Patricia and I checked it out today in the mizzle (miserable drizzle).
07 March 2009
Mangroves in the city
Did you know there's a nearly 1km long strip of mangroves? Just minutes from our Central Business District?
Patricia and I checked it out today in the mizzle (miserable drizzle).
Patricia and I checked it out today in the mizzle (miserable drizzle).
Ubin bumboats and rude visitors
A disgruntled visitor complained today about rude service from the bumboat operator at Changi when he failed to produce exact change for the fare.
The bumboats bring countless visitors to Pulau Ubin, our last unspoilt island and home to Chek Jawa.
A relict from Ubin's heyday, the bumboats and the (I consider) very patient operators provide a valuable low-cost service. Without them, it would no doubt cost a lot more to get to Ubin. And very few young people are taking up the bumboat trade. As the old operators literally pass on, I worry about how we will get to Ubin in an affordable manner in the future.
As someone who visits many of our shores regularly, I do know how much it takes to get places. A trip to the Southern Islands can cost $200-300 per 12 persons or $16-25 per person. It costs only $2.50 per person to get to Ubin!!
I have been there collecting personal shares for boat trips and I absolutely insist passengers bring exact change. I treat people who present large bills with the same inconsideration that they show me.
I absolutely have no sympathy for the writer.
Rude bumboat service at Changi ferry terminal
Straits Times Forum 7 Mar 09;
Some comments left on the ST online website to this letter:
Another complaint letter appeared on 9 Mar - does the writer want to pay for these 'improved' services?
Overhaul bumboat services
Straits Times Forum 9 Mar 09;
The bumboats bring countless visitors to Pulau Ubin, our last unspoilt island and home to Chek Jawa.
A relict from Ubin's heyday, the bumboats and the (I consider) very patient operators provide a valuable low-cost service. Without them, it would no doubt cost a lot more to get to Ubin. And very few young people are taking up the bumboat trade. As the old operators literally pass on, I worry about how we will get to Ubin in an affordable manner in the future.
As someone who visits many of our shores regularly, I do know how much it takes to get places. A trip to the Southern Islands can cost $200-300 per 12 persons or $16-25 per person. It costs only $2.50 per person to get to Ubin!!
I have been there collecting personal shares for boat trips and I absolutely insist passengers bring exact change. I treat people who present large bills with the same inconsideration that they show me.
I absolutely have no sympathy for the writer.
Rude bumboat service at Changi ferry terminal
Straits Times Forum 7 Mar 09;
LAST month, I boarded a bumboat at Changi ferry terminal and had to put up with rude service by the steersman, just because I did not have the exact fare.
I handed him $10 for the $2.50 fare. He told me to leave, mouthing vulgar insults at the same time, if I did not have the exact fare.
I am a frequent ferry commuter to Pulau Ubin and this is not the first time I have encountered such rude service. Other customers are treated the same way, including tourists visiting the island.
Do the authorities conduct checks on bumboat operators and crew? Or are such services always overlooked and compromised?
Jervis Lim
Some comments left on the ST online website to this letter:
"The requirement to have the exact fare is posted on the a sign board somewhere near the jetty.
The reasons for using a exact fare with no change offer are many, but I guesss some of them will be:
1. Safety, if the steermans keep changing fare with passengers wil he have time to steer the boat?
2. Saving time, same argument, do you want to waste time at the jetty for everyone to get their change before the boat leave.
Even on our buses if you pay cash you need exact fare.
This is all in the interest of efficiency.
So next time you take a bumboat again get the exact fare."
Posted by: novicereporter at Sat Mar 07 20:19:55 SGT 2009
"Aiyah Jervis Lim, hire or buy yourself a luxury yatch complete with crew so you need not have to put up with these steersmen. Get the exact fare in future. Be considerate. I do not find them rude."
Posted by: Melifont at Sat Mar 07 09:16:23 SGT 2009
"You said this is not the first time you are encountering this. In the past also you probably faced it. Then why it didnot occur to you to bring correct change? You people never learn lesson, uh..? If everybody produces a $ 10 note for $ 2.50 ticket where will the guy go for change?
Posted by: unewokle at Sat Mar 07 08:44:16 SGT 2009"
Another complaint letter appeared on 9 Mar - does the writer want to pay for these 'improved' services?
Overhaul bumboat services
Straits Times Forum 9 Mar 09;
I CANNOT but agree with the observations of Mr Jervis Lim in his letter last Friday, 'Rude bumboat service at Changi ferry terminal', in which he expressed his dissatisfaction over the service provided by bumboat operators. It is time the system was overhauled to reflect changing times and conditions.
As a regular visitor to Pulau Ubin and Penggerang, I feel the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) should take over all operations. This will ensure the ferry tragedies of the Philippines and Indonesia will not become a feature of our maritime sector. According to the MPA website, the statutory board was established to 'advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests'. It also proudly proclaims that it partners other agencies 'to enhance safety, security and environmental protection of our port waters, facilitate port operations'.
Changi ferry terminal is very crowded on weekends, public holidays and during school holidays as hordes of schoolchildren make a beeline for Ubin. Currently, there is no ticket sales and the bumboat operator collects fares himself from passengers. The operator is usually irked when a passenger offers him a big note. On several occasions, I noticed the bumboats were far from seaworthy and during a heavy shower, the roofs leaked and I had to hold an umbrella to protect myself from the rain.
To revamp the system, perhaps MPA could employ these bumboat operators (so they do not lose their livelihood) and provide them with proper uniforms, which will improve their public image. MPA could also regularly check the bumboats for seaworthiness.
As a seasoned visitor to Ubin since the fare was only $1 (it is now $2.50), I hope MPA will not ignore this problem. With the influx of tourists, more foreigners will flood Ubin, whose flora and fauna have much to offer. If MPA is not keen, perhaps the Singapore Tourism Board can take over operations and make Ubin an attraction to draw more tourists to Singapore.
Heng Cho Choon
How sea level changes affect mammals in the Malay Peninsula
A new explanation has been offered for an apparently abrupt switch in the kinds in of mammals found along the Malay Peninsula in southeast Asia – from mainland species to island species – in the absence of any geographical barrier.
Sixteen thousand years ago surrounding seas were 110 meters lower than today. (Credit: Maps drawn by Clara Simpson, Field Museum, University of Chicago.)
The study suggests more than 58 rapid sea level rises in the last 5 million years could account for the shift by crowding out species, particularly at the narrowest part of the peninsula called the Isthmus of Kra.
“We studied mammals from China down to Singapore,” said David Woodruff. But they found no evidence for a sharp transition between types of mammals at Kra or anywhere else along the peninsula. Instead, they saw a gap. “We found an area about 600 kilometers long where there are 30 percent fewer species than there should be.”
A long time ago, I was helping out with a study of our Dog-faced watersnakes (Cerberus rynchops) conducted by the Field Museum of the US. Their work on such humble creatures also threw light on sea level changes in our region. There's much we can learn from our shores, because we are part of a grand spectrum of biodiversity, very much affected by the seas.
New Explanation For A Puzzling Biological Divide Along The Malay Peninsula
ScienceDaily 5 Mar 09;
More links
Sixteen thousand years ago surrounding seas were 110 meters lower than today. (Credit: Maps drawn by Clara Simpson, Field Museum, University of Chicago.)The study suggests more than 58 rapid sea level rises in the last 5 million years could account for the shift by crowding out species, particularly at the narrowest part of the peninsula called the Isthmus of Kra.
“We studied mammals from China down to Singapore,” said David Woodruff. But they found no evidence for a sharp transition between types of mammals at Kra or anywhere else along the peninsula. Instead, they saw a gap. “We found an area about 600 kilometers long where there are 30 percent fewer species than there should be.”
A long time ago, I was helping out with a study of our Dog-faced watersnakes (Cerberus rynchops) conducted by the Field Museum of the US. Their work on such humble creatures also threw light on sea level changes in our region. There's much we can learn from our shores, because we are part of a grand spectrum of biodiversity, very much affected by the seas.
New Explanation For A Puzzling Biological Divide Along The Malay Peninsula
ScienceDaily 5 Mar 09;
Ecologists at the University of California, San Diego, offer a new explanation for an apparently abrupt switch in the kinds in of mammals found along the Malay Peninsula in southeast Asia – from mainland species to island species – in the absence of any geographical barrier.
An ancient seaway between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea was once thought have split the peninsula in two, allowing separated populations of animals to diverge. But a recent revision of the history of sea levels reveals that the ocean hasn’t cut through the peninsula in the past 40 million years. Current species of mammals are much younger than that.
