carbon dioxide bio-fixation to micro-algae," says Quinn Goretzky, project manager for strategic initiatives at the council. "Our vision is to transform carbon into a value-added good."

To date they have focused on green algae. Of 21 samples under examination, nine failed to thrive.

"Five were taken to characterization, and that relates to biomass and rate of growth," Goretzky says. "Algae is made up of fatty acids and lipids, which is the most important since they go to fuel. The carbohydrates go to ethanol and the proteins to animal feed and fertilizer."

He admits the process as it stands right now is energy-intensive. The ARC consortium favours a large greenhouse-covered pond system. "This maintains temperature, delays evaporation and reduces contamination."

If the problems with cultivating and processing algae can be smoothed out, Canada could be a participant in a blooming algae industry.

"We know algae can grow in Canada," Goretzky says. "The question is, can we harness Mother Nature to keep it growing and make it commercially viable?"