Happy Crabby Birthday at the Leafmonkey Workshop!

It's been a year since the Leafmonkey Workshops started in earnest, and we celebrate with a very special session on our crabs!

Savvy stingrays use tools!

Stingrays can use tools to solve problems, an experiment discovered.

The freshwater stingrays in the experiment learned to use jets of water to extract hidden food from a plastic pipe. More about stingrays. Another example given of a tool-using fish is the Archerfish. The study shows that fishes have cognitive abilities to rival birds, reptiles and mammals.

Indeed, we recently observed a mudskipper at Chek Jawa spitting missiles of mud to chase off an intruding mudskipper!

Why do fish have gills?

Of course fish breathe with their gills. But did gills evolve primarily for breathing?

A recent study suggests fish evolved gills for the primary purpose of regulating the chemicals in their bodies.

More dolphins heading to Singapore via Langkawi?

WChinner of Langkawi just posted on her Nature is Awesome blog about cages being set up at Awana Porto Malai, a resort there.

Photo of cages at the resort, from Nature is Awesome by WChinner.

WChinner asked around at the resort and was given to understand that the cages are "for dolphins apparently coming from America. These dolphins will be caged in the waters off Awana Porto Malai as their acclimatisation program." After which, "they will be transferred to Singapore".

Nature walks at St. John's Island with the Tropical Marine Science Institute

The Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) offers walks to explore St John's Island's intertidal shore, mangroves, and terrestrial forest areas!

This is part of the TMSI's Public Outreach Programmes led by Ms Jun Lin.

What can you see at St. John's?

Dugong blimp cam survey at Sungai Pulai

Sit on the boat below the great balloon.
Observe the CCTV screen.
Record data when a dugong appears.

This is what you need to do to help out in the Dugong Blimp Cam Survey at Sungai Pulai Johor running 23 Jan - 1 Feb.

Ghosts as an indicator of life on our shores

The Horn-eyed ghost crab (Ocypode ceratophthalmus) is commonly seen on many of our shores.

A recent study of these crabs on Pulau Hantu and East Coast Park provides some interesting insights into these engaging crabs.

Dead Fish Patrol: Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin

Are there any dead fish at Chek Jawa and Pulau Ubin?
A few of us spent this scorching hot day to find out.

Mud slinging mudskippers at Chek Jawa

There are lots of interesting mudskippers on Chek Jawa.
Today I noticed a Gold-spotted mudskipper (Periophthalmus chrysospilos) digging out a 'swimming pool'.

Frenzied fiddlers on Chek Jawa

The highlight of a Chek Jawa boardwalk trip at any tide are fiddler crabs!
These very pretty crabs are commonly seen on the mangrove trail of the boardwalk even at a not so low tide.

Some marvellous mangrove trees

Today we came across this mangrove tree with yellow leaves.
Some of the leaves were still green, but many were turning bright yellow-orange.