Instead, David Woodruff, professor of biology at UC San Diego and former graduate student Leslie Turner, now at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Ploen, Germany, say that more than 58 rapid sea level rises in the last 5 million years could account for the shift by crowding out species, particularly at the narrowest part of the peninsula called the Isthmus of Kra. The Journal of Biogeography posted their findings online February 25.
For most of the past few million years, the shallow ocean shelf surrounding the peninsula and islands of Malaysia and Indonesia has been exposed, creating a land area about the size of Europe. That habitat shrank dramatically each time sea levels rose.
“The ocean is coming from both sides repeatedly to squeeze things,” Woodruff said. “If you have the ocean edge coming back and forth more than 50 times around this little narrow area, you’ll compress the fauna and cause species to go extinct locally.”
By consulting published reports, Woodruff and Turner mapped the ranges of 325 species of mammals found in the region. “We studied mammals from China down to Singapore,” Woodruff said. But they found no evidence for a sharp transition between types of mammals at Kra or anywhere else along the peninsula.
Instead, they saw a gap. “We found an area about 600 kilometers long where there are 30 percent fewer species than there should be,” Woodruff said. Although 128 mainland Asian species stopped before the southern tip of the peninsula and 121 island species were found only in the south, 35 widely distributed species were found above and below the isthmus, but were missing from that narrowest part.
More links
- Pleistocene sea level maps for Southeast Asia on the Field Museum website.
- Biogeographical implications of mitochondrial DNA variation in the Bockadam snake (Cerberus rynchops, Serpentes : Homalopsinae) in Southeast Asia, Karns D. R., O'Bannon A., Voris H. K., Weigt L. A.
- Aquatic snake project at Pasir Ris Singapore by the Field Museum
- Snake hunters on the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
Ella Bay - an appeal for comment
The oceans join all of us who work on shores.
A few days ago, I heard from Russell Constable who is working hard to save marine turtles in Ella Bay in Far North Queensland Australia. He found nests of flatback and green turtles there. He is hoping to influence the plan to build a $1.81 billion, 450 hectare five-star tourism and residential resort less than a kilometre from this beach.
He also shared another reason why Ella Bay is so special, with photos taken by Liz Gallie of the magnificent Southern Cassowary (a listed endangered species).
"At least 7 of these birds call Ella Bay home so if we can save the place for the turtles they win too! 7 doesn’t sound like much but with a total population in Australia of about 1200 that’s over half a percent and anyone with a home loan can tell you half a percent can make a big difference!" Russel says.
Here's more of what Russell shared about his work on his shore. Far far away, but the story is so sadly familar to all of us who care about our shores.
From an email from Russell on 2 Mar 09
From an email from Russell on 6 Mar 09
From an email from Russell later on 6 Mar 09
A few days ago, I heard from Russell Constable who is working hard to save marine turtles in Ella Bay in Far North Queensland Australia. He found nests of flatback and green turtles there. He is hoping to influence the plan to build a $1.81 billion, 450 hectare five-star tourism and residential resort less than a kilometre from this beach.
He also shared another reason why Ella Bay is so special, with photos taken by Liz Gallie of the magnificent Southern Cassowary (a listed endangered species).
"At least 7 of these birds call Ella Bay home so if we can save the place for the turtles they win too! 7 doesn’t sound like much but with a total population in Australia of about 1200 that’s over half a percent and anyone with a home loan can tell you half a percent can make a big difference!" Russel says.Here's more of what Russell shared about his work on his shore. Far far away, but the story is so sadly familar to all of us who care about our shores.
From an email from Russell on 2 Mar 09
My name is Russell Constable and I have recently completed a marine turtle survey near Ella Bay in Far North Queensland Australia. After discovering previously unrecorded marine turtle nesting areas I submitted the survey to the Cairns and Far North Environment Center and the Environmental Defenders Office. Within a day these two groups prepared a legal request for the minister to consider the marine turtles when assessing a multi million dollar resort which threatens to destroy this magnificent wild bay. The minister has opened up this information to public comment and I wish to make an appeal to Wild Singapore! The site where the public may comment is here.
I know Australia is a long way from Singapore but Marine turtle conservation is an international issue. I would like to provide a link to the minister’s website and appeal to you and your readers to give some supporting comments for these marine turtles. We have received enthusiastic support in Australia but really feel that comments from international sources could greatly influence our minister! It’s a window of opportunity for people to have their say!
From an email from Russell on 6 Mar 09
Well a lot of stuff has happened since we were in touch and thought I best update you.
I had a recorded interview with the ABC and it scared the living daylights out of me
Have provided a link to it and thought you might be interested. (The full interview and link to video clip is on wildsingapore news).
It looks like we have a cyclone coming so I am flat out trying to get this out in case we lose power.Went to the bay today it was wild and beautiful.
Go directly to www.cafnec.org.au where you will find a pro forma letter to our Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett AM MP (deadline 11 March 2009).
Submit it signed, dated and addressed (it’s a word document so feel free to modify it and add your own comments). The letter can be emailed or posted to the address at the top of first page.
And last but not least forward this to your friends who can hear the story and have their opportunity to help save Ella Bay…”It’s a hell of a bay to give away”.
Thank you all, every comment made on behalf of the turtles will most certainly help. their future is in your hands.
From an email from Russell later on 6 Mar 09
I am almost off to bed!
I went to Ella Bay this morning and it was overcast but I took some photographs.
It’s a great place and worth sleepless nights and struggle to defend.
06 March 2009
Where are Singapore's Nature Areas?
Our Nature Areas and Reserves are designated in the Parks & Waterbodies Plan of the URA's Master Plan 2008.
On their website, click on the Parks & Waterbodies Plan link for a view of the areas.
What is a Nature Area?
From Skyline Mar/Jun 03 (newsletter of the Urban Renewal Authority)
In the Master Plan 2008, some Nature Areas are coloured green and others are just plain white. And this is what the legend suggests.
Being more partial to our shores, I started looking at the Nature Areas along our coasts.
On our Northern coast near the Second Link, there's patches of white NAs.
In Poyan there are several.
In various shapes and sizes.
A few tiny patches near Murai.
And a few tiny patches near Sarimbun.
Moving eastward towards the Causeway is Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, a designated Nature Reserve,
and Kranji Nature Trail, a NA next to the Reserve.
Up the Kranji Reservoir are Kranji Marsh, a designated Nature Area.
Continuing eastward, there's Admiralty Park another NA.
Khatib Bongsu, alas, is not a designated NA.
Some parts of Pasir Ris Park is a designated NA.
And just across the narrow Straits is Pulau Ubin, with some portions designated as Nature Areas. The NA that is white is on the Outward Bound Singapore portion of the island.
The NA designation, however, does not extend to the intertidal flats of Chek Jawa. And the entire Pulau Tekong is not designated as a Nature Area.
The shores of Changi are also not designated as a Nature Area, although there is a boardwalk at Changi.
Moving directly to our Southern shores, There's Labrador Nature Reserve, nested within Labrador Park (which is not designated as a Nature Area). But some portions of Mount Faber and Kent Ridge Park are designated NA.
Sentosa also has some designated NA but these do not cover the shores.
And the Sisters Islands are our only designated Marine Nature Area. While St. John's Island has a portion designated as a Nature Area. Kusu Island and Lazarus Island are not designated NAs.
None of our other Southern Islands have Nature Area status. Not even our favourite dive spot, Pulau Hantu or the location of much nature activities, Pulau Semakau.
Trekking inland, there are small portions of the Singapore Botanic Gardens designated NA.
And of course there's Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
Surrounded by small designated NAs, with one NA at Bukit Batok Nature Park.
Sadly, the BKE separates the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve from the rest of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, which has a few NAs on the edges. 
The Central Nature Reserve extends all the way up to Mandai, and down to MacRitchie. Various facilities there include the MacRitchie Trails, Lower Peirce Boardwalk and Tree Top Trail.
There's not much consolidated information about our Nature Areas. The information is rather scanty and scattered. Perhaps a good opportunity for student projects to fill the gaps?
On their website, click on the Parks & Waterbodies Plan link for a view of the areas.What is a Nature Area?
From Skyline Mar/Jun 03 (newsletter of the Urban Renewal Authority)
Nature Reserves are "an integral part of our natural heritage and their bio-diversity makes them globally significant treasure troves for education, scientific and horticultural research. Measures are also in place for these areas to ensure that they are sustainable in the long run."The legend to the URA Master Plan 2008 maps also says ...
Nature Areas are "natural areas rich in biodiversity through the 1992 Singapore Green Plan, NParks and nature groups. This means that NParks has to be consulted for any development proposals in or near these Nature Areas and ecological studies may be required."
