Wacky corals growing in our marinas

A strange form of Disk coral has been seen growing at the SAF Yacht Club -- it appears to have arms, unlike the more usual forms taken by disk corals.
A paper by Prof Chou Loke Ming Chou and Lionel Ng Chin Soon describes this strange colony of Turbinaria peltata seen growing there: "Protruding from almost opposite sides near the exterior base of the typical cup were two slender elongated ‘arms’, one bearing a single polyp and the other, three polyps near the apex. Both branches were as tall as the cup itself. This has not been seen in any other Turbinaria peltata colonies both in the natural reefs and non-reef environment of Singapore."

What is going on?

Fireflies! in the latest issue of Wetlands

Fireflies twinkling in mangrove trees are a captivating sight! But what do we know about these tiny creatures?
The fascinating findings of a meticulous study is shared in the latest issue of Wetlands, a magazine of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Flying time with Dragons and Damsels at the Leafmonkey Workshop

Our awesome dragonflies and damselflies was the focus of the last Leafmonkey Workshop for nature guides for 2010.
And who else better to learn from than Tang Hung Bun, the author of Singapore's first and only guidebook on these amazing creatures! Tang also kindly autographed our copies.

Snake eats crab - a first report in natural conditions

If you had no hands, it can be tricky to catch and eat a crab!
So it's fascinating to read Paul Zijian Chen's article which shares the first reported in-situ observation of a Gerard’s water snake (Gerarda prevostiana) eating a crab under natural conditions.

NEA comments on flaring at Bukom

The emission of dark smoke from a chimney is against the law outside agreed limitations, says the National Environment Agency (NEA) -- according to today's Straits Times article about flaring on Pulau Bukom.

Flaring on Pulau Bukom, near living reefs at Pulau Hantu and
other areas of rich marine biodiversity including Cyrene Reef.

Other insights from the article: Shell says it is within the limitations but an NEA spokesman said: 'We are working with Shell to understand and stem this unusual spate of smoke emissions from the flare stacks.'

Job vacancy: Public Relations and Outreach Officer at RMBR

As the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) embarks on expansion plans with a new building to be constructed by 2014, they are seeking a special person to take on this vacancy.
Specific duties include coordinating outreach activities for the museum, training of RMBR volunteers, maintaining the museum’s Newsblog and website, communicating with the media (TV, radio, newspapers) and many other important aspects.