In the Master Plan 2008, some Nature Areas are coloured green and others are just plain white. And this is what the legend suggests.
Being more partial to our shores, I started looking at the Nature Areas along our coasts.On our Northern coast near the Second Link, there's patches of white NAs.
In Poyan there are several.
In various shapes and sizes.
A few tiny patches near Murai.
And a few tiny patches near Sarimbun.Moving eastward towards the Causeway is Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, a designated Nature Reserve,
and Kranji Nature Trail, a NA next to the Reserve.
Up the Kranji Reservoir are Kranji Marsh, a designated Nature Area.
Continuing eastward, there's Admiralty Park another NA.
Khatib Bongsu, alas, is not a designated NA.
Some parts of Pasir Ris Park is a designated NA.
And just across the narrow Straits is Pulau Ubin, with some portions designated as Nature Areas. The NA that is white is on the Outward Bound Singapore portion of the island.
The NA designation, however, does not extend to the intertidal flats of Chek Jawa. And the entire Pulau Tekong is not designated as a Nature Area.
The shores of Changi are also not designated as a Nature Area, although there is a boardwalk at Changi.
Moving directly to our Southern shores, There's Labrador Nature Reserve, nested within Labrador Park (which is not designated as a Nature Area). But some portions of Mount Faber and Kent Ridge Park are designated NA.
Sentosa also has some designated NA but these do not cover the shores.
And the Sisters Islands are our only designated Marine Nature Area. While St. John's Island has a portion designated as a Nature Area. Kusu Island and Lazarus Island are not designated NAs.
None of our other Southern Islands have Nature Area status. Not even our favourite dive spot, Pulau Hantu or the location of much nature activities, Pulau Semakau.Trekking inland, there are small portions of the Singapore Botanic Gardens designated NA.
And of course there's Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
Surrounded by small designated NAs, with one NA at Bukit Batok Nature Park.
Sadly, the BKE separates the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve from the rest of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, which has a few NAs on the edges. 
The Central Nature Reserve extends all the way up to Mandai, and down to MacRitchie. Various facilities there include the MacRitchie Trails, Lower Peirce Boardwalk and Tree Top Trail.There's not much consolidated information about our Nature Areas. The information is rather scanty and scattered. Perhaps a good opportunity for student projects to fill the gaps?
Record 453 container ships left sitting idle
About 90% of trade goes by sea, and about 10% of world's container ship capacity is now lying idle.
Cyrene Reefs lies just opposite Singapore's world class port.
'The shipping industry will need a highly powerful and synchronised turn in the world trade cycle to recover and that seems a bit of a long shot at the moment.'
Shipping lines slashing capacity in bid to ride out downturn
Robin Chan, Straits Times 6 Mar 09;
Cyrene Reefs lies just opposite Singapore's world class port.'The shipping industry will need a highly powerful and synchronised turn in the world trade cycle to recover and that seems a bit of a long shot at the moment.'
Shipping lines slashing capacity in bid to ride out downturn
Robin Chan, Straits Times 6 Mar 09;
THE number of container ships sitting idle at ports around the world continues to grow ominously as shipping lines frantically slash capacity and push up freight rates to stay afloat amid the downturn.
There are now a record 453 ships with a cargo capacity for 1.35million standard 20-foot containers sitting empty - an increase of 15% cent in just two weeks, with more to come.
Thousands of containers are being left unused worldwide, taking up dock space. The Busan International Terminal, South Korea's busiest port, is holding more than 30,000 empty boxes, said Bloomberg.
HSBC senior Asian economist Robert Prior-Wandesforde told The Straits Times: 'This is the biggest world trade recession since the 1930s.
'The shipping industry will need a highly powerful and synchronised turn in the world trade cycle to recover and that seems a bit of a long shot at the moment.'
The idle capacity, outlined in a report on March 2, equates to about 10.7per cent of the world's container ship capacity.
But some experts tip that it could hit 25per cent by 2011 as a vast amount of new container capacity, perhaps as much as five million boxes, is due to come on stream - a result of overbuilding when times were good.
The crisis has also seen freight rates slashed to near zero due to the global slump in demand for products like toys and cars. This could lead to shipping lines losing more than US$68billion (S$105billion) in revenue this year if rates stay at rock-bottom.
But some desperate shipping lines are already raising rates in a bid to recover some of their costs.
Singapore Shipping Association president S.S. Teo said the 10per cent idle capacity was alarming but has been worsened by a low season in trade that is normally around the holiday months of December to February.
'Shippers are telling me that in December and January there was no trade to China. But in February, the letters of credit were coming in. So going into the latter part of March and April, we should see some improvement in the volume of trade,' he said.
Mr Prior-Wandesforde also pointed to a slight recovery in the Baltic Dry Index, a measure of rates for ships that transport commodities like steel and coal. The index has shown some signs of life and now hovers around the 2,000 mark after plummeting to nearly 600 in December.
He said this adds to anecdotal evidence that the Chinese economy is recovering, as activity in steel mills is picking up, housing projects are under way and bank lending has improved.
'There are bits and pieces out there to show that things in China are turning around,' he said. 'This should eventually be reflected in container shipping.'
The industry is a good indicator of the health of world trade, as about 90per cent of trade goes by sea.
The world's busiest ports have painted a less than rosy picture with the top three all reporting declines in container throughput.
In January, Singapore's ports handled 20per cent fewer containers than a year before. Shanghai and Hong Kong also reported 19per cent and 23per cent falls in their container traffic respectively.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said on Wednesday that the continued decline in exports here had prompted him to believe that Singapore's gross domestic product could fall 10per cent this year.
chanckr@sph.com.sg
Worrying numbers
# There are a record 453 ships with a cargo capacity for 1.35 million standard 20-foot containers sitting empty.
# The idle capacity equates to about 10.7per cent of the world's container ship capacity.
News species of deep sea corals discovered off Hawaii
Live, 4,000-year-old corals, a five-foot tall yellow bamboo coral tree that had never been described before, new beds of living deepwater coral and sponges, and a giant sponge scientists dubbed the “cauldron sponge,” approximately three feet tall and three feet across, were seen in deep waters near Hawaii. 
This orange bamboo coral is a new species and new genus found in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. It is between four and five feet tall, and was found 5,745 feet below the surface. (Credit: Hawaii Deep-Sea Coral Expedition 2007/NOAA)
The discoveries are important because deep-sea corals support diverse sea floor ecosystems and their growth rings, like ones from trees, can provide views of how deep-ocean conditions change: "providing 4,000 years worth of information about what has been going on in the deep ocean interior". Also, deep sea corals may be among the first marine organisms to be affected by ocean acidification.
The mission also discovered a “coral graveyard” covering about 10,000 square feet and more than 2,000 feet deep. Death was estimated to have occurred several thousand to potentially more than a million years ago, but the scientists did not know why the community died.
Seven New Species Of Deep-sea Coral Discovered
ScienceDaily 5 Mar 09;
New species of bamboo coral identified off Hawaii
Yahoo News 6 Mar 09;
This orange bamboo coral is a new species and new genus found in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. It is between four and five feet tall, and was found 5,745 feet below the surface. (Credit: Hawaii Deep-Sea Coral Expedition 2007/NOAA)The discoveries are important because deep-sea corals support diverse sea floor ecosystems and their growth rings, like ones from trees, can provide views of how deep-ocean conditions change: "providing 4,000 years worth of information about what has been going on in the deep ocean interior". Also, deep sea corals may be among the first marine organisms to be affected by ocean acidification.
The mission also discovered a “coral graveyard” covering about 10,000 square feet and more than 2,000 feet deep. Death was estimated to have occurred several thousand to potentially more than a million years ago, but the scientists did not know why the community died.
Seven New Species Of Deep-sea Coral Discovered
ScienceDaily 5 Mar 09;
Scientists identified seven new species of bamboo coral discovered on a NOAA-funded mission in the deep waters of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Six of these species may represent entirely new genera, a remarkable feat given the broad classification a genus represents.*
Scientists expect to identify more new species as analysis of samples continues.
“These discoveries are important, because deep-sea corals support diverse seafloor ecosystems and also because these corals may be among the first marine organisms to be affected by ocean acidification,” said Richard Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA’s assistant administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.
Ocean acidification is a change in ocean chemistry due to excess carbon dioxide. Researchers have seen adverse changes in marine life with calcium-carbonate shells, such as corals, because of acidified ocean water.
“Deep-sea bamboo corals also produce growth rings much as trees do, and can provide a much-needed view of how deep ocean conditions change through time,” said Spinrad.
Rob Dunbar, a Stanford University scientist, was studying long-term climate data by examining long-lived corals. “We found live, 4,000-year-old corals in the Monument – meaning 4,000 years worth of information about what has been going on in the deep ocean interior.”
“Studying these corals can help us understand how they survive for such long periods of time, as well as how they may respond to climate change in the future,” said Dunbar.
Among the other findings were a five-foot tall yellow bamboo coral tree that had never been described before, new beds of living deepwater coral and sponges, and a giant sponge scientists dubbed the “cauldron sponge,” approximately three feet tall and three feet across. Scientists collected two other sponges which have not yet been analyzed, but may represent new species or genera as well.
The mission also discovered a “coral graveyard” covering about 10,000 square feet on a seamount’s summit, more than 2,000 feet deep. Scientists estimated the death of the community occurred several thousand to potentially more than a million years ago, but did not know why the community died. The species of coral had never been recorded in Hawaii before, according a Smithsonian Institution coral expert they consulted.
Finding new species was not an express purpose of the research mission, but Dunbar and Christopher Kelley, a scientist with the University of Hawaii, both collected specimens that looked unusual. Kelley’s objective was to locate and predict locations of high density deep-sea coral beds in the Monument. NOAA scientist Frank Parrish also led a portion of the mission, focusing on growth rates of deep-sea corals.
The three-week research mission ended in November 2007, but analysis of specimens is ongoing. “The potential for more discoveries is high, but these deep-sea corals are not protected everywhere as they are here, and can easily be destroyed,” said Kelley.
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument has more deep water than any other U.S. protected area, with more than 98 percent below SCUBA-diving depths and only accessible to submersibles. The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory, sponsored by NOAA and the University of Hawaii, piloted the Pisces V submersible from a research vessel to the discovery sites, between 3,300 and 4,200 feet deep.
Funding for the mission was provided by NOAA through the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Identification of the corals was provided by Les Watling at the University of Hawaii.
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is administered jointly by the Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, and the State of Hawaii and represents a cooperative conservation approach to protecting the entire ecosystem.
*A genus is a major category in the classification of organisms, ranking above a species and below a family.
New species of bamboo coral identified off Hawaii
Yahoo News 6 Mar 09;
HONOLULU – Scientists have identified seven new species of bamboo coral discovered thousands of feet below the ocean's surface, officials said Thursday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the six of the seven species found off Hawaii may represent entirely new genera, calling it a "remarkable feat" given the broad classification a genus represents.
A genus is a major category in the classification of organisms, ranking above a species and below a family.
University of Hawaii scientist Christopher Kelley, one of two scientists who found the coral, said the "potential for more discoveries is high."
Scientists expect to identify more new species as analysis of samples continues.
Richard Spinrad, NOAA's assistant administrator for oceanic and atmospheric research, said the discoveries are important because deep-sea corals support diverse sea floor ecosystems and their growth rings, like ones from trees, can provide views of how deep-ocean conditions change.
He said the corals "may be among the first marine organisms to be affected by ocean acidification," which is a change in ocean chemistry due to excess carbon dioxide.
The coral was discovered among the islands of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument using a submersible research vessel in 2007. The three-week research mission was to locate and predict locations of high density deep-sea coral beds in the national monument.
The same mission also found a large coral graveyard. Scientists estimate the death occurred several thousand years to potentially more than 1 million years ago. The species of coral had never been recorded in Hawaii before.
Scientists do not know why the coral died.
Papahanaumokuakea, nearly 100 times larger than Yosemite National Park, was created by President George W. Bush in 2006. It is in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which stretch 1,000 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands.
05 March 2009
A code of ethics for nature appreciation and photography in Singapore
The Nature Society (Singapore) is looking at developing a Singapore Code of Ethics for nature appreciation and photography. They would like to hear what issues you feel should be addressed in this Code: email your thoughts to Vinayagan Dharmarajah, Legal Adviser to NSS persianleopard@hotmail.com
This was outlined in their latest newsletter Nature News Mar-Apr 09.
Timothy Pwee also describes some disturbing photographer behaviour in his article "Questionable Nature Etiquette".
For example, how he was at MacRitchie Reservoir and "came across an artillery firing line of heavy cameras with owners casually gossiping. Suddenly, silence. All attention became riveted on a spot along the riverbank's foliage - the rare Black-backed Kingfisher (Ceyx erithacus) had finally shown up! A dozen mounted flashes lit up in synchrony, blinding the bird in a staccato of free fire. The barrage of light continued on and on." After discussing the issue, he notes that "The welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph or the sighting."
While Marcus Ng describes "An Eyewitness Account of Unethical Behaviour". A longer version of the account was earlier carried on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog.
A Code of Ethics will be good and I hope it can be extended to our shores and marine life as well. Stress (and death) by photographers and visitors is not only confined to birds and terrestrial habitats. Unlike birds, marine life can't run away or cry out. So we are often oblivious to the distress and death we may be causing when we visit the shores.
Also in this issue, Vice-President Dr Shawn Lum in his Thoughts from the NSS President "Protecting Biodiversity while Resuscitating the Economy" asks for views on how the Nature Society can reach beyond the narrow confines of nature enthusiasts and environmental champions to make others realise the many benefits that Nature provides. How can we bring others to feel that protecting natural habitats and biodiversity both at home and abroad is not only a good thing, but is the right thing to do (and worth doing now)?
For more details, download the Nature News Mar-Apr 09 issue (PDF file)
This was outlined in their latest newsletter Nature News Mar-Apr 09.Timothy Pwee also describes some disturbing photographer behaviour in his article "Questionable Nature Etiquette".
For example, how he was at MacRitchie Reservoir and "came across an artillery firing line of heavy cameras with owners casually gossiping. Suddenly, silence. All attention became riveted on a spot along the riverbank's foliage - the rare Black-backed Kingfisher (Ceyx erithacus) had finally shown up! A dozen mounted flashes lit up in synchrony, blinding the bird in a staccato of free fire. The barrage of light continued on and on." After discussing the issue, he notes that "The welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph or the sighting."
While Marcus Ng describes "An Eyewitness Account of Unethical Behaviour". A longer version of the account was earlier carried on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog.
A Code of Ethics will be good and I hope it can be extended to our shores and marine life as well. Stress (and death) by photographers and visitors is not only confined to birds and terrestrial habitats. Unlike birds, marine life can't run away or cry out. So we are often oblivious to the distress and death we may be causing when we visit the shores.
Also in this issue, Vice-President Dr Shawn Lum in his Thoughts from the NSS President "Protecting Biodiversity while Resuscitating the Economy" asks for views on how the Nature Society can reach beyond the narrow confines of nature enthusiasts and environmental champions to make others realise the many benefits that Nature provides. How can we bring others to feel that protecting natural habitats and biodiversity both at home and abroad is not only a good thing, but is the right thing to do (and worth doing now)?
For more details, download the Nature News Mar-Apr 09 issue (PDF file)
Prawn 'sex tapes' reveals lust is lacking in captive-breds
While wild-caught tiger prawns 'have no problem breeding' and go on to 'spawn millions of eggs', captive-bred prawns aren't even having sex.
Captive-bred broodstock is preferred in order to eliminate viruses in the larvae supplied to prawn farms. So it's a real party pooper when the prawns refuse to mate.
A study of video prawnography suggests that the female captive-bred prawns don't crank out enough pheromones, and the male captive-bred prawns aren't clued into the little that the females do produce. "Their endocrine system is not functioning normally and further research is needed to find out why that is."
Prawnography shows captive bred prawns lack lust
Queensland University of Technology 27 Feb 09;
More about problems in prawn farming
Captive-bred broodstock is preferred in order to eliminate viruses in the larvae supplied to prawn farms. So it's a real party pooper when the prawns refuse to mate.A study of video prawnography suggests that the female captive-bred prawns don't crank out enough pheromones, and the male captive-bred prawns aren't clued into the little that the females do produce. "Their endocrine system is not functioning normally and further research is needed to find out why that is."
Prawnography shows captive bred prawns lack lust
Queensland University of Technology 27 Feb 09;
A researcher has studied hours of prawn "sex tapes" to find out why prawns bred in captivity did not go on to breed well.
Life sciences researcher Gay Marsden, from Queensland University of Technology, spent two months filming what prawns got up to when the sun went down.
"The Australian prawn aquaculture industry depends on black tiger prawns, Penaeus monodon," Ms Marsden said.
"Currently the broodstock that supply the larvae to stock the ponds are captured from the wild.
"Wild-caught prawns spawned millions of eggs, which meant that not many needed to be caught for commercial production, but there was a high risk of disease.
"Viruses can be introduced by wild broodstock, and in high density ponds, crops can be wiped out in days."
Ms Marsden said it is therefore preferable to use captive-bred prawns as broodstock as they can be kept free from the troublesome viruses.
"When prawns are caught from the wild and put into tanks, they have no problem breeding," she said.
"It is a different story for the prawns reared in captivity.
"It was suspected that prawns bred in captivity weren't interested in sex but very little was known about why this was the case, so I undertook the study to try to find out."
Using infrared cameras, Ms Marsden compared the bedroom behaviour of captive-bred prawns with wild prawns and observed combinations of captive-bred prawns mating with wild prawns.
"Males mate with females after the females moult, when they have lost their shells their bodies are soft and can be implanted with sperm," she said.
"But when I looked at the videos of the captive-reared prawns, when the females moulted, the males weren't interested, indicating pheromones were lacking.
"Their non-reproductive behaviour is normal, so they appear healthy in that regard, but there is a problem, the male and females are not attracted to each other.
"I found it was partly the females fault probably for not releasing many pheromones, but there was also something wrong with the males, they weren't very receptive to what pheromones there were."
Ms Marsden said that for an animal that had a brain the size of a pin head, prawns were surprisingly complex.
"From my research, we've got leads for improved nutrition and have also carried out some trials looking at the effect of different hormones on the prawn reproduction," she said.
"Their endocrine system is not functioning normally and further research is needed to find out why that is."
Ms Marsden's research supervisor was Dr Neil Richardson from the School of Life Sciences.
She said while prawns were best eaten at smaller sizes, the black tiger prawn broodstock grew to about 23cm long and could be found off the Australian east coast and in South East Asia.
More about problems in prawn farming
- Emptying the Oceans
- Coastal fish farms: where does the fish waste go?
- Disappearing fish and prawns in Malaysia
04 March 2009
Unnatural evolution of fish can be reversed, but slowly
The "take-the-biggest-fish" approach in fishing is causing fish to be smaller, less fertile, and competitively disadvantaged. This has also been a loss for commercial fishers who want bigger fish to sell, recreational anglers in pursuit of trophy fish, and seafood consumers who want bigger fish on their plates.
A 10-year research study has demonstrated for the first time ever that detrimental evolution in fish can be reversed. But the reversal process occurs much more slowly than the changes caused by fishing. If the study's estimates are correct, it could take many decades for commercially harvested fish species to recover to their 'original' size.
"So the best strategy is still to avoid harmful evolutionary changes in the first place." said said lead author Dr. David O. Conover.
'Undesirable' Evolution Can Be Reversed In Fish, By Letting The Big Ones Go
ScienceDaily 3 Mar 09;
Related posts
We should let the big ones get away
A 10-year research study has demonstrated for the first time ever that detrimental evolution in fish can be reversed. But the reversal process occurs much more slowly than the changes caused by fishing. If the study's estimates are correct, it could take many decades for commercially harvested fish species to recover to their 'original' size.
"So the best strategy is still to avoid harmful evolutionary changes in the first place." said said lead author Dr. David O. Conover.
'Undesirable' Evolution Can Be Reversed In Fish, By Letting The Big Ones Go
ScienceDaily 3 Mar 09;
"Undesirable" evolution in fish – which makes their bodies grow smaller and fishery catches dwindle -- can actually be reversed in a few decades' time by changing our "take-the-biggest-fish" approach to commercial fishing, according to groundbreaking new research published by Stony Brook University scientists.
Intensive harvesting of the largest fish over many decades, while leaving the small fish behind, may have unintentionally genetically reprogrammed many species to grow smaller, said lead author Dr. David O. Conover, Professor and Dean of the Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in Long Island, New York.
Although Charles Darwin showed 150 years ago that evolution equips life forms to be better adapted to prosper in their environment, unnatural evolution caused by man's size-selective fishing is causing fish to be smaller, less fertile, and competitively disadvantaged. This has also been a loss for commercial fishers who seek big fish for their livelihoods, recreational anglers in pursuit of trophy fish, and seafood consumers who desire large portions on their plates.
This study demonstrates for the first time ever that detrimental evolution in fish can be reversed, and pokes a gaping hole in theoretical models suggesting that genetic changes are impossible to "undo." It is the result of 10 years of research largely supported by a generous grant from the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University.
"This is good news for fisheries, but it also shows that reversal is a slow process," Dr. Conover said. "Over time, fish can return back to their normal size but the reversal process occurs much more slowly than the changes caused by fishing. So the best strategy is still to avoid harmful evolutionary changes in the first place".
Current fishery management plans are generally based upon assessment methods which do not incorporate long-term evolutionary dynamics. It could take years before evolutionary change is incorporated into such plans, since the concept remains quite controversial among scientists.
"It took scientists a long time to reach a consensus on climate change, and acceptance of this phenomenon might require a long time, too," Dr. Conover said.
Dr. Ellen Pikitch, Executive Director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, said, "We now have proof that the negative ramifications of common fishing practices can linger for decades, leaving future generations to grapple with a legacy of diminished ocean productivity. It is essential that fishing be transformed to minimize its evolutionary and broader ecological consequences." Evolutionary dynamics are a fundamental principle of ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM), a holistic approach that considers the connectedness of different species and the links between species and environmental influences, rather than managing each species in isolation. Dr. Pikitch was among the earliest proponents of EBFM, and lead author of a seminal 2004 article in Science on the concept.
"We have interfered extensively with the natural course of things, and while it is very encouraging that the harmful effects of size-selective fishing may be reversible, the length of the recovery period is sobering," said Dr. Pikitch, who is also a Professor of Marine Science at Stony Brook University. "Restoration of ocean fisheries requires prompt and widespread adoption of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management."
Fishery management is today largely based upon "minimum size limits," which ban capture of fish below a given size, species by species. With few exceptions, maximum size limits do not exist, so the large fish can easily be "fished out." "This is really bad news for fish because unlike humans, the bigger and older a fish is, the more offspring it produces," Dr. Conover said. "We're talking about a big fish producing ten times more eggs than the same species in a smaller size, but unfortunately, current fishery regulations make it dangerous to be big," The solution is to design regulations to protect large fish, he said. "If we stopped fishing out the largest fish, there would again be a benefit to being big, and genetic changes will occur that gradually trigger a population rebound".
Dr. Conover and colleagues worked at the Flax Pond Marine Laboratory on the north shore of Long Island, with six wild populations of the Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia) captured from Great South Bay, NY. This marine harvested species is common to the east coast of North America. Researchers selectively removed the largest fish over the course of five generations (for the silverside, each generation amounts to about one year). They then allowed five generations of recovery, in which no size-selective fishing occurred. Mean body size of the fish declined rapidly during the size-selective fishing period. During the recovery years, body size gradually rebounded.
In this experiment, Dr. Conover's team estimated that full recovery would take about 12 generations, but recovery time in the wild could be shorter or longer depending upon the species and its environment. If their estimate is roughly correct, however, it means that recovery could take many decades for commercially harvested fish species, since they typically have a generation time of three to seven years. Cod have a five-year generation time, for example, which equates to a 60-year recovery period. Evolutionary change may explain why several cod stocks have still not returned to historical body size and abundance even though the fishery was closed years ago, Dr. Conover said.
In addition to Dr. Conover, authors on this paper are Dr. Stephan B. Munch of the Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, and Dr. Stephen A. Arnott of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Marine Resources Research Institute.
Related posts
We should let the big ones get away
Dead dugong in Phuket was probably killed by fishing equipment
This is the eighth recorded dugong death in the area since October 2008.
The dugong appeared to have been in a healthy condition right up to the moment of death. “Sea grass was still left in her mouth, proving that the dugong was eating food only moments before she died. This indicates that she was healthy.”
An examination suggests it died suddenly of injuries sustained though contact with fishing equipment.
Dead dugong likely killed by fishing equipment
Phuket Gazette 3 Mar 09;
Dugong population under threat from commercial fishing
mcot.net 5 Mar 09;
More links
Seven dugongs dead in six months in Thailand
The dugong appeared to have been in a healthy condition right up to the moment of death. “Sea grass was still left in her mouth, proving that the dugong was eating food only moments before she died. This indicates that she was healthy.”An examination suggests it died suddenly of injuries sustained though contact with fishing equipment.
Dead dugong likely killed by fishing equipment
Phuket Gazette 3 Mar 09;
AO PANWA, PHUKET: An examination of a dead dugong found floating in Phang Nga Bay late last month suggests it died suddenly of injuries sustained though contact with fishing equipment, a leading marine biologist has revealed.
A ferry found the female dugong on February 27 and its crew brought the 1.6-meter, 86-kilogram carcass to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) for examination.
The examination, which took place this afternoon, revealed that the dugong appeared to have been in a healthy condition right up to the moment of death.
Veterinarian Sontaya Manawattana told the Gazette that “sea grass was still left in her mouth, proving that the dugong was eating food only moments before she died. This indicates that she was healthy.”
It is suspected that the mammal died as the result of an encounter with fishing equipment.
This latest discovery marks the eighth recorded dugong death since October, 2008.
“The dugong population numbers about 250 in the Andaman Sea and around 50 in the Gulf of Thailand. They are in danger of disappearing from the Andaman Sea altogether, so they need to be protected,” said Dr Sontaya.
Dugong population under threat from commercial fishing
mcot.net 5 Mar 09;
Thailand’s dugong population is now under threat. Trawling and fishing by push net has caused a dramatic and continuous decline in the marine animal’s population. According to official statistics, more than 10 dugongs have died over the past 4 months as a result of commercial fishing.
The autopsy of a 40-year-old male dugong in Thailand’s Satun province clearly showed the animal did not die from illness or infection. Instead, the oedema in its chest helped confirm the dugong had struggled to survive so hard it was finally died of shock.
A marine biologist at Phuket Marine Biological Centre, who performed an autopsy for this dugong, believed fishing tools were the culprit.
“Although there’s no wound on its body caused by a fishing tool, there are traces inside the body, which indicate the dugong suffered a serious shock. For instance, an oedema in pericardium and a blood clot in the torso. These traces were believed to be from a fishing tool,” said Phaothep Cherdsukjai, a marine biologist.
Phuket Marine Biological Centre Commercial fishing, namely by trawler and push net, is directly resulting in a sharp drop in the dugong population, as well as other endangered species such as sea turtles.
Illegal fishing within restricted area of 3,000 metres from the shoreline causes the large animals to be trapped in a net, unable to push themselves up to breathe on the sea’s surface, which finally ends in their death.
“If illegal fishing persists, within the next 10 to 20 years, endangered marine species including dugongs and sea turtles would become extinct in the Thai ocean,” said Phaothep.
Construction of wharves, owing to growth of the tourism business, is also impacting on the survival of seagrass which is the dugong’s source of food.
If no immediate measures are taken by the government, the dugong might become a thing of the past in Thai waters.
More links
Seven dugongs dead in six months in Thailand
03 March 2009
Seagrasses critical for commercial fisheries
Nearly all snapper on the west coast of the North Island in New Zealand come from nurseries in just one harbour, a study recently discovered. In recent years some stocks have failed to recover from historical overfishing, with some commercial catch quotas for snapper being cut recently to protect the species.
Early indications suggest a strong positive correlation between increasing seagrass blade densities and juvenile snapper (and other fish species) abundance. Reductions in seagrass blade densities are a sign of environmental degradation of seagrass meadows, which may reduce their value to small fish.
The discovery is a significant breakthrough for scientists working on ways to maintain and potentially increase snapper and other fisheries stocks. It highlights the importance of protecting natural habitats.
Fish stock habitat a weak spot
ScienceAlert 4 Mar 09;
Do Singapore's seagrass meadows, like Chek Jawa above, have a role for fisheries beyond our shores?
Early indications suggest a strong positive correlation between increasing seagrass blade densities and juvenile snapper (and other fish species) abundance. Reductions in seagrass blade densities are a sign of environmental degradation of seagrass meadows, which may reduce their value to small fish.
The discovery is a significant breakthrough for scientists working on ways to maintain and potentially increase snapper and other fisheries stocks. It highlights the importance of protecting natural habitats.
Fish stock habitat a weak spot
ScienceAlert 4 Mar 09;
NIWA scientists have discovered that nearly all snapper on the west coast of the North Island come from nurseries in just one harbour.
Snapper is New Zealand’s largest recreational fishery, and one of the country’s largest coastal commercial fisheries with an annual export value of $32 million (2008).
But in recent years some stocks have failed to recover from historical overfishing, with some commercial catch quotas for snapper being cut recently to protect the species.
In 2003, NIWA scientists collected juvenile snapper from seven estuaries along the west coast of the North Island.
By testing their ear bones (otoliths) for eight different chemical elements, scientists were able to create a ‘chemical signature’ to identify which estuary the fish came from.
Four years on, a sample of 140 adult snapper was collected from commercial catches, from Ninety Mile Beach to Mana Island in Wellington.
The analysis of these snapper using the ‘chemical signatures’ established is now complete. The scientists found that 98 percent of the adult snapper were originally juveniles from Kaipara Harbour.
NIWA Fisheries Ecologist Dr Mark Morrison said the discovery is a significant breakthrough for scientists working on ways to maintain and potentially increase snapper and other fisheries stocks.
“These findings show how fragile some New Zealand snapper and other coastal fish stocks could be. It highlights the importance of protecting natural habitats, like Kaipara Harbour.”
“Any negative impacts on the production of juvenile fish in the harbour will cascade through into a much larger coastal ecosystem, ultimately having a huge effect on the abundance of fish over a 700-kilometre coastline,” Dr Morrison says.
Kaipara Harbour is under threat from human activities – particularly land uses which causes sedimentation, eutrophication, and changes in water quality. These effects can all damage the biogenic (living) nursery habitat of snapper (usually seagrasses and horse mussel beds). It is likely other west coast harbours were also once important nurseries.
NIWA is now working on ways to restore and recover the habitats. This work includes using artificial seagrass habitats to understand why the fish value that environment, as well as the possible consequences on snapper numbers if the habitat was lost or destroyed.
Early indications from a recent experiment in Whangapoua Estuary, Coromandel, suggest a strong positive correlation between increasing seagrass blade densities and juvenile snapper (and other fish species) abundance. Reductions in seagrass blade densities are a sign of environmental degradation of seagrass meadows, which may reduce their value to small fish.
“Now that we know more about where the important nurseries are, we need to know why snapper larvae settle there, and how we can stop degradation of their habitat. Our aim is to be able to advise coastal resource managers on the likely consequences of different habitat management to fish stocks so that we can ensure that recreational, customary, and commercial fishing can continue in the future.”
What manner of beast is the merlion?
Half fish half lion, what is the merlion? I wondered, after the attention it got since it was struck by lightning.
The beast, it appears, is a figment of imagination. But rather suitable that it is half a fish. Singapore is an island surrounded by living shores and depends on the sea. Alas, despite this reminder, many Singaporeans don't know much about our shores and the sea.
Here's what I found out about the mysterious merlion.
The merlion was designed as a logo for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 1964. So it's about 40 years old. Its designer was also the curator of Van Kleef Aquarium, so that might explain the fishy bit. The formal story is that the tail represents Singapore’s humble beginnings as a fishing village.
The merlion statue that got hit by lightning was built by a Singapore craftsman and all his eight children. It was completed in 1972. Measuring nearly 9m tall and weighing 70 tonnes, it was originally located on Elizabeth Walk on the river-bank, at the mouth of the Singapore River.
Did you know the merlion had a cub?
A second and smaller merlion statue, measuring 2m tall and weighing 3 tonnes was also built by the same craftman. Apparently, its eyes were made of small red teacups! It is referred to as the 'cub' in the official stories.
The merlion and cub were relocated to their current location in 2002, with the merlion facing East (apparently auspicious) and the sea, and the cub behind it.
There are three other merlions officially recognised by STB. The hideous huge one on Sentosa (which gives me nightmares) and two smaller ones, one on Mount Faber and another at STB's office. But only the two at Fullerton spout water.
Alas, there are no descriptions of the beasts' biology. How do they reproduce? What do they eat? What are their predators? Is the Sentosa one a different subspecies? One comment on this blog suggests the merlion might not be doing well since the Marina Bay has been turned to freshwater. Does it need seawater? A marine creature and not brackish or fresh?
You can't anyhow use the merlion logo as it's trademarked. Among the rules on its use, the merlion has to "be used in good taste".
Although most Singaporeans pooh pooh the icon, apparently more than one million visitors a year trek to the Merlion Park just to take photos of the beast.
In fact, a would-be visitor left a comment on this blog to ask whether the merlion will be alright for an upcoming trip.
More links
And here's what the soothsayers say of the lightning strike ...
Strike while the Merlion is hot?
Pessimists say incident a bad omen, optimists say worst is over
Liew Hanqing, The New Paper 4 Mar 09;
The beast, it appears, is a figment of imagination. But rather suitable that it is half a fish. Singapore is an island surrounded by living shores and depends on the sea. Alas, despite this reminder, many Singaporeans don't know much about our shores and the sea.Here's what I found out about the mysterious merlion.
The merlion was designed as a logo for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 1964. So it's about 40 years old. Its designer was also the curator of Van Kleef Aquarium, so that might explain the fishy bit. The formal story is that the tail represents Singapore’s humble beginnings as a fishing village.
The merlion statue that got hit by lightning was built by a Singapore craftsman and all his eight children. It was completed in 1972. Measuring nearly 9m tall and weighing 70 tonnes, it was originally located on Elizabeth Walk on the river-bank, at the mouth of the Singapore River.
Did you know the merlion had a cub?
A second and smaller merlion statue, measuring 2m tall and weighing 3 tonnes was also built by the same craftman. Apparently, its eyes were made of small red teacups! It is referred to as the 'cub' in the official stories.
The merlion and cub were relocated to their current location in 2002, with the merlion facing East (apparently auspicious) and the sea, and the cub behind it.
There are three other merlions officially recognised by STB. The hideous huge one on Sentosa (which gives me nightmares) and two smaller ones, one on Mount Faber and another at STB's office. But only the two at Fullerton spout water.
Alas, there are no descriptions of the beasts' biology. How do they reproduce? What do they eat? What are their predators? Is the Sentosa one a different subspecies? One comment on this blog suggests the merlion might not be doing well since the Marina Bay has been turned to freshwater. Does it need seawater? A marine creature and not brackish or fresh?
You can't anyhow use the merlion logo as it's trademarked. Among the rules on its use, the merlion has to "be used in good taste".
Although most Singaporeans pooh pooh the icon, apparently more than one million visitors a year trek to the Merlion Park just to take photos of the beast.
In fact, a would-be visitor left a comment on this blog to ask whether the merlion will be alright for an upcoming trip.
More links
- The Merlion on Uniquely Singapore, history and origins, location and frequently asked questions (wow!)
- The Merlion Statue on the National Library's infopedia
- Merlion on wikipedia with lots of info including its appearance in overseas restaurants, in films, video games and more.
- Rejoice! The Merlion has been smote! A Facebook group for anyone who's never been fond of the half-fish half-lion; who've been personally affronted that we seem to have nothing else to offer than a half-baked story about a fish-mammal hybrid and who've had to cringe when telling the story to their tourist friends. Let's cleanse our souls and not perpetuate a lie into eternity.
And here's what the soothsayers say of the lightning strike ...
Strike while the Merlion is hot?
Pessimists say incident a bad omen, optimists say worst is over
Liew Hanqing, The New Paper 4 Mar 09;
WITH exports down, jobs disappearing and the economy in the doldrums, we need more bad news like we need a hole in the head.
So what does Mother Nature do? It zaps the Merlion, leaving Singapore's iconic symbol with, well, a hole in the head.Coincidence? Bad omen? Mother Nature's sick sense of humour?
Why zap the Merlion? Why the head, of all places? Why now?
As can be expected of superstitious Singaporeans, chatrooms have been abuzz about the significance of Saturday's incident.
The doomsayers are convinced that the hit - which took a chunk off the Merlion's crown - is a bad omen.
As in three strikes and you're out!
The Toto optimists see it as a sign that the worst is over for Singaporeans, speculating that the Merlion could have - heroically - sucked the 'suay' (bad luck) out of our way forward.
Who you gonna believe? Who you gonna call?
We called the fengshui experts - and were left as dumbstruck (pardon the pun) as our precious Merlion.
The geomancy experts, too, were divided.
Geomancer John Lok, who runs Fengshui0011.com, said the event could have positive implications.
'As the Merlion was hit by light on its head, it could signify that Singaporeans will be able to see more clearly, as this is a wake-up call to all Singaporeans.
'This year - the (Chinese) zodiac Year of the Ox - has a sign which represents 'ugly' or 'clown'. As a result, there will be some superficial events occurring, such as the lightning strike on the Merlion.'
Not that bad
Another geomancer, Master Lim Koon Hian of San Yen Geomancy Centre, agreed. He said the event signified that Singaporeans would experience a wake-up call, and a greater understanding of events around them.
Fengshui master Gwee Kim Woon, who runs Fulu Geomancy Centre, told Lianhe Wanbao that the lightning strike had only damaged a small portion of the Merlion's head, and not the entire head.
'This could mean that it has averted a more serious disaster,' he said.
He added that, judging from the Merlion's position, it is possible that the lightning strike could bring about a release of good fortune in Singapore.
He explained that the lightning strike could be interpreted as the 'ignition' of wealth and luck for Singapore.
Others were less optimistic.
Fengshui master Lee Yuhon said the event marked the arrival of 'negative forces' from the south of Singapore.
He added that it was caused by negative forces which had accumulated in the area.
'The lightning strike could mean that something bad may happen in the southern part of Singapore.'
Master David Tong of CMG Consulting, too, felt it was 'not a good omen'.
'The Merlion is an icon of Singapore, and an icon getting struck by lightning is not a good thing.
'In Chinese metaphysics, we learn that everything happens for a reason. It could be that the recession we are already in could get worse.'
From a tourist-revenue standpoint, he may have a point. After all, what's a visit to Singapore without taking in the sight of a part-lion part-fish puking continuously into mouth of the Singapore River?
So contractors are doing brain surgery, trying to replace the scalp of the 36-year-old statue.
Temporary barricades have been erected around the statue for safety reasons - not necessarily in case lightning strikes twice.
The Singapore Tourism Board said it is waiting for a full assessment from contractors before deciding when to allow the public access to the statue, and whether to erect a lightning conductor to prevent a repeat incident.
Meanwhile, the verdict remains a toss of a coin - lion's head, fish's tail - a stroke that will leave the economy paralysed, or a stroke of good fortune, as in tio beh pio (strike it rich!).
Emptying the Oceans: state of global fisheries and aquaculture
Too many boats and highly effective fishing technologies are wiping out fisheries. This and other bleak situations are outlined in the recent "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA)" report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Harvest of wild fishes maxed out
From SOFIA: Production in capture fisheries has levelled off and is not likely to increase beyond current levels. 19% of major commercial marine fish stocks monitored by FAO are overexploited and 8% are depleted. Around half (52%) rank as fully exploited and are producing catches that are at or close to their maximum sustainable limits.
SOFIA identifies overcapacity — a combination of too many boats and highly effective fishing technologies — as a key problem affecting fisheries today. Progress in tackling this issue has been slow, and "there has been only limited progress in mainstreaming precautionary and ecosystem approaches to fisheries, eliminating bycatch and discards, regulating bottom-trawl fisheries, managing shark fisheries and dealing with illegal fishing."
How bad are things really?
WWF says: "We and many other analysts believe that the real position of the oceans is much, much worse than the gloomy report from Rome this morning as little account of is taken of rampant illegal, unreported and unrecorded fishing.
“Also, in many cases, even legal fishing quotas have no relationship to actual fish stocks. To take possibly the best known example, the legal quota of Mediterranean bluefin tuna is around twice what the scientists recommend and the illegal catch is equal to the already inflated legal quota.”
Fish farms: still not sustainable
From SOFIA: Aquaculture now accounts for 47% of all fish consumed by humans as food. SOFIA questioned the notion that aquaculture would automatically grow to meet demand, saying this sends a "surreptitious message" that no public policies are needed. "Aquaculture-enabling policies are essential for the steady and sustainable growth of the sector."
It is unclear from the FAO data whether fish farms are indirectly putting more pressure on wild stocks. In a parallel report, international fisheries pressure group Oceana charges that by feeding farmed fish with wild-caught species like sardines, which now constitute one third of world fisheries, fish farms are starving larger predators, including tuna, marine mammals and seabirds.
WWF's comments on SOFIA includes "Coastal aquaculture must also stop making inroads into fish habitat such as mangrove areas, it must becomes less polluting and less of a disease risk and it must be carried out without making communities more vulnerable to natural disasters."
Climate change: the wild card
From SOFIA: Climate change is already modifying the distribution of marine and freshwater fishes, altering food webs with unpredictable consequences for fish production.
Fish miles: that exotic fish on your plate is costing the earth
From SOFIA: Fisheries and aquaculture make a minor but significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions during fishing operations and transport, processing and storage of fish. Compared to actual fishing operations, emissions per kilogram of post-harvest aquatic products transported by air are quite high.
What is the human impact of a collapse in fisheries?
From SOFIA: An estimated 43.5 million people are directly involved, either full or part time, in capture fisheries and aquaculture. Most (86%) live in Asia.
Fish provides more than 2.9 billion people with at least 15 percent of their average per capita animal protein intake. It contributes at least 50 percent of total animal protein intake in many small island developing states as well as in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, the Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia and Sierra Leone.
More links
Harvest of wild fishes maxed out
From SOFIA: Production in capture fisheries has levelled off and is not likely to increase beyond current levels. 19% of major commercial marine fish stocks monitored by FAO are overexploited and 8% are depleted. Around half (52%) rank as fully exploited and are producing catches that are at or close to their maximum sustainable limits.
SOFIA identifies overcapacity — a combination of too many boats and highly effective fishing technologies — as a key problem affecting fisheries today. Progress in tackling this issue has been slow, and "there has been only limited progress in mainstreaming precautionary and ecosystem approaches to fisheries, eliminating bycatch and discards, regulating bottom-trawl fisheries, managing shark fisheries and dealing with illegal fishing."
How bad are things really?
WWF says: "We and many other analysts believe that the real position of the oceans is much, much worse than the gloomy report from Rome this morning as little account of is taken of rampant illegal, unreported and unrecorded fishing.
“Also, in many cases, even legal fishing quotas have no relationship to actual fish stocks. To take possibly the best known example, the legal quota of Mediterranean bluefin tuna is around twice what the scientists recommend and the illegal catch is equal to the already inflated legal quota.”
Fish farms: still not sustainable
From SOFIA: Aquaculture now accounts for 47% of all fish consumed by humans as food. SOFIA questioned the notion that aquaculture would automatically grow to meet demand, saying this sends a "surreptitious message" that no public policies are needed. "Aquaculture-enabling policies are essential for the steady and sustainable growth of the sector."
It is unclear from the FAO data whether fish farms are indirectly putting more pressure on wild stocks. In a parallel report, international fisheries pressure group Oceana charges that by feeding farmed fish with wild-caught species like sardines, which now constitute one third of world fisheries, fish farms are starving larger predators, including tuna, marine mammals and seabirds.
WWF's comments on SOFIA includes "Coastal aquaculture must also stop making inroads into fish habitat such as mangrove areas, it must becomes less polluting and less of a disease risk and it must be carried out without making communities more vulnerable to natural disasters."
Climate change: the wild card
From SOFIA: Climate change is already modifying the distribution of marine and freshwater fishes, altering food webs with unpredictable consequences for fish production.
Fish miles: that exotic fish on your plate is costing the earth
From SOFIA: Fisheries and aquaculture make a minor but significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions during fishing operations and transport, processing and storage of fish. Compared to actual fishing operations, emissions per kilogram of post-harvest aquatic products transported by air are quite high.
What is the human impact of a collapse in fisheries?
From SOFIA: An estimated 43.5 million people are directly involved, either full or part time, in capture fisheries and aquaculture. Most (86%) live in Asia.
Fish provides more than 2.9 billion people with at least 15 percent of their average per capita animal protein intake. It contributes at least 50 percent of total animal protein intake in many small island developing states as well as in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, the Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia and Sierra Leone.
More links
- State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2008 report downloadable from the FAO website.
- Media reports on the wildsingapore news blog.
Two of Singapore's three refineries are shutting down
The shutdowns - by ExxonMobil and Singapore Refining Company (SRC) - come as industry sources said that margins in the first two months of this year are 'still not exciting, and refineries continue to operate at reduced capacity'. Industry sources stress that the coming shutdowns are scheduled - and not related to the current downturn.
Shell, with 500,000 bpd of refining capacity at its Pulau Bukom refinery, declined to comment on whether it too is conducting maintenance shutdowns in the next couple of months.
ExxonMobil, SRC refineries shutting for maintenance
Move not due to poor margins amid demand slump, say industry sources
Ronnie Lim, Business Times 3 Mar 09;
A public walk on the living shores of Pulau Semakau with Shell refineries on Pulau Bukom in the background.
Shell, with 500,000 bpd of refining capacity at its Pulau Bukom refinery, declined to comment on whether it too is conducting maintenance shutdowns in the next couple of months.
ExxonMobil, SRC refineries shutting for maintenance
Move not due to poor margins amid demand slump, say industry sources
Ronnie Lim, Business Times 3 Mar 09;
TWO of Singapore's three refineries are shutting down for six to eight weeks of maintenance, cutting the island's 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) refining capacity amid continued slow demand for oil products.More links
The shutdowns - by ExxonMobil and Singapore Refining Company (SRC) - come as industry sources said that margins in the first two months of this year are 'still not exciting, and refineries continue to operate at reduced capacity'.
Local refining margins fell in the second half of 2008. Singapore Petroleum Company (SPC) - the only company to report its margins - said that they fell to US$1 a barrel in July-December 2008 from US$10 in the first half of the year. In Q4 2008, SPC's margins evaporated to minus-US$2 a barrel.
Still, industry sources stress that the coming shutdowns are scheduled - and not related to the current downturn. 'They are operational shutdowns for maintenance and inspection purposes,' an official said. 'We do them regardless of whether margins are up or down.'
ExxonMobil, the largest refiner here with capacity of 605,000 bpd, said yesterday that it had started shutting down several units for maintenance, with the overall shutdown expected to last about six weeks.
The work is understood to involve units at its 296,000 bpd Jurong Island refinery and its 309,000 bpd Jurong facility, the former Mobil refinery. ExxonMobil did not specify the actual capacity being shut down.
Maintenance work is also expected to be conducted at the aromatics unit of its US$2 billion, 900,000 tonne per annum (tpa) petrochemical complex. This is not related to the construction of ExxonMobil's second one million tpa petrochemical complex here - a US$5 billion-plus project expected to start operating in early 2011.
'We have communicated the shutdown to our regular customers and expect to be able to continue to meet their product needs during this brief period,' an ExxonMobil spokeswoman said.
SRC - the joint-venture 290,000 bpd refinery of Caltex and SPC - is understood to be shutting down a 135,000 bpd crude distillation unit from mid-March to mid-April for operational maintenance and to upgrade a 20,000 bpd hydro-sulphuriser unit to produce 'green' diesel.
The company is investing US$81 million in the ultra low-sulphur diesel project, which is scheduled to start production in the second half of this year. The 'green' diesel is expected to be exported to Europe and Australia.
Shell, with 500,000 bpd of refining capacity at its Pulau Bukom refinery, declined to comment on whether it too is conducting maintenance shutdowns in the next couple of months.
02 March 2009
Chek Jawa intertidal walk dates for Apr-Jun 09 now open for bookings
A special shore with lots of history and a wide range of things to see and do, the morning low tide trips to Chek Jawa are now available for booking.
How to book a tour?
from the NParks website
1 Apr Wed 8.00am
2 Apr Thu 8.00am
3 Apr Fri 10.00am
15 Apr Wed 8.00am
16 Apr Thu 8.00am
29 Apr Wed 8.00am
30 Apr Thu 8.00am
1 May Fri 8.00am
2 May Sat 10.00am
15 May Fri 8.00am
28 May Thu 8.00am
29 May Fri 8.00am
30 May Sat 8.00am
31 May Sun 9.00am
13 June Sat 8.00am
14 June Sun 8.00am
27 June Sat 8.00am
28 June Sun 8.00am
29 June Mon 9.00am
More details on the NParks website.
More links
How to book a tour?
from the NParks website
1. Call our Pulau Ubin Hotline (Tel: 6542-4108) or visit our Information Kiosk between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm to book a tour. You will be given a booking number to register with on the actual day of the tour. As demand for the guided tours is high, please book early to avoid disappointment.Dates of the public walks
2. Please make payment by cheque to “National Parks Board” (indicate your booking number, name and mailing address at the back of the cheque) at least one week prior to the tour and send it to
National Parks Board
Headquarters (Raffles Building)
1 Cluny Road , Singapore Botanic Gardens
Singapore 259569
Att: Adelle Wang (Pulau Ubin)
We will confirm your booking only upon receipt of your payment. Bookings will be canceled if payment is not received at least one week before the tour.
1 Apr Wed 8.00am
2 Apr Thu 8.00am
3 Apr Fri 10.00am
15 Apr Wed 8.00am
16 Apr Thu 8.00am
29 Apr Wed 8.00am
30 Apr Thu 8.00am
1 May Fri 8.00am
2 May Sat 10.00am
15 May Fri 8.00am
28 May Thu 8.00am
29 May Fri 8.00am
30 May Sat 8.00am
31 May Sun 9.00am
13 June Sat 8.00am
14 June Sun 8.00am
27 June Sat 8.00am
28 June Sun 8.00am
29 June Mon 9.00am
More details on the NParks website.
More links
- Visit Chek Jawa at any tide! No need to book, no need to wait for low tide. All about the boardwalk and more info for visitors on the wildsingapore website.
- Pulau Ubin how to get there, what to see and do, on the wildsingapore website.
- TeamSeagrass at Chek Jawa make a difference for Chek Jawa. Join TeamSeagrass!